Today we’d like to introduce you to Roy Barudin.
Roy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Like many great product ideas, Blind Slat Menders came about from my own situation at home. I had several window blinds with broken slats. When I’d go to a big box home improvement retailer, or look online under window blind repair, I realized that no one carried a product to simply repair a broken, cracked or bent horizontal window blind slat. I was told my only option was to purchase a whole new blind (expensive) or go through the hassle of taking the blind down from my window and try to replace the broken slat. To do that you have to take out the plugs at the bottom of the fixture, take out the cord that raises and lowers the blind, find a matching color window slat (good luck with that), restring the fixture and then put it back up on your window. The task is daunting and very time-consuming.
I was a Marketing Major in college. It’s Marketing 101. Identify a problem and then create a product/service to solve the problem. I realized there was a real opportunity to create a product that didn’t exist. I developed paper prototypes for sizing; then hand cut prototypes from various materials; tested them on my home blinds over time with varying temperatures and came up with a final product. I sourced a manufacturer and worked with them to produce the finished product.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for a small business is obtaining the distribution of your product at a retailer or wholesaler. Large retailers don’t typically work with companies that only have a couple of products because of the cost of set-up and maintenance within their system. Also, the cost of the entry relating to needing general product liability insurance, UPC codes, patent application fees, attending industry trade shows, advertising, etc. are just cost prohibitive. Also, since this is an entirely new product, you have to educate people on how it can be used. Fortunately, I’ve been able to generate some earned media from articles in “Window Coverings News”, “Drapery & Design Professional”, and in the Blindcleaners.biz newsletter.
Right now, I’m only been selling them on my website which is www.blindslatmenders.com.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Blind Slat Menders – what should we know?
According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, 85 million horizontal blinds are sold each year. No doubt, more than a few of the blind slats get damaged from either the kids playing in the house, or from the pet jumping on them, or while trying to clean them. Until now, there’s never been a product that homeowners can purchase to repair their broken, cracked or bent wood/faux wood blind slats. The only repair options have been to remove the bottom rail plugs, pull out the cord, put in a new slat (if the manufacturer provided one), restring and re-plug. Alternatively, you could tape, glue or clamp the two broken pieces together. Between the frustration and time required for the first method and the unattractiveness of the second method, there just hasn’t been a better solution to this common problem…until NOW!
Introducing Blind Slat Menders™. Our tagline is “If you’ve got broken, cracked or bent blind slats don’t despair, use Blind Slat Menders for a low-cost easy repair.”
They are:
• Easy to apply 1¾” x 1¾” transparent, rigid and strong clear adhesive patches
• Patches available in two types – With and Without a Route Hole
• Made of glare-free plastic material
• UV resistant
• Thin as a credit card so you’ll barely see them once applied
• Able to make your damaged blind slats look almost new again!
Blind Slat Menders currently come in two SKUs: Package with one (1) patch of each – 1 with and 1 without a route hole or two (2) of each patch – 2 with and 2 without a route hole.
I’m proud to have “created something out of nothing” and a DIY home repair solution that never existed. It’s less costly than the current options and certainly less time-consuming.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I am definitely a “creatalytic marketer”. That means I’m right-brained creative with left brain analytical tendencies. I enjoy the challenge of “creating something out of nothing.” You identify a problem and then figure a way to solve it. To me, that’s fun and exciting. I tend to be very entrepreneurial with the way I think about things. I have my little post-it notes and a pen by the side of my bed, and unfortunately for my wife, I will wake-up in the middle of the night and write down ideas that come into my head. They’re fleeting thoughts but if I don’t write them down at that time, I’ll forget them in the morning.
Pricing:
- A package of Blind Slat Menders with one (1) patch of each – 1 with and 1 without a route hole is $5.95 and includes free shipping.
- A package of Blind Slat Menders with two (2) patches of each – 2 with and 2 without a route hole is $7.95 and includes free shipping.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blindslatmenders.com
- Phone: 530-5ME-NDER (530-563-6337)
- Email: sales@blindslatmenders.com
- Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/d9copqq
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
