The OB and The StatGuardplus

So I got to go with Anna to her OB/GYN this week, it was great. Dr. Zeng has been her doctor for several years and has delivered my two boys, my sister’s two daughters and both of my brother’s boys. This week we went to confirm that the 18+ positive home test Anna took were accurate and indeed they were! We also got to see her heart beat (I’m hoping for a little girl!). We are very excited and are making plans to accommodate what will be six in our house come this fall. Wow.

Of course, my desire to sell the StatGuardplus is as great as ever and when I see an opportunity, I have to pitch it. The OB’s office was no exception.

As we walked through the hallway from examination room #1 to the ultra sound room, we turned a corner and my eye caught the thermostat on the wall with what was left of a broken base for a locking cover. Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, well almost.

I asked the nice doctor if they had trouble with people messing with the temperature and she told me about a couple different patients and employees that have made the whole office warm, and some that have turned the temperature down so low that she got ‘close to freezing!’

“What happened to the rest of the locking cover?” I asked her. She wasn’t sure, because apparently someone lost the key and they had to force the cover off. Game on…my pitch doesn’t get much easier with that type of info.

I told Doctor Zeng that we could install the StatGuardplus, which has no key to find and a hinged cover/base so that it will never be lost again. She paused for a second and gave me puzzled look – kind of like a “really, you’re excited about replacing a thermostat guard with a combination lock and hinge…?” I responded to her look and asked her if she would check with her office manager and see if they wanted one. “Oh-Kay Ewik, I will check with her, but I don’t tink we will need one.”

She walked out of the ultra sound room and about 15 seconds later, she walked back in and with a big ol’ Dr Zeng smile said…”oh-kay…you get me one and you send bill….we high fived and the ultra sound continued.

It was a great morning. First, Anna wasn’t upset at her overzealous salesman/husband, (in fact she’s my biggest encourager).  Second, we got to see our little baby’s belly and watch her heart beat – which always grips me and third, I made a sale to the doctor and get to share my story with you all.

Life is good and we need a large vehicle….bring on the sales!

Ace Hardware

I have always liked to frequent the same corner gas station, grocery store, barber shop and hardware store. It gives me an added sense of community and I like the relationships that are able to be built by seeing the same attendants, cashiers, etc. You know, the – hey Bob, how’s it going type thing.

Well, Ace Hardware has been one of those stores that I enjoy to shop at. Not only do I believe in the entrepreneur and want to support their efforts but Ace is a really convenient store to shop and they live up to their slogan…”The helpful place.”

Last week I began to look at Ace not only as a hardware store to shop but as a new client. I walked into my local store and asked the owner if he would be interested in offering the StatGuardplus to his customers. He looked at the box, looked at me and said “sure”. WHAT? Sure?! YES! I am confidant in my product and know that it is the most convenient thermostat guard available, but I did not expect such a quick response. With an increased level of confidence and huge smile on my face I drove down to the next city and walked in to another Ace. I repeated the above steps and received a similar response!

I am stoked as the first week of marketing is in the books and we already have a chapter of great stories to look back on – and the StatGuardplus thermostat cover is now available in two local Ace Hardware stores!

Snowfall In South Florida

The last snowfall in South Florida was in 1977 and now in 2010 we experience snow flurries once again in South Florida – WOW.  It has been scene by a few that I know and reported in the local news as a strong cold front moved through the state (and my house) on Saturday – and my toes are still half frozen. I am still confused that Sunday night is expected to be the coldest night yet with temperatures in the 20s and 30s. Brrrr.

The following is a list of known snow events in Florida.

Looking forward to some good soup and some NFL playoffs! Enjoy the snow :).

3D CAD Design and Rapid Prototyping

From the beginning, I knew the StatGuardplus had to be attractive, sleek and as small as possible. It also had to accommodate virtually every thermostat on the market. I looked at as many different thermostat guards I could find and even purchased 3 or 4. I visited hardware stores, A/C suppliers and many different websites, then took the best features of each one and added a few of my own. With every thermostat size specification I could get my hands on, I finished my notes.

After the research I figured that I’d better start getting my design ideas on paper. So I did. I sat at the dinning room table with a sheet of graph paper and outlined a base and a cover for a thermostat guard. Even though several changes from the original design where made,  the basics didn’t – the combination lock, the hinged door, the rounded cover and the low profile are all the same and are what make the StatGuardplus the greatest thermostat guard available.

Once the initial specs and drawings from that night at the dinning room table (which became my second desk for the next 6 months) were finished, I began looking for a CAD designer. I spoke with a few different individuals and then was introduced to Alex Atala from Leading Technologies. Alex really made me feel comfortable as he immediately took an interest in my product and took the time to educate me on the process, plus he had a lot of cool toys. My favorite was the rapid prototype machine, which essentially prints a solid 3D, plastic prototype by layering several thousand small strands of plastic into a functional prototype. Sweet!

Alex and I came to an agreement and he began working on the CAD design. Within a few days, I had the first design in my in box and I was stoked! I remember the first time that I opened that file on my computer and was able to turn the 3D concept full axis, man was I excited!   After a few minor adjustments Alex “printed” the prototype and a couple days later I held the first solid StatGuardplus prototype – it was a awesome day. I remember looking at the prototype as if it was a new car or something, I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Eric

Lose Your Keys?

Because foreclosures have been on the rise for the last 24 + months, my family’s general contracting company, among other things, has been repairing and preserving REO properties (vacant bank owned homes) for asset managers and brokers. One of the things we do is install thermostat covers to prevent people from messing with the AC settings. Well, the keyed covers just don’t work well because the keys get lost and it causes havoc when there is a legitimate reason to access the secured thermostat settings.

Earlier this year I realized that the only way to eliminate the frustration of the lost keys would be to replace the keyed locks with a combination lock. I began the search for combination locked thermostat guard and discovered that if I wanted one, I’d have to develop one.

The StatGuardplus was born on May 16th and the journey of getting it to the market place has been awesome. In this blog, I will begin outlining the different steps that lead to the StatGuardplus, from CAD design and prototyping to production and marketing. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with you.

Eric

Facebook Ads Really Work!

So, I’m sitting here totally thrilled!  I just sold my first three thermostat guards. I bought some ads on Facebook, targeted some people in the facilities management and  just noticed that I get to ship my first 3 products to people that I –

1) don’t know, and 2) have never sold to directly before!  Life is good.

My newly launched product,the StatGuardplus, just took one small step forward, but it feels like a HUGE step for my business!

Eric