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00:00

Hey guys, welcome to the show. This is Ted, your host speaking and if you’re here for actionable entrepreneurship advice, then you’re at the right place. On today’s show. We have Greg Breton, who’s going to teach us how we can bring our product to the world. Now Greg is the founder and inventor of blunt umbrellas, which is the only umbrella on the market with a fully tension canopy for unparalleled performance. Greg shares what led him to redesign a product has been around for over 150 years, and how after decade of persistence, he finally managed to bring his product to the world. In today’s episode, Greg’s actionable takeaways include his strategies and how to approach product design and manufacturing, how to expand your business into new markets with his bullish strategy, and how one can turn an unhappy customer into your biggest fan ever. Now if at any point, you felt like you’ve learned something, it’d be great if you could show your support to the show by sharing it with a fellow entrepreneur who may find it useful as well. And of course, if you’d like to stay in touch with the show, please feel free to subscribe to any of the podcast directories such as Apple, iTunes, Google podcasts, and Spotify. Now as a way to say thank you and to show my appreciation to you guys, if you actually do subscribe and leave a review on Apple iTunes by the end of September, then you stand a chance to win $50 worth of gift vouchers from Amazon. Now let’s dive right in. Thank you for joining us on the show today. Greg is so nice to have you here. Yeah, great to be here. Thank you. Now let’s start with a simple icebreaker. Could you share with us who is Greg brebner, where he’s not working on brand umbrellas.

 

01:25

I think I’m a frustrated inventor I am. I’m always thinking of product ideas. And even when I’m not working, I find it difficult not to be trying to create something in my head. Just my life. I live on a small farm. So there’s always ideas brewing just even for the lifestyle. So it’s just always creativeness something.

 

01:43

Now let’s take some time to talk about your company, Blanton brothers, us an inventor to design has been around for over 100 years. And he made it better and a fashion statement as well. So for starters, could you share with us? How did you come up with this idea? Was there a particular gap in the market that you noticed?

 

01:59

Um, well, I think before I am actually started on the umbrella, I was really just looking for a product idea in general. And I went through a lot of ideas and trying to, I guess, reinvent everyday products. But the thing that struck me with the umbrella when I got to London in 1999 was, I guess was the fact that it does seem to have a lot of untapped potential. It’s one of those products that over time, it just lost its value. And being a fashion item, it had a lot of potential lot of fish that are empty, and they sell for a premium. And, and the umbrella does seem to have lost its way over the years with mass production. I think the last few decades, everything going to mass production and all the energy seem to have gone into making it, I guess, faster and cheaper as opposed to a better product. So I felt that, you know, if you could put the energy into making it a bit of product, then the result might be something quite different. So I think that’s what what really sparked my interest in taking it on as a project.

 

02:51

Now guys, the interesting thing that Greg just shared here is that while the umbrella is the thing that brought him success is not the first thing that he was experimenting on. As with most entrepreneurs, we usually have a period where we’re experimenting, we’re exploring, and we’re learning. So always remember that that’s part of your process is part of your story as well. Now, Greg, back to you, you shared that you actually spotted this gap in the market in 1999. In the streets of London, how long did it take before you had your first working prototype?

 

03:18

Yeah, it was really slow. It was a really drawn out process. And it actually took about four years for me to have a working prototype. So um, so I went through that whole path of doing all sorts of things wrong, and learning things the hard way. But um, yeah, it wasn’t an easy product to reinvent, that’s for sure. umbrellas, inherently very difficult to work with, because there’s not a lot of room to move. It’s very constricted. There’s only so many components you can use. And it’s in a very compact space. So they need to do a lot with very little. So it was a puzzle that was something that I just couldn’t leave alone. Once I got into I thought there had to be a solution. So to begin with, I am I just went too radical, really, I thought because the conventional umbrella was just so poor and the way it worked, that I need to change every single thing about the product. And it taught me nowhere. So I think the first 18 months, I spent a lot of time going nowhere, just spinning my wheels in them. It was at the stage where I thought now I’ve got to take the traditional umbrella and really appreciate what was good about it. And in in fix the bits that aren’t so good about it. So I think when I breach that mindset, that’s when I started to get some headway in being an engineer, it was really taking it back and saying well, is materials What are they actually doing. And the thing that I worked out that was probably the key to the whole thing was the canopy on an umbrella is only really adding value if it’s pulled tight, like tension. And umbrellas do a really poor job of this and especially around the edge of an umbrella with with it always flimsy and weak. So I thought if I could come up with a frame geometry or construction, tension that kind of be right through right to the edge and I’d have more of a wing. So it’d be better in the wind and structurally more sound and that fabric would be doing a lot more work. So you’re basically getting more value out of the materials that are already there. So that’s sort of the concept, the engineering concept that’s at the foundation of what we have in our product. And we call it our radial tensioning system. So once I had that thinking, then I was on a path to get there. But even at that point, I had a lot of work to do to actually make it work properly. Yeah. Now, my

 

05:14

friends, despite being from a design background, Greg himself shares the he has spent four years before he actually got his first prototype. In fact, after the first 18 months of experimentations, Greg himself went all the way back to the drawing board with a renewed understanding and mindset on what he needs to do to be able to reach his goal is this Never Say Die attitude and ability to reevaluate where you are? And what are the problems that you’re facing, and to tackle them head on, that’s essential for being an entrepreneur. So if you’re struggling in your business, right now, remember to have the patience to give yourself time, and of course, to have faith in yourself that you will be able to solve the problems as well. So Greg, what advice would you have for an entrepreneur who has an idea is looking to build his first prototype, you yourself took four years, and there were definitely a lot of hiccups that came along the way. How did you persevere?

 

06:00

I think the big thing for me was that I just felt inherently that the idea was a winner, it was going to be difficult. And I thought by being difficult, it was a good thing. So if it was easy, it felt like everything would have been done before. So I think just validating someone’s idea that people can spend a lot of time on an idea that probably doesn’t have the legs inherently. So you’ve got to really, really be sure that what you’re working on is to be successful. Whatever form that is, the potential is actually there. Because the trappers i think is that people have an idea, and now that spend a lot of time on it, and the more time you spend on it, it’s more difficult to let it go. So people can get emotionally attached to something that really doesn’t have the potential. So you’ve got to be careful not to get into that trap. So by trying to validate your idea in every way you can, is really important. And it’s speaking to people that you trust experts in different fields, and just just getting out there, and not being too sensitive to the fact that people might steal your idea. Because at the end of the day, you’ve got to put the hard work in to make it happen. It’s not just the idea. That’s the magic piece, it’s actually the execution of it. And most people really just don’t want to do it. Now, Greg,

 

07:05

you clearly are a person who has a very good eye for spotting the right issues in being able to solve them. But how did you yourself avoid falling into this trap? How did you know that you were on the right track,

 

07:14

it was just obvious to me that this product was so bad, that if I had a better version of it, then then I had to be successful. So I think for my case, it was just the fact that I took on a product that had the potential but the difficult bit was the actual execution actually making a better version of it. So the actual design was the huge challenge to get over. And I think the the idea itself was pretty sound. But for other people, I think, you know, some ideas, you don’t actually have to put that much energy into into reinventing, you can just have a bit of idea, a bit of concept that you definitely need to validate that concept before you put too much energy into it.

 

07:51

So Greg, after years of experimentation, you’ve came up with a product that is more aerodynamic, last longer, and no longer has sharp points like other umbrellas, which is how your company got its name at the end of this long process and any tips in product design that you would like to share?

 

08:05

So yeah, the actual result is quite simple. Like it’s not a lot more complicated than a traditional umbrella, there’s not a lot more going on. It just does it in a better way. And I think that’s the key to good designers, as it’s doing more with less simplicity. And also it’s it’s very familiar to consumers the way it gets used the same function, you just slide it up like you wouldn’t normally umbrella. And yeah, I think the last thing you want to do with that product is have to educate people on how to use it, especially something like an umbrella if they’re standing in the rain, and they don’t know how to put the thing up. You don’t want to have to have an instruction manual that people have to follow. I’ll get very weird.

 

08:37

Oh, yeah. Thanks for sharing that, Greg. So when it comes to product design, oftentimes simplicity is key. Now, Greg, when you were redesigning your product, any considerations or manufacturing come into play as well,

 

08:48

like I actually had a manufacturing background from day one. So all my design thinking all the way through was like necessity made somewhere. And I think a lot of people will design a product, and they’ll design it for the function and there, but the manufacturing comes later. And sometimes when you’ve got to re engineer a product to be manufactured, you lose a lot of the essence of what you put in to begin with. So the process really has to happen from the beginning. So for me, everything starts with design. So if you go into a manufacturer and showing them that, yes, this can be made the way with your material materials and your processes, then you’re gonna have a lot better time than if you go in and they just look at it going, this can’t be made, and then they start to sort of reimagine it for you. And that’s when people come unstuck. So I think that’s really important. And also just getting with the right manufacturer, I think there’s just nothing like getting, getting a contact in an industry who’s already done the hard yards, like to actually go in fresh, and not even know how an industry works like we did. It’s you’re really up against that because these industries around the world are just so mature and associate in their ways. And if you’re trying to disrupt or do something quite different, that’s a real battle. So you need as much help as you can get to actually get into networks of industry. And find out people that are sort of, I guess the in between people that are in between the market like an agent or something like that, that actually understands the manufacturing side, but also understands the market side. And somewhat getting someone like that on your side is, is invaluable.

 

10:14

Now, let’s talk a little bit about manufacturing is wanting to have your prototype, but how did you go about manufacturing your product and bringing it to the world? How did you find the right partner to bring your vision to the world?

 

10:26

Yeah, so that again, was very drawn out. So um, so early days, when I had my prototype I am, I got in contact with a friend of a friend who was actually living in China in the umbrella industry. And he came back with an email just saying, Look, it’s, it’s sort of, yeah, they don’t really appreciate design like they should. So the chances of you taking your design over there to a manufacturer and getting into make it in thinking you’ll get some money out of it, you’re dreaming. So I was really, really sensitive about entering that, that, um, that Chinese umbrella market with my design, so I was a bit lost at that point. So I am when I started a business with them with a guy called Scott Kington and in 2004 to commercialize the business, the first thing was, we’ve got to make them so let’s just make them in New Zealand. So we made them in our garage in, it was like a very conventional startup where I’m working late nights just trying to put these products together. And it was, it was a pretty painful process actually just working with superglue trying hard not to stick our fingers together and getting high on the fumes. And we ended up making about 200 products and went to some local shops and put them in the shops. And they started to sell and we’ve got quite a high price tag on them. It was as I got $100 in New Zealand, which was actually a lot of money for an umbrella, especially one with no brand attached to it or anything like that. So we put them out there and was all good with it, we’re in business. But then when the first sort of weather system came through, they started to get returned in they were falling apart basically. And what would worked out is we had a good design, but the product itself was built so poorly that it was never going to stand up. So that was a bit of a lesson about sticking to your knitting and doing what you do well and let other people do their But well, so we really needed to have an umbrella manufacturer. But the process that I use to validate the product, which was massive for us to actually go out to the market and know that people would part with the money for it. That from that point, we then we went back to China and actually went back to that friend of a friend, guy by the name of David Haythornthwaite. And he had probably nearly 10 years of experience in China in the industry at that point. So that was invaluable to actually enter that, that industry with someone that had that experience and the context, he saved. Basically, our bacon when it came to getting into the industry introduced us to the factory that we’re still with today. And they they’ve done a great job like it took a long time to get moving with them. Because what was really the case was that we were coming in with this new type of umbrella. And it was going to take a lot more effort to make and a lot different to what they were used to they were used to making products very, as quickly as possible and as cheap as possible. And as product was going to cost a lot more to make. So they’re the confidence in us to actually even take it to market and sell it wasn’t there at all. So it took over two years to actually get that factory to to make our product for us. So it’s a sort of a lesson, I guess, of how much we were trying to disrupt the status quo in that industry. So um, yeah, a bit of a painful time, actually. So the first production I think came out late 2009. And that was 10 years after the initial inspiration in London on the streets, nearly getting wiped out by an umbrella that we actually got got to market properly.

 

13:29

guys just let it sink in for a while it actually took Greg 10 years from the day he came over the idea to actually have a marketable product. This is what true success looks like behind the scenes is a long drawn process is not an overnight thing. But if you put in the work and you persevere like Greg did, good things will come now Great. Let’s talk a little bit more about the fine tuning process that you had to go through with your manufacturer. You said it took two years worth of time, there must have been a lot of back and forth and must have been really painful. Could you share a little bit more about that?

 

13:57

That’s right. Yeah, that was painful. And our friend David was amazing, because he was actually boots on the ground through that whole phase. And we did plenty of visits. But um, yeah, I think I think there was just their belief, they were even, like, when we got into production, the belief of the engineers within the factory that this could actually be something wasn’t there, they weren’t really quite tuned in the way they were doing it in the past. So um, so yeah, just a first production run wasn’t good. And I think over half of them we had to reject. And the other half we had to rework a bit to get moving. And the factory were really good with understanding that but um, the quality and just getting getting to the standard that we needed to to actually go out and sell this as a premium product took a long time. And we actually ended up having to put our own quality control system into the factory so that it was independent of the factory to make sure that every product that lift was up to standard. So we still do that today. And it’s cost us a lot of money. But um, that’s really what I think you need to do to really own the quality especially when you’re trying to make something on the other side of the world to where you are. You’re so remote, even though we visit there all the time. We can During COVID, obviously, but um, yeah, we were I was visiting every two to three months from New Zealand, and then just helping them out. But um, yeah, it took a long time. And after a while the factories sort of came around to our understanding that yes, this quality needs to be there for this to work. And it’s been a fantastic partnership, ever since,

 

15:17

what were some of the hardest parts of the manufacturing process to get right? And how has your attention to quality paid off?

 

15:23

I think part of it really is around the age where our umbrella is blunt, and it’s got that extra reinforcement that sets us apart. Because that really is where umbrellas get beaten up the most because there’s, there’s so much more surface area in the canopy with the wind. And it’s like a wing, I guess of an aeroplane like that first leading edge is where it gets beaten up the most. So by making our product super tight at age, the one five rep, there’s just so much more effortless, as opposed to, you know, like a sail flopping in the wind where you’ve got to battle with it. So, so yeah, I think it really is sort of the engineering design the fundamentals behind our product, what sets it apart, and the reason why it has been received. So well. Now we

 

16:00

like to say that when a sale is made to a customer, that’s when actually your relationship with the customer begins, what is the warranty system for your company, and what is the relationship that you’re trying to build with your customers moving forward.

 

16:11

So for us, we have a two year warranty on all our products. And that for us is really about guaranteeing that the product the person got, has got no manufacturing fault. So if that fault hasn’t come out in the first two years, then then we know that we’ve we’ve done our job. But the thing for us is beyond that it’s about making these products last as long as possible. So so many products today, especially in the fashion world are about here today gone tomorrow, and disposable. So we’re totally against that we want our products to last as long as possible. So again, it comes back to the design. And we’re trying to put as much innovation into our design to remove all the reasons why people would ever throw something out. So many products today, get thrown out and 95% of the product is actually still okay, and it’s just like 5% of it’s been broken. So say like on our, our umbrella if your dog was the to the handle, and it’s all mutilated, and you can actually change that handle out and put a new one on. So that’s just one of the reasons, a modular type build is sort of a real focus for us so that every component is sort of thought of as a product as well. So you think of respecting each component, like it’s a product, and that way that whole product can last last a long time. So we service every product, so if anyone has an issue today, five years down the track, then for a small cost, we can we can fix it, and repair it with people apart to the products. And if you even if you wanted to change your canopy out and in five years and change the color, we can do that as well. So that’s that sort of a network of service that we’re setting up more and more around the world, as we get established that, um, I just think today, people need to all companies need to take more ownership of their products through time, and not just sell it. And once it’s gone out the door, it’s forgotten about. And so many factories, just do that, once it’s left, it’s not their problem anymore. So they don’t really have that accountability. So for us, we’re just trying to load up ourselves with the accountability for their products over time. And that’s a work in progress. But that’s the vision for blank.

 

18:03

Greg, this is a very interesting point, you just shared the level of care and attention and accountability that you provide for your products, or really directly impact the kind of relationship that you have with your customers over the years. Absolutely. So how is this played out so far, and what what’s evolved

 

18:18

over the years, but um, from day one, we just had a repeat policy where we repeat everything. And I think that that service just just blew people away. And people it’s interesting, like if someone buys a inexpensive product like ours, the expectation of performance is really, really high. So if something does go wrong, they can actually get quite upset. So so to actually get someone to come in who’s understandably quite upset about the negative experience in India to turn that around with a service that is second to none. It just assumes them from being someone that’s upset to someone that’s like your biggest fan ever. So we try to leverage off that as much as possible. And to be in this game where Yes, to repair something for umbrellas, that’s just unheard of people just can’t believe it can be done. So it’s just goes to show how low the expectations were for this industry that we’ve entered into. And we’re really just doing what should be done in every industry, we believe that, yeah, that really is just making yourself accountable. For every product you put out into

 

19:12

the world idea listeners, there was some very good piece of advice that Greg just shared with us. If you really emphasize on your quality. And after sales service, you can find customers who were unhappy and turn them into super fans. So it’s always important to take care of our customers. If you do a bad job servicing them after the sale was made. This can really affect your reputation. But if you do an excellent job for them, they may actually come back as return customers or they may actually grow your customer base by telling your friends and family as well. Now let’s take some time to explore the steps they’ve taken to protect your design. Intellectual property is super important for entrepreneurs that you who are inventing or redesigning a product. So could you share with us the steps you’ve taken to protect the design behind your blood brothers? So I guess like

 

19:53

everyone, they think once they’ve invented something they need to get a patent. And that’s sort of the gold standard of protection and People have this perception that once they get the patent, and they’ve got this license to print money, and it’s all go, but it really is just just a defense against them, against people coming to copy you so. So when I first got my prototype together, I went and got a patent in late 2003. And that got really expensive after a couple of years, the processes relatively cheap to start with, but a year down the track, you’ve got to start deciding where you’re going to protect your product around the world. So that’s really painful when you’re in those startup years, and you’ve got no income coming in, and you’re putting all your money into trying to develop a product and, and the branding and marketing around it. But you’ve got to put money into a piece of paper, basically, that seems like it means nothing. So that that was really, really painful having to spend that money the days, but it has paid off that I’m just having the right strategy around what your prediction should be for your product. Because patents aren’t the only thing. There’s all sorts of trademarks, which are about more than visual identity and design registrations. And there’s a huge network of ways you can do that. So you need to really get some good advice. And there’s some great people out there that can do that. But I’m not just looking at one component of IP and isolation actually looking at the whole lot and how that can work with your product. Again, most valuable asset for our IP is actually the shape of our product now. So we’ve put a lot of investment into 3d trademarks, and just prediction that talks more about how aesthetic shape, and so much about the engineering behind it, because those sort of predictions actually lasts forever. Whereas patents have a 20 year lifespan. So um, so and also when you’re going into other markets with is this translation issue, especially like manufacturing markets, having a more of a visual IP asset that’s going to be way more valuable, it’s easier to put a picture in front of someone to say, hey, look, you’re copying me than it is to throw a whole lot of words at them, and then have to get that translated. So it’s a real complicated space, and but you can be smart about it. But you can also burn a lot of money. And I’m sure there’s a lot of patent lawyers out there that would love for you to spend that money. So you’ve got to be very careful. So you almost need to get with someone that can independently help you do the strategy to make sure that you’re not spending the money where you shouldn’t. But it’s an important thing to do. But I think for for us in the way we’ve played it is just because our umbrella was so much more expensive than what the industry was used to making. It protected us just naturally because they they couldn’t understand how we can make something so expensive and get it to market because the market was set up about efficiencies and, and low cost. So I think that that in itself has been a real prediction for us, aside from the actual intellectual property itself.

 

22:33

My dear listeners, what Greg just shared is super important. Whether you’re predicting your design pattern, or your brand with a trademark, these are things that you must have in mind to protect yourself against copycats. Now, Greg, back to your story, you actually patented your products in 2003. And this is way before you saw anything.

 

22:50

Yeah, well, I would have done it later if I’d known but you know, at the time, everyone thinks they’re gonna be on the market the following year. So it’s a bit of a lesson, you know, everything costs way more than you think it will. And the time will be way more. So you’ve really got to seal yourself in for the long ride, I think with this game. And I read James Dyson’s book, I think like 18 months and just listening to his journey, like I think it was 10 years for him to get to market with his first vacuum cleaner. And I’m reading that as like God, I was just like, yes, this, Neil, it’s me. And it’s me. And it’s like, some here for a while. So you just get the patients and you don’t want to put urgency to it. But you also have, I guess you settle back nine, this is going to be if this is going to work, I’m gonna have to be in it for the long haul. And it’s not going to be a quick one,

 

23:29

Greg is great, well, you just shared this always this issue of unexpected costs in that unexpected amount of time that you will take to develop your project and bring it to the market. So to me, one of the very broad excuses of an entrepreneur is to be able to walk that fine line and to make the right judgment calls when it’s needed. This is a skill set that is developed only with time and experience.

 

23:48

Yeah, it is. And you’ll always make mistakes. But you just got to do your homework as much as you can. And ebron, I guess needs investment at some point, some backers. So we’ve been very lucky, very fortunate with them. They are fantastic investors, and they’ve been since 2007, they initially invested. And I think just getting that relationship, right. And having making sure that there’s alignment with the people that come into your company is really important as well. A lot of people see an opportunity and will come in with their own ambitions and intentions for it. And if you’re all going in separate directions, it can really break a company. So you got to make sure if you’re the one that started it, that basically anyone who comes in has the same same ideas of what success looks like. And that’s what’s worked for us, I think quite often investors. So I think that it’s a key insight.

 

24:37

Now let’s talk a little bit about your sales at the early part of your business. You started by targeting the individual stores in New Zealand. How did you grow this and how do you scale in the long run?

 

24:47

I think to begin with you You’re trying to sell any way you can. And especially in our market, going to independent stores where you have an owner operator, they’re more likely to give you a chance. Whereas going to bigger stores anywhere in the world. I think come It’s very sophisticated the buying procedures. So you really don’t have the option to get into department stores from day one. So you’ve got to go out and prove yourself in some way you can. And obviously ecommerce has changed everything. Back in the day when we first started, that was very, very new. So I’m getting to the independent stores was key. And the other ones that really, I think word of mouth is just so important for new products. Having the genuine hearing of what you are, there’s just so much noise out there in markets in to advertise is so difficult, and PR has been a massive way for us to actually get our word out there. So to have a really good story behind what you’ve done is massive. So to have other people talk about what you’re doing in a really genuine way is so much more valuable than you going out and shouting about yourself. So that’s something we tried to leverage off a lot from the start. And people seem to want to really hear about our umbrella story, because the Brown was, I guess, getting sick of throw away and browse and love the idea of a new quality umbrella. So we were lucky to have a great story that we could, we could push out that way. So I’m tell you, in New Zealand, the market, the first three years were just with independence, and it grew. And then I think once the word of mouth got a bit more than the department store started to start to pick up when they people came in and started asking for our product. And that’s when they pretty much requested for us to come in and see them. So that was a really nice way to do it. But every market so different. And I think because New Zealand’s such a small market is probably easier to do certain things. Whereas the bigger the market, the more sophisticated as the more skills you need to actually get an even have a conversation with a buyer from a from a bigger, bigger retail outlet. So and so we’re learning as we go. So to ecommerce is it’s, it’s a good one, like it’s not the way to and to develop a market, we really do need the bricks and mortar so people can get their hands on the product.

 

26:50

What was the approach that you adopted when you wanted to grow

 

26:52

globally, global approach, what we found works really well for us is when you get a concentration of users in a neighborhood on the street to their products, and it sort of hits a tipping point where we grow quite rapidly. So we have a strategy, we’re calling it our village strategy. And it’s where we sort of focus all our efforts into the global market into a quite a, I guess, a defined area that we know will be right for people that would like our product. And we do that with strategies with retail, with just with seating getting in the hands of the right people. And corporate is another avenue that we sell through which is some some promotional type where we can we can brand them. And that, again is another great approach because it’s it’s it’s quite an efficient way to get in the hands of a lot of users all at once in one area. And here again, you start getting that word of mouth, and it’s an easy way to enter into a into a household. So quite often we hear the story of someone was gifted a blank umbrella, and it was the first one into the household. And since then they bought three or four more, and then bought more for gifts. So once once that momentum starts to happen, then we’re onto a winner. So we’re just trying to get a lot more science to that approach. But I think that’s quite be quite similar to a lot of products that get out into the world, it’s, there’s always pockets that are going to, I guess be more fertile for what you’re offering is. So it’s really identifying what that is. And then getting in there and then trying to get a word of mouth momentum happening because you can’t be word of mouth. It’s so authentic. If a friend talks about your product to another friend, they’re going to love it more so than reading like an article in a magazine or reading an advert. So I’m tired. I think just the world the way it is. And there’s so much noise going on with your advertising and to break through to markets. It’s you got to let people do the work for you for you. Now you

 

28:33

call it the village strategy. What was the kind of research that you had to do beforehand? What was the kind of research that you were looking for? We’re looking for the social demographics, the economic demographics, what would affect is that you consider?

 

28:45

Yeah, it’s all of that, even through just through the digital means we can actually sort of pinpoint as people and types of people in certain areas like where there’s obviously one that matters to us being a with a prediction product. Yeah, and what people earn. But also, I think it’s just the flavor of a neighborhood like we know what’s worked in New Zealand. So we’re just trying to learn New Zealand’s actually an interesting market that a lot of bigger brands around the world actually come here to test them to test the big rival offering in a smaller market because we’re quite diverse in a small area. So we’re quite efficient to do testing. So I’m so we’re trying to use our experiences in this market as much as we can to go overseas and, and our biggest markets around the Australia and then on to the UK. Next we’re really focusing our efforts. And because the cultures are quite similar, actually makes the similarities a lot easier to match up, I guess.

 

29:39

So Greg, you’ve successfully brought Biden brothers to the wall. What advice do you have a new entrepreneur who has a product and is ready to scale globally?

 

29:46

I think it’s um, it’s focused like um, we actually went with her weren’t available in over 30 countries and we got there fairly quickly because we’re such a unique item. That success doesn’t come from from wooden markets. It comes from depth, so So you really need to understand where you can go deep and put your your resources into into getting getting deeper into a market. So really understanding the world. And whenever people talk about getting so excited about entering a big market like the USA, because it’s such a massive market, there must be huge wins there. But it’s generally not the case that the bigger the market, the more risk there is. So, so don’t Don’t get excited about the size of America get excited about how much you can penetrate into that market. And so it’s a totally different mindset, I think, my dear

 

30:31

listeners, there was a very good piece of advice that Greg just shared, don’t always just look at the size of the market look more about where you can make a difference where you can penetrate it. Remember that the bigger the market is likely that the more competition that there will be when your company just starting out, and you have limited resources, you need to pick your battles. So back to you, Greg, was such an enormous undertaking, you must have a very strong team helping you how do you grow your team, where it is today?

 

30:55

Yeah, I think it’s, um, it’s quite interesting with with startups, like you go through phases, and when you’re, in the beginning, it’s very much about being creative, and it’s all about the offering in the image. So um, so we’ve had to evolve over the years. So it just, you get to a point where we’re the the processes and the strategy, and all those disciplines sort of become more and more important. So so that’s the way we’ve had to evolve in, there were quite a different company from what we were 510 years ago. And it’s really about the about getting the strategy and getting tighter plans in Indigo global, you really have to do that. So you can do it in your local market, you can be a lot more creatively driven. So until the team very much now is people and places that go can go quite deep into areas. So um, so that’s something we’ve had to learn over the years.

 

31:46

Thank you for sharing so much. The Greg, here’s one more question.

 

31:48

If somebody wants to buy an umbrella from you, where can they find you? Um, plant umbrellas.com is the best place to go to get online. Yeah, go and have a look. Invest in your future, buy a better product. And better off spending that money today, knowing that in five years, you’ll still be having a fantastic experience as opposed to going through 20. And not so good umbrellas. In the meantime,

 

32:09

thank you for joining us today, Greg. Thank you. Pleasure. Now, guys, I hope you enjoyed today’s episode. Those are Greg’s actual takeaways on how he brought his product to work, which I hope you can implement to your business as well. If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to share the show with fellow entrepreneur who may find it this way as well. And of course, please remember to subscribe to the show on Apple, iTunes, Google podcasts, and Spotify. And don’t forget about the Amazon gift voucher giveaway. If you actually do subscribe and leave a review on Apple iTunes by the end of September, then you stand a chance to win $50 worth of gift vouchers from Amazon. And one more thing all updates, tools and resources will be available on tedteo.com. That’s tedteo.com. That’s all for me today. I will see you next time.

 

[This transcript has been automatically generated by a digital software and will therefore contain errors and typos. Please kindly take note of this and only rely on the digital transcript for reference.]

00:00

Hey guys, welcome to the show. This is Ted, your host speaking and if you’re here for actionable entrepreneurship advice, then you’re at the right place. On today’s show. We have Greg Breton, who’s going to teach us how we can bring our product to the world. Now Greg is the founder and inventor of blunt umbrellas, which is the only umbrella on the market with a fully tension canopy for unparalleled performance. Greg shares what led him to redesign a product has been around for over 150 years, and how after decade of persistence, he finally managed to bring his product to the world. In today’s episode, Greg’s actionable takeaways include his strategies and how to approach product design and manufacturing, how to expand your business into new markets with his bullish strategy, and how one can turn an unhappy customer into your biggest fan ever. Now if at any point, you felt like you’ve learned something, it’d be great if you could show your support to the show by sharing it with a fellow entrepreneur who may find it useful as well. And of course, if you’d like to stay in touch with the show, please feel free to subscribe to any of the podcast directories such as Apple, iTunes, Google podcasts, and Spotify. Now as a way to say thank you and to show my appreciation to you guys, if you actually do subscribe and leave a review on Apple iTunes by the end of September, then you stand a chance to win $50 worth of gift vouchers from Amazon. Now let’s dive right in. Thank you for joining us on the show today. Greg is so nice to have you here. Yeah, great to be here. Thank you. Now let’s start with a simple icebreaker. Could you share with us who is Greg brebner, where he’s not working on brand umbrellas.

 

01:25

I think I’m a frustrated inventor I am. I’m always thinking of product ideas. And even when I’m not working, I find it difficult not to be trying to create something in my head. Just my life. I live on a small farm. So there’s always ideas brewing just even for the lifestyle. So it’s just always creativeness something.

 

01:43

Now let’s take some time to talk about your company, Blanton brothers, us an inventor to design has been around for over 100 years. And he made it better and a fashion statement as well. So for starters, could you share with us? How did you come up with this idea? Was there a particular gap in the market that you noticed?

 

01:59

Um, well, I think before I am actually started on the umbrella, I was really just looking for a product idea in general. And I went through a lot of ideas and trying to, I guess, reinvent everyday products. But the thing that struck me with the umbrella when I got to London in 1999 was, I guess was the fact that it does seem to have a lot of untapped potential. It’s one of those products that over time, it just lost its value. And being a fashion item, it had a lot of potential lot of fish that are empty, and they sell for a premium. And, and the umbrella does seem to have lost its way over the years with mass production. I think the last few decades, everything going to mass production and all the energy seem to have gone into making it, I guess, faster and cheaper as opposed to a better product. So I felt that, you know, if you could put the energy into making it a bit of product, then the result might be something quite different. So I think that’s what what really sparked my interest in taking it on as a project.

 

02:51

Now guys, the interesting thing that Greg just shared here is that while the umbrella is the thing that brought him success is not the first thing that he was experimenting on. As with most entrepreneurs, we usually have a period where we’re experimenting, we’re exploring, and we’re learning. So always remember that that’s part of your process is part of your story as well. Now, Greg, back to you, you shared that you actually spotted this gap in the market in 1999. In the streets of London, how long did it take before you had your first working prototype?

 

03:18

Yeah, it was really slow. It was a really drawn out process. And it actually took about four years for me to have a working prototype. So um, so I went through that whole path of doing all sorts of things wrong, and learning things the hard way. But um, yeah, it wasn’t an easy product to reinvent, that’s for sure. umbrellas, inherently very difficult to work with, because there’s not a lot of room to move. It’s very constricted. There’s only so many components you can use. And it’s in a very compact space. So they need to do a lot with very little. So it was a puzzle that was something that I just couldn’t leave alone. Once I got into I thought there had to be a solution. So to begin with, I am I just went too radical, really, I thought because the conventional umbrella was just so poor and the way it worked, that I need to change every single thing about the product. And it taught me nowhere. So I think the first 18 months, I spent a lot of time going nowhere, just spinning my wheels in them. It was at the stage where I thought now I’ve got to take the traditional umbrella and really appreciate what was good about it. And in in fix the bits that aren’t so good about it. So I think when I breach that mindset, that’s when I started to get some headway in being an engineer, it was really taking it back and saying well, is materials What are they actually doing. And the thing that I worked out that was probably the key to the whole thing was the canopy on an umbrella is only really adding value if it’s pulled tight, like tension. And umbrellas do a really poor job of this and especially around the edge of an umbrella with with it always flimsy and weak. So I thought if I could come up with a frame geometry or construction, tension that kind of be right through right to the edge and I’d have more of a wing. So it’d be better in the wind and structurally more sound and that fabric would be doing a lot more work. So you’re basically getting more value out of the materials that are already there. So that’s sort of the concept, the engineering concept that’s at the foundation of what we have in our product. And we call it our radial tensioning system. So once I had that thinking, then I was on a path to get there. But even at that point, I had a lot of work to do to actually make it work properly. Yeah. Now, my

 

05:14

friends, despite being from a design background, Greg himself shares the he has spent four years before he actually got his first prototype. In fact, after the first 18 months of experimentations, Greg himself went all the way back to the drawing board with a renewed understanding and mindset on what he needs to do to be able to reach his goal is this Never Say Die attitude and ability to reevaluate where you are? And what are the problems that you’re facing, and to tackle them head on, that’s essential for being an entrepreneur. So if you’re struggling in your business, right now, remember to have the patience to give yourself time, and of course, to have faith in yourself that you will be able to solve the problems as well. So Greg, what advice would you have for an entrepreneur who has an idea is looking to build his first prototype, you yourself took four years, and there were definitely a lot of hiccups that came along the way. How did you persevere?

 

06:00

I think the big thing for me was that I just felt inherently that the idea was a winner, it was going to be difficult. And I thought by being difficult, it was a good thing. So if it was easy, it felt like everything would have been done before. So I think just validating someone’s idea that people can spend a lot of time on an idea that probably doesn’t have the legs inherently. So you’ve got to really, really be sure that what you’re working on is to be successful. Whatever form that is, the potential is actually there. Because the trappers i think is that people have an idea, and now that spend a lot of time on it, and the more time you spend on it, it’s more difficult to let it go. So people can get emotionally attached to something that really doesn’t have the potential. So you’ve got to be careful not to get into that trap. So by trying to validate your idea in every way you can, is really important. And it’s speaking to people that you trust experts in different fields, and just just getting out there, and not being too sensitive to the fact that people might steal your idea. Because at the end of the day, you’ve got to put the hard work in to make it happen. It’s not just the idea. That’s the magic piece, it’s actually the execution of it. And most people really just don’t want to do it. Now, Greg,

 

07:05

you clearly are a person who has a very good eye for spotting the right issues in being able to solve them. But how did you yourself avoid falling into this trap? How did you know that you were on the right track,

 

07:14

it was just obvious to me that this product was so bad, that if I had a better version of it, then then I had to be successful. So I think for my case, it was just the fact that I took on a product that had the potential but the difficult bit was the actual execution actually making a better version of it. So the actual design was the huge challenge to get over. And I think the the idea itself was pretty sound. But for other people, I think, you know, some ideas, you don’t actually have to put that much energy into into reinventing, you can just have a bit of idea, a bit of concept that you definitely need to validate that concept before you put too much energy into it.

 

07:51

So Greg, after years of experimentation, you’ve came up with a product that is more aerodynamic, last longer, and no longer has sharp points like other umbrellas, which is how your company got its name at the end of this long process and any tips in product design that you would like to share?

 

08:05

So yeah, the actual result is quite simple. Like it’s not a lot more complicated than a traditional umbrella, there’s not a lot more going on. It just does it in a better way. And I think that’s the key to good designers, as it’s doing more with less simplicity. And also it’s it’s very familiar to consumers the way it gets used the same function, you just slide it up like you wouldn’t normally umbrella. And yeah, I think the last thing you want to do with that product is have to educate people on how to use it, especially something like an umbrella if they’re standing in the rain, and they don’t know how to put the thing up. You don’t want to have to have an instruction manual that people have to follow. I’ll get very weird.

 

08:37

Oh, yeah. Thanks for sharing that, Greg. So when it comes to product design, oftentimes simplicity is key. Now, Greg, when you were redesigning your product, any considerations or manufacturing come into play as well,

 

08:48

like I actually had a manufacturing background from day one. So all my design thinking all the way through was like necessity made somewhere. And I think a lot of people will design a product, and they’ll design it for the function and there, but the manufacturing comes later. And sometimes when you’ve got to re engineer a product to be manufactured, you lose a lot of the essence of what you put in to begin with. So the process really has to happen from the beginning. So for me, everything starts with design. So if you go into a manufacturer and showing them that, yes, this can be made the way with your material materials and your processes, then you’re gonna have a lot better time than if you go in and they just look at it going, this can’t be made, and then they start to sort of reimagine it for you. And that’s when people come unstuck. So I think that’s really important. And also just getting with the right manufacturer, I think there’s just nothing like getting, getting a contact in an industry who’s already done the hard yards, like to actually go in fresh, and not even know how an industry works like we did. It’s you’re really up against that because these industries around the world are just so mature and associate in their ways. And if you’re trying to disrupt or do something quite different, that’s a real battle. So you need as much help as you can get to actually get into networks of industry. And find out people that are sort of, I guess the in between people that are in between the market like an agent or something like that, that actually understands the manufacturing side, but also understands the market side. And somewhat getting someone like that on your side is, is invaluable.

 

10:14

Now, let’s talk a little bit about manufacturing is wanting to have your prototype, but how did you go about manufacturing your product and bringing it to the world? How did you find the right partner to bring your vision to the world?

 

10:26

Yeah, so that again, was very drawn out. So um, so early days, when I had my prototype I am, I got in contact with a friend of a friend who was actually living in China in the umbrella industry. And he came back with an email just saying, Look, it’s, it’s sort of, yeah, they don’t really appreciate design like they should. So the chances of you taking your design over there to a manufacturer and getting into make it in thinking you’ll get some money out of it, you’re dreaming. So I was really, really sensitive about entering that, that, um, that Chinese umbrella market with my design, so I was a bit lost at that point. So I am when I started a business with them with a guy called Scott Kington and in 2004 to commercialize the business, the first thing was, we’ve got to make them so let’s just make them in New Zealand. So we made them in our garage in, it was like a very conventional startup where I’m working late nights just trying to put these products together. And it was, it was a pretty painful process actually just working with superglue trying hard not to stick our fingers together and getting high on the fumes. And we ended up making about 200 products and went to some local shops and put them in the shops. And they started to sell and we’ve got quite a high price tag on them. It was as I got $100 in New Zealand, which was actually a lot of money for an umbrella, especially one with no brand attached to it or anything like that. So we put them out there and was all good with it, we’re in business. But then when the first sort of weather system came through, they started to get returned in they were falling apart basically. And what would worked out is we had a good design, but the product itself was built so poorly that it was never going to stand up. So that was a bit of a lesson about sticking to your knitting and doing what you do well and let other people do their But well, so we really needed to have an umbrella manufacturer. But the process that I use to validate the product, which was massive for us to actually go out to the market and know that people would part with the money for it. That from that point, we then we went back to China and actually went back to that friend of a friend, guy by the name of David Haythornthwaite. And he had probably nearly 10 years of experience in China in the industry at that point. So that was invaluable to actually enter that, that industry with someone that had that experience and the context, he saved. Basically, our bacon when it came to getting into the industry introduced us to the factory that we’re still with today. And they they’ve done a great job like it took a long time to get moving with them. Because what was really the case was that we were coming in with this new type of umbrella. And it was going to take a lot more effort to make and a lot different to what they were used to they were used to making products very, as quickly as possible and as cheap as possible. And as product was going to cost a lot more to make. So they’re the confidence in us to actually even take it to market and sell it wasn’t there at all. So it took over two years to actually get that factory to to make our product for us. So it’s a sort of a lesson, I guess, of how much we were trying to disrupt the status quo in that industry. So um, yeah, a bit of a painful time, actually. So the first production I think came out late 2009. And that was 10 years after the initial inspiration in London on the streets, nearly getting wiped out by an umbrella that we actually got got to market properly.

 

13:29

guys just let it sink in for a while it actually took Greg 10 years from the day he came over the idea to actually have a marketable product. This is what true success looks like behind the scenes is a long drawn process is not an overnight thing. But if you put in the work and you persevere like Greg did, good things will come now Great. Let’s talk a little bit more about the fine tuning process that you had to go through with your manufacturer. You said it took two years worth of time, there must have been a lot of back and forth and must have been really painful. Could you share a little bit more about that?

 

13:57

That’s right. Yeah, that was painful. And our friend David was amazing, because he was actually boots on the ground through that whole phase. And we did plenty of visits. But um, yeah, I think I think there was just their belief, they were even, like, when we got into production, the belief of the engineers within the factory that this could actually be something wasn’t there, they weren’t really quite tuned in the way they were doing it in the past. So um, so yeah, just a first production run wasn’t good. And I think over half of them we had to reject. And the other half we had to rework a bit to get moving. And the factory were really good with understanding that but um, the quality and just getting getting to the standard that we needed to to actually go out and sell this as a premium product took a long time. And we actually ended up having to put our own quality control system into the factory so that it was independent of the factory to make sure that every product that lift was up to standard. So we still do that today. And it’s cost us a lot of money. But um, that’s really what I think you need to do to really own the quality especially when you’re trying to make something on the other side of the world to where you are. You’re so remote, even though we visit there all the time. We can During COVID, obviously, but um, yeah, we were I was visiting every two to three months from New Zealand, and then just helping them out. But um, yeah, it took a long time. And after a while the factories sort of came around to our understanding that yes, this quality needs to be there for this to work. And it’s been a fantastic partnership, ever since,

 

15:17

what were some of the hardest parts of the manufacturing process to get right? And how has your attention to quality paid off?

 

15:23

I think part of it really is around the age where our umbrella is blunt, and it’s got that extra reinforcement that sets us apart. Because that really is where umbrellas get beaten up the most because there’s, there’s so much more surface area in the canopy with the wind. And it’s like a wing, I guess of an aeroplane like that first leading edge is where it gets beaten up the most. So by making our product super tight at age, the one five rep, there’s just so much more effortless, as opposed to, you know, like a sail flopping in the wind where you’ve got to battle with it. So, so yeah, I think it really is sort of the engineering design the fundamentals behind our product, what sets it apart, and the reason why it has been received. So well. Now we

 

16:00

like to say that when a sale is made to a customer, that’s when actually your relationship with the customer begins, what is the warranty system for your company, and what is the relationship that you’re trying to build with your customers moving forward.

 

16:11

So for us, we have a two year warranty on all our products. And that for us is really about guaranteeing that the product the person got, has got no manufacturing fault. So if that fault hasn’t come out in the first two years, then then we know that we’ve we’ve done our job. But the thing for us is beyond that it’s about making these products last as long as possible. So so many products today, especially in the fashion world are about here today gone tomorrow, and disposable. So we’re totally against that we want our products to last as long as possible. So again, it comes back to the design. And we’re trying to put as much innovation into our design to remove all the reasons why people would ever throw something out. So many products today, get thrown out and 95% of the product is actually still okay, and it’s just like 5% of it’s been broken. So say like on our, our umbrella if your dog was the to the handle, and it’s all mutilated, and you can actually change that handle out and put a new one on. So that’s just one of the reasons, a modular type build is sort of a real focus for us so that every component is sort of thought of as a product as well. So you think of respecting each component, like it’s a product, and that way that whole product can last last a long time. So we service every product, so if anyone has an issue today, five years down the track, then for a small cost, we can we can fix it, and repair it with people apart to the products. And if you even if you wanted to change your canopy out and in five years and change the color, we can do that as well. So that’s that sort of a network of service that we’re setting up more and more around the world, as we get established that, um, I just think today, people need to all companies need to take more ownership of their products through time, and not just sell it. And once it’s gone out the door, it’s forgotten about. And so many factories, just do that, once it’s left, it’s not their problem anymore. So they don’t really have that accountability. So for us, we’re just trying to load up ourselves with the accountability for their products over time. And that’s a work in progress. But that’s the vision for blank.

 

18:03

Greg, this is a very interesting point, you just shared the level of care and attention and accountability that you provide for your products, or really directly impact the kind of relationship that you have with your customers over the years. Absolutely. So how is this played out so far, and what what’s evolved

 

18:18

over the years, but um, from day one, we just had a repeat policy where we repeat everything. And I think that that service just just blew people away. And people it’s interesting, like if someone buys a inexpensive product like ours, the expectation of performance is really, really high. So if something does go wrong, they can actually get quite upset. So so to actually get someone to come in who’s understandably quite upset about the negative experience in India to turn that around with a service that is second to none. It just assumes them from being someone that’s upset to someone that’s like your biggest fan ever. So we try to leverage off that as much as possible. And to be in this game where Yes, to repair something for umbrellas, that’s just unheard of people just can’t believe it can be done. So it’s just goes to show how low the expectations were for this industry that we’ve entered into. And we’re really just doing what should be done in every industry, we believe that, yeah, that really is just making yourself accountable. For every product you put out into

 

19:12

the world idea listeners, there was some very good piece of advice that Greg just shared with us. If you really emphasize on your quality. And after sales service, you can find customers who were unhappy and turn them into super fans. So it’s always important to take care of our customers. If you do a bad job servicing them after the sale was made. This can really affect your reputation. But if you do an excellent job for them, they may actually come back as return customers or they may actually grow your customer base by telling your friends and family as well. Now let’s take some time to explore the steps they’ve taken to protect your design. Intellectual property is super important for entrepreneurs that you who are inventing or redesigning a product. So could you share with us the steps you’ve taken to protect the design behind your blood brothers? So I guess like

 

19:53

everyone, they think once they’ve invented something they need to get a patent. And that’s sort of the gold standard of protection and People have this perception that once they get the patent, and they’ve got this license to print money, and it’s all go, but it really is just just a defense against them, against people coming to copy you so. So when I first got my prototype together, I went and got a patent in late 2003. And that got really expensive after a couple of years, the processes relatively cheap to start with, but a year down the track, you’ve got to start deciding where you’re going to protect your product around the world. So that’s really painful when you’re in those startup years, and you’ve got no income coming in, and you’re putting all your money into trying to develop a product and, and the branding and marketing around it. But you’ve got to put money into a piece of paper, basically, that seems like it means nothing. So that that was really, really painful having to spend that money the days, but it has paid off that I’m just having the right strategy around what your prediction should be for your product. Because patents aren’t the only thing. There’s all sorts of trademarks, which are about more than visual identity and design registrations. And there’s a huge network of ways you can do that. So you need to really get some good advice. And there’s some great people out there that can do that. But I’m not just looking at one component of IP and isolation actually looking at the whole lot and how that can work with your product. Again, most valuable asset for our IP is actually the shape of our product now. So we’ve put a lot of investment into 3d trademarks, and just prediction that talks more about how aesthetic shape, and so much about the engineering behind it, because those sort of predictions actually lasts forever. Whereas patents have a 20 year lifespan. So um, so and also when you’re going into other markets with is this translation issue, especially like manufacturing markets, having a more of a visual IP asset that’s going to be way more valuable, it’s easier to put a picture in front of someone to say, hey, look, you’re copying me than it is to throw a whole lot of words at them, and then have to get that translated. So it’s a real complicated space, and but you can be smart about it. But you can also burn a lot of money. And I’m sure there’s a lot of patent lawyers out there that would love for you to spend that money. So you’ve got to be very careful. So you almost need to get with someone that can independently help you do the strategy to make sure that you’re not spending the money where you shouldn’t. But it’s an important thing to do. But I think for for us in the way we’ve played it is just because our umbrella was so much more expensive than what the industry was used to making. It protected us just naturally because they they couldn’t understand how we can make something so expensive and get it to market because the market was set up about efficiencies and, and low cost. So I think that that in itself has been a real prediction for us, aside from the actual intellectual property itself.

 

22:33

My dear listeners, what Greg just shared is super important. Whether you’re predicting your design pattern, or your brand with a trademark, these are things that you must have in mind to protect yourself against copycats. Now, Greg, back to your story, you actually patented your products in 2003. And this is way before you saw anything.

 

22:50

Yeah, well, I would have done it later if I’d known but you know, at the time, everyone thinks they’re gonna be on the market the following year. So it’s a bit of a lesson, you know, everything costs way more than you think it will. And the time will be way more. So you’ve really got to seal yourself in for the long ride, I think with this game. And I read James Dyson’s book, I think like 18 months and just listening to his journey, like I think it was 10 years for him to get to market with his first vacuum cleaner. And I’m reading that as like God, I was just like, yes, this, Neil, it’s me. And it’s me. And it’s like, some here for a while. So you just get the patients and you don’t want to put urgency to it. But you also have, I guess you settle back nine, this is going to be if this is going to work, I’m gonna have to be in it for the long haul. And it’s not going to be a quick one,

 

23:29

Greg is great, well, you just shared this always this issue of unexpected costs in that unexpected amount of time that you will take to develop your project and bring it to the market. So to me, one of the very broad excuses of an entrepreneur is to be able to walk that fine line and to make the right judgment calls when it’s needed. This is a skill set that is developed only with time and experience.

 

23:48

Yeah, it is. And you’ll always make mistakes. But you just got to do your homework as much as you can. And ebron, I guess needs investment at some point, some backers. So we’ve been very lucky, very fortunate with them. They are fantastic investors, and they’ve been since 2007, they initially invested. And I think just getting that relationship, right. And having making sure that there’s alignment with the people that come into your company is really important as well. A lot of people see an opportunity and will come in with their own ambitions and intentions for it. And if you’re all going in separate directions, it can really break a company. So you got to make sure if you’re the one that started it, that basically anyone who comes in has the same same ideas of what success looks like. And that’s what’s worked for us, I think quite often investors. So I think that it’s a key insight.

 

24:37

Now let’s talk a little bit about your sales at the early part of your business. You started by targeting the individual stores in New Zealand. How did you grow this and how do you scale in the long run?

 

24:47

I think to begin with you You’re trying to sell any way you can. And especially in our market, going to independent stores where you have an owner operator, they’re more likely to give you a chance. Whereas going to bigger stores anywhere in the world. I think come It’s very sophisticated the buying procedures. So you really don’t have the option to get into department stores from day one. So you’ve got to go out and prove yourself in some way you can. And obviously ecommerce has changed everything. Back in the day when we first started, that was very, very new. So I’m getting to the independent stores was key. And the other ones that really, I think word of mouth is just so important for new products. Having the genuine hearing of what you are, there’s just so much noise out there in markets in to advertise is so difficult, and PR has been a massive way for us to actually get our word out there. So to have a really good story behind what you’ve done is massive. So to have other people talk about what you’re doing in a really genuine way is so much more valuable than you going out and shouting about yourself. So that’s something we tried to leverage off a lot from the start. And people seem to want to really hear about our umbrella story, because the Brown was, I guess, getting sick of throw away and browse and love the idea of a new quality umbrella. So we were lucky to have a great story that we could, we could push out that way. So I’m tell you, in New Zealand, the market, the first three years were just with independence, and it grew. And then I think once the word of mouth got a bit more than the department store started to start to pick up when they people came in and started asking for our product. And that’s when they pretty much requested for us to come in and see them. So that was a really nice way to do it. But every market so different. And I think because New Zealand’s such a small market is probably easier to do certain things. Whereas the bigger the market, the more sophisticated as the more skills you need to actually get an even have a conversation with a buyer from a from a bigger, bigger retail outlet. So and so we’re learning as we go. So to ecommerce is it’s, it’s a good one, like it’s not the way to and to develop a market, we really do need the bricks and mortar so people can get their hands on the product.

 

26:50

What was the approach that you adopted when you wanted to grow

 

26:52

globally, global approach, what we found works really well for us is when you get a concentration of users in a neighborhood on the street to their products, and it sort of hits a tipping point where we grow quite rapidly. So we have a strategy, we’re calling it our village strategy. And it’s where we sort of focus all our efforts into the global market into a quite a, I guess, a defined area that we know will be right for people that would like our product. And we do that with strategies with retail, with just with seating getting in the hands of the right people. And corporate is another avenue that we sell through which is some some promotional type where we can we can brand them. And that, again is another great approach because it’s it’s it’s quite an efficient way to get in the hands of a lot of users all at once in one area. And here again, you start getting that word of mouth, and it’s an easy way to enter into a into a household. So quite often we hear the story of someone was gifted a blank umbrella, and it was the first one into the household. And since then they bought three or four more, and then bought more for gifts. So once once that momentum starts to happen, then we’re onto a winner. So we’re just trying to get a lot more science to that approach. But I think that’s quite be quite similar to a lot of products that get out into the world, it’s, there’s always pockets that are going to, I guess be more fertile for what you’re offering is. So it’s really identifying what that is. And then getting in there and then trying to get a word of mouth momentum happening because you can’t be word of mouth. It’s so authentic. If a friend talks about your product to another friend, they’re going to love it more so than reading like an article in a magazine or reading an advert. So I’m tired. I think just the world the way it is. And there’s so much noise going on with your advertising and to break through to markets. It’s you got to let people do the work for you for you. Now you

 

28:33

call it the village strategy. What was the kind of research that you had to do beforehand? What was the kind of research that you were looking for? We’re looking for the social demographics, the economic demographics, what would affect is that you consider?

 

28:45

Yeah, it’s all of that, even through just through the digital means we can actually sort of pinpoint as people and types of people in certain areas like where there’s obviously one that matters to us being a with a prediction product. Yeah, and what people earn. But also, I think it’s just the flavor of a neighborhood like we know what’s worked in New Zealand. So we’re just trying to learn New Zealand’s actually an interesting market that a lot of bigger brands around the world actually come here to test them to test the big rival offering in a smaller market because we’re quite diverse in a small area. So we’re quite efficient to do testing. So I’m so we’re trying to use our experiences in this market as much as we can to go overseas and, and our biggest markets around the Australia and then on to the UK. Next we’re really focusing our efforts. And because the cultures are quite similar, actually makes the similarities a lot easier to match up, I guess.

 

29:39

So Greg, you’ve successfully brought Biden brothers to the wall. What advice do you have a new entrepreneur who has a product and is ready to scale globally?

 

29:46

I think it’s um, it’s focused like um, we actually went with her weren’t available in over 30 countries and we got there fairly quickly because we’re such a unique item. That success doesn’t come from from wooden markets. It comes from depth, so So you really need to understand where you can go deep and put your your resources into into getting getting deeper into a market. So really understanding the world. And whenever people talk about getting so excited about entering a big market like the USA, because it’s such a massive market, there must be huge wins there. But it’s generally not the case that the bigger the market, the more risk there is. So, so don’t Don’t get excited about the size of America get excited about how much you can penetrate into that market. And so it’s a totally different mindset, I think, my dear

 

30:31

listeners, there was a very good piece of advice that Greg just shared, don’t always just look at the size of the market look more about where you can make a difference where you can penetrate it. Remember that the bigger the market is likely that the more competition that there will be when your company just starting out, and you have limited resources, you need to pick your battles. So back to you, Greg, was such an enormous undertaking, you must have a very strong team helping you how do you grow your team, where it is today?

 

30:55

Yeah, I think it’s, um, it’s quite interesting with with startups, like you go through phases, and when you’re, in the beginning, it’s very much about being creative, and it’s all about the offering in the image. So um, so we’ve had to evolve over the years. So it just, you get to a point where we’re the the processes and the strategy, and all those disciplines sort of become more and more important. So so that’s the way we’ve had to evolve in, there were quite a different company from what we were 510 years ago. And it’s really about the about getting the strategy and getting tighter plans in Indigo global, you really have to do that. So you can do it in your local market, you can be a lot more creatively driven. So until the team very much now is people and places that go can go quite deep into areas. So um, so that’s something we’ve had to learn over the years.

 

31:46

Thank you for sharing so much. The Greg, here’s one more question.

 

31:48

If somebody wants to buy an umbrella from you, where can they find you? Um, plant umbrellas.com is the best place to go to get online. Yeah, go and have a look. Invest in your future, buy a better product. And better off spending that money today, knowing that in five years, you’ll still be having a fantastic experience as opposed to going through 20. And not so good umbrellas. In the meantime,

 

32:09

thank you for joining us today, Greg. Thank you. Pleasure. Now, guys, I hope you enjoyed today’s episode. Those are Greg’s actual takeaways on how he brought his product to work, which I hope you can implement to your business as well. If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to share the show with fellow entrepreneur who may find it this way as well. And of course, please remember to subscribe to the show on Apple, iTunes, Google podcasts, and Spotify. And don’t forget about the Amazon gift voucher giveaway. If you actually do subscribe and leave a review on Apple iTunes by the end of September, then you stand a chance to win $50 worth of gift vouchers from Amazon. And one more thing all updates, tools and resources will be available on tedteo.com. That’s tedteo.com. That’s all for me today. I will see you next time.