University Director Turns Draining Problem Into Profitable Power-Up

Notes from Chris

Episode 593

Chris Reimer’s job means he spends a lot of time on his phone. As the associate director of new media at Maryville University, Chris is constantly swapping between both his personal and professional iPhones. If you’ve ever used an iPhone yourself for more than, say, thirty seconds, you’ll be aware of the problem which drained much of his energy.

Just a few hours into his workday, Chris would find his phones were running out of power and in quick need of a recharge. Unwilling to tether himself to a plug socket two to three times a day, Chris began to invest in power banks so he could charge on the go. Simply connect your phone to the battery pack and you’re free to use it in the way it was intended—mobile.

At first, he was totally enamored with those little power banks. They removed the stress of his phone dying and missing important calls or updates which the University expected him to answer. But as time went on he grew more and more frustrated with them. Although there were some good power banks on the market, there were none he considered great and didn’t seem to have the right features he wanted, especially for the money he was paying for them.

Thus began the search for a truly great power bank. And this being Side Hustle School, it means it was a search for him to learn to sell them. That’s right, Chris realized it was up to him to create the power bank he wanted to see in the world. After years of fumbling around, it was time to charge-down this industry and power-up the options for power bank users like himself.

The first step was to develop his idea of what the perfect power bank would be. So, he created a list with all of the features he wanted to see. He wanted a product that was lightweight, could connect with up-to-date cables and would start charging phones instantly, without the annoying little power button he almost always forgot to press.

When he finally released his first Boosa Tech product to the world, Chris ended up generating $5,000 in his first month, mostly to people in his network, and their extended networks. Many of these people were local, so Chris decided to jump in his car and hand deliver the power banks himself. When he arrived at the door, he took a picture with the happy customer and posted it on his Instagram feed. This created social proof and began to spread some word-of-mouth marketing to people on the platform.

Chris’s biggest achievement, he said, is getting his first “stranger sale.” This is a sale from someone who you don’t know and doesn’t know anyone in your network. There’s no favor or reciprocity, just a clear sign your marketing and outreach is working.

Looking to the future, Chris is looking to capture more of these stranger sales, by using the income he’s generated to venture into paid marketing strategies. Chris also loves his job and has no intentions of quitting, but he’s open to whatever opportunities come powering through in the future.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Boosa Tech: Need a power up? Head on over to Chris' website and snag a power bank!

 

SEE ALSO:

• How To Find a Manufacturer or Supplier for Your Product Idea: Learn more about how you can find a manufacturer for your product
• Alibaba 101: How to safely source products from the world's biggest supplier directory
• Getting Charged Up: Man Creates One Adaptor to Rule Them All: Tired of a road warrior’s tangle of cables and plugs, a Hong-Kong-based entrepreneur makes chargers and adapters truly current

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,