We’re very particular about what we keep.” In fact, each new product has to reach a certain volume in its first year or it doesn’t have a second year. They simply don’t get caught up in protecting the idea for the sake of itself.
This balance also allows Curtis and Shawn to focus on their own strengths. They don’t feel the need to be experts at everything. “People worry about exporting because there’s so much paperwork to ship something from here to Switzerland—and it is a lot of paperwork but I don’t fill any of it out,” Shawn admits. “I hire freight forwarding companies. I don’t have to understand how it works. I just have to keep focusing on my freight forwarders, supporting them, making sure they’re on budget.”
The Xtend-A-Saw
“When the product was originally developed, it was a sporting-good item for bow hunters. Then we noticed that it fit in the lawn-and-garden category, so we expanded around that product. This is probably still one of the best selling products we have.”