Birth of the Bug Out.
After getting stung by a wasp in my 5 alive can I made the decision this wouldn’t happen to anyone else. I started by making a proto type out of the plastic milk jugs. Then progressed to the plastic from 3 ring binders. I made 10 and took them to a BBQ to see how well they would be received. I had 15 orders. Mom and I went to a plastic shop to see if they would run us off a 100. They said “run don’t walk to the patent office as this is an amazing invention.” So off we went to the patent office for our 1/2 hr free consultation. The patent agent said it was well worth getting a patent and asked to buy 3 for his kids when they were cut. He said speak/ show no one, beware of knock offs as this was to good not for them to try and said,” Do not sell a billion dollar idea for 1 million dollars.” We went back to the plastic shop and they cut our 1st 100 for free. We needed packaging and a logo, so we spent a lot of hours and ink on the printer getting them made. The 100 were gone in the blink of an eye. We sold our jewelry, max out the credit card, collected bottles and had yard sales to make the money to have a 1000 made. The plastic company could only cut us 1000 in a 2 1/2 week turn around and we were at the point we needed larger quantities. We made the decision not to go out of country so we went on the hunt for an island manufacturer that could produce 10,000 in a quick turn around. My ink bill was getting enormous as well, so it was time to find a local printer to take care of this end for us. Now we found ourselves in direr straights and needed money for the manufacturing, printing, bags, display stands and everything else that follows with starting up and had to seek out a company to give us a loan as all our resources were depleted. My Bro had just sold his condo and offered to help. Mom and I have spent thousands of hours packaging, planning, at markets and doing cold calls from Victoria to Campbell river. Since conception we have sold over 7000 Bug Outs.