Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2014; the staff numbers, retailers, product range (cufflinks, wallets, travel accessories) and made-in-USA production policy it describes are from that time and may have changed.
The entrepreneur Jonathan Boos doesn’t think of himself as particularly clever, let alone a business genius, so reinventing the wheel was probably a job for somebody else. But one day, on his way to a dinner date, he looked in the mirror before heading to the restaurant and noticed that the points of his polo shirt collar were curling up, something he found far too unsightly even though he had ironed it. He glanced at the TV, where, as it happened, several golfers had the same problem.
So he started thinking about a homemade fix for the problem. Of course, at that point he didn’t know he was about to come up with a business idea that would become a bestseller. After trying different solutions, such as electrical tape and pins, all of which were too obvious at a glance, he invented and patented Würkin Stiffs: magnets that go under the collar and keep the points of a polo shirt perfectly in place. The idea may seem completely absurd, but the truth is that his product now sells like hotcakes at the Nordstrom chain and in hundreds of clothing stores.
The invention was originally designed for polo shirts, although today it is also sold for dress shirts, so that executives can look perfect at business meetings. In fact, when we see an athlete in a polo shirt on television, chances are there are Würkin Stiffs under the points of the collar.
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The entrepreneur looked for funding for his business idea on a US show for entrepreneurs, The Big Idea, although his appearance there went largely unnoticed. It wasn’t until 2011, when he came back with a different approach on Shark Tank, that the business began to take off.
In these three years he has already hired six people for his profitable company, making a strong entry into the market despite the simplicity of his product. Part of the business strategy that has won Americans’ hearts is his commitment to making the product “Made in USA”, without turning to factories in China or India, even though that means the product has to cost a little more.
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Today his business goes well beyond that, as he now sells all kinds of accessories under the same name, such as cufflinks, wallets and travel accessories.
As we always say, money and ideas are flying all around us, but we don’t always have our radar switched on to spot them.
See also: The 33 profitable businesses of the future and the industries that will create jobs
Featured image: Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
