Getting Ahead in the Shaving Game Is a Lesson in Development
When Todd Greene, 32, began losing his hair to male-pattern baldness in his 20s, he rejected the typical solutions: toupees, hair plugs or the “comb-over” style. Instead, the computer artist and Web columnist began shaving his head. The bald look appealed to him, but the time-consuming--and often nick-filled--process of shaving his pate with a conventional razor did not. So Greene designed a special, contoured razor specifically for head shavers, dubbed it the HeadBlade and last June set up a Web site to sell the product. He’s gotten international publicity and his sales are starting to build. Greene talked to freelance writer Karen E. Klein about the long process of taking a concept from idea to reality.
It took two years and around $150,000 to go from the initial idea of designing a razor for the head to making my first sale. I learned about entrepreneurship as I went.
I knew I had a good idea because more and more people around the world are shaving their heads, and using a face razor to do it is very, very awkward. You’re shaving areas that you can’t see, the straight handle keeps your hand away from your head and it takes 15 to 20 minutes to do it right. Now, with the HeadBlade, it takes me five minutes.
I started out by making a clay model just to prove that the idea would work. That model raised a bunch of questions and I ripped the heck out of myself because there were so many design elements I hadn’t thought of at first. I went through probably 15 prototypes, soldering them myself or baking them together.
At one point, I made 25 test models and sent them out to people I knew who shaved their heads. I got their feedback and took their comments into account. For instance, some people said that the finger ring wasn’t big enough, so I went to jewelry stores to find out about average finger sizes and wound up making the hole adjustable. Overall, people told me that after two or three shaves they got used to the new razor and they liked the shave a lot better and found it was much easier.
During this time, I was working contract jobs out of my home and putting a lot of work into this design process, applying for my patents, and sending out prototypes. At one point, I thought I would license the design and I talked to a large company that was interested in the concept. However, they were moving very slowly, and I got scared that I would lose all control of the idea. I finally realized that it wasn’t worth selling just as an idea because if I worked on actually producing a product, the value would go up tenfold. I still feel that I could get a lot of benefit by teaming up with a larger company, with established retail distribution channels, and that’s an idea I’m pursuing.
I got funding from friends and relatives to do the design, the artwork, set up a Web site and start production. I went through six or seven mold-makers until I found a very talented guy who does Hollywood props and hired him to make the final models for me. It was more expensive, but I wanted a high-quality product. My initial order was for 10,000. Setting the price point was tricky because I wanted it to be as inexpensive as possible, but I had to sell it for enough that it would be profitable initially.
I knew I would not sell a huge volume, especially immediately. I figured the product was so revolutionary, people would pay a little more for it. Plus, the handle lasts a couple years and it uses the cheaper Gillette and Schick blades, so it’s not expensive in the long run.
I focused my main marketing efforts online and on getting free publicity. I sent out hundreds of press kits with a HeadBlade enclosed and the slogan, “The Cure for the Common Comb-Over.” Since June, we’ve been featured in 10 or 15 magazines, including Playboy, Sports Illustrated and Entertainment Weekly. We made it into a couple of U.K. and Australian magazines as well. The only traditional advertising I’ve done has been a listing and an ad in a directory for collegiate-level swimmers, who shave their heads for competition.
Since the niche of people who shave is not exactly a staid, conservative market, I can get away with some alternative marketing, too. I have this old Honda CRX, and I put custom magnets on it and attached HeadBlades to the roof and the hood. On the back of the car, I have a large sticker that says, “Get More Head.” I’m thinking about driving it around the country as part of a publicity tour this summer. Our Web site is getting 180,000 page views a month, and our December sales went over $25,000. We’re still at the nickel-and-dime level, but we could support thousands of dollars of revenue online every day without having to expand, so we’re ready to grow.
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AT A GLANCE
Company: HeadBlade Co.
Owner: Todd Greene
Nature of business: Design, manufacture and sale of scalp razors
Location: 529 Montana Ave., Suite 7, Santa Monica, 90403
Web site: https://wwwheadblade.com
E-mail address: todd@headblade.com
Year founded: 1998
Employees: 0
Revenue since June, 1999: $45,000
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If your business can provide a lesson to other entrepreneurs, contact Karen E. Klein at the Los Angeles Times, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 100, Monrovia, CA 91016 or at kklein6349@aol.com. Include your name, address and telephone number.
