How We Hit $310K Gross Revenue Last Year And Funded My College Savings
This is a follow up story for Comfy Cup LLC. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published about 5 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
My name is Kyler, I am the inventor and co-founder of the Comfy Cup. I am currently 17 years old, but I was 8 years old when I came up with the idea to create a more comfortable athletic cup for boys.
I was frustrated by the protective athletic cup my baseball coach required boys on my team to wear. It was hard and uncomfortable. I would fidget with it in the batter’s box, on the field, and in the dugout. It was constant interference from focusing on the game. I tried a variety of athletic cups available in sporting goods stores and online, but couldn’t find a better solution.
Instead of whining about it, my parents challenged me to come up with a solution. And now, I hit a homerun! The Comfy Cup is changing the game for youth boy athletes. My simple invention has grown into a successful business venture for me and my family. Comfy Cup is now available on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Justbats.com in my local Scheels sporting goods store.
I have sold Comfy Cups in all 50 states, plus Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia. My company grossed over $310,000 in 2022 and profited around $80,000--which helped fund my college savings and my Roth IRA.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
We have sold Comfy Cups in all 50 states, Europe, Australia, Mexico, and Canada. To date, we have sold over 63,000 Comfy Cups. We used our profits at the end of last year to purchase a year’s supply of Comfy Cups, which are currently housed in our basement warehouse and at Amazon distribution centers. We are now looking into new storage options for our product.
We have explored adding bigger sizes, but there is a lot of testing that goes into that, it is not as simple as just making a bigger cup. We need to consider a stronger material for bigger, more advanced-level players. We also have explored adding slider shorts to our product line, but again, that requires manufacturing many different sizes and minimum orders for each size. So, for now, we are sticking with what we know and what works.
We currently offer one size Comfy Cup for boys ages 7-11 in three different colors. My hope is that the Comfy Cup will be the solution for boys all over the world who are just getting started with contact sports, and looking for a softer and safer solution for athletic protection.
We did not make it on to Shark Tank Season 13 and have not tried out for future seasons. But, we were nominated as a 2022 Small Business Superstar by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. We joined the commerce in 2022 and this has been a wealth of resources and opportunities for us including educational and networking opportunities.
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
After the COVID-19 pandemic, our sales dropped 94% from 2019-2020. In 2021, our sales rebounded and were up 68%. In 2022, our sales increased another 21%. So far, this year, we have seen a 7% drop in sales due to imitators on the Amazon Marketplace. Roughly 90% of our sales are on Amazon and these companies who have imitated the Comfy Cup are causing our sales to decline.
However, we stand by our product and know that we offer the highest quality product and customer service. Our product originated from an inspired desire to make a change in the world and improve sports for boys like me, who dislike the uncomfortable athletic cup.
Other companies can imitate the Comfy Cup to draw a profit, but their companies will never have the inspirational story and deep emotion to improve the quality of lives for others as we do.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
Just keep taking one step forward and eventually, you will look back and say, “Wow, look how far I have come”.
In 2022, we learned the value of expanding. We explored marketing and advertising opportunities all over the country and around the world, and we plan to continue this throughout the next year. Plus, it is a great way to explore the country and build your business at the same time.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
We feel grateful that Comfy Cup LLC has consistently grown year over year, wexcept for2020. We are exploring new ways to expand our presence beyond Amazon.
We are connecting with baseball and football clubs and expanding our presence at Walmart and in local sporting goods stores, including Xtreme Sports on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On a personal level, I am preparing to go to college in the Fall of 2025. So, I am beginning to explore universities that offer a degree in Manufacturing Engineering.
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
I am interested in all the teachings from the Stoic philosophers-anything by Aurelius or Epictetus. I also enjoy Ryan Holiday’s podcast, “The Daily Stoic”. One of my favorite quotes right now is from Marcus Aurelius “A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.” This quote inspires me to stay focused and continue to work to be better than I am today.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
Persistence pays off. I have been in business for almost 6 years now and it has been a slow and steady climb (with some bumps in the road). Don’t give up. If you believe in your business, keep going.
The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. Just keep taking one step forward and eventually, you will look back and say, “Wow, look how far I have come”.
Where can we go to learn more?
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- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
