How a tired mother turned an everyday accident into a $1.3 million business idea

Lifestyle

Emma Kamm, News.com.au

Lou Rice, a first-time mother and avid reader, would often breastfeed her son while reading on her Kindle.

But in June 2022, something unexpected happened.

In what she describes as a blur of “eat, sleep, repeat,” Rice stumbled upon a million-dollar idea that was “the first of its kind.”

“As Archie was eating, I dozed off and woke up to Archie crying,” she said.

Rice soon realized that the Kindle he was holding had slipped from his hand and hit his son in the head.

Archie was not injured in the incident, but it led to the birth of Strapsicle, a silicone strap that attaches an e-reader to your hand.

Eighteen months later, Strapsicle is quickly becoming the world's leading Kindle accessory, generating more than $660,000 in revenue for co-founder Rice and his partner Ben Stainlay.

“Ben likes to solve problems. He's a problem solver and a true inventor,” Rice said.

Steinley first designed the strap from an old silicone mat in his Bondi home. This allowed her partner to carry the book with her while breastfeeding.

“After a few weeks of using it, I could sleep with it on and it wouldn't fall out of my hand. I tried to go back to reading without it, but I didn't like it,” Rice said.

The couple came up with the business idea after friends and family members experienced similar problems.

“We were lucky that we had the time, Archie was sleeping a lot, we were in lockdown and we weren't socializing, so we thought we'd give it a try,” Rice said. Told.

Rice affectionately described her partner and Strapcicles co-founder as “the purest inventor.”

“After experiencing a cancer scare two years ago, Ben was motivated to pursue his passion for invention and Strapsicles was the perfect project,” she said.

After securing the right manufacturer and workshopping two prototypes, the couple finalized their stunning design.

“When I received the first shipment of the product, I was so happy because I felt like I had really created something. This is so cool,” she said.

Strapsicle was in such high demand among Kindle readers that she was able to quit her corporate job in February, Rice said.

“We had no idea what that level of success would be. If I could say to myself that within two years we'd be over $660,000 after the first year and on track for a $1.3 million goal, that would be crazy. No,” she said.

Strapsicles initially found success with the help of online influencers, but has continued to grow its customer base after launching an online store through Amazon.

“A lot of our success comes from Amazon because the Kindle is so popular in the U.S. As soon as I got in there, things really took off,” Rice said.

“There are a lot of opportunities, and we’ve only scratched the surface.”

Rice said it's not just Kindle readers who love the product, and since its launch, he's received countless messages of gratitude from people living with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, carpal tunnel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. He said he received it.

“People who live without access to books have told me that they are finally able to read again. It really helped deepen our purpose,” she said. .

Strapsicle also made waves after winning 'Best New Product' at the New Zealand Gift Fair earlier this year and 'Product Innovation of the Year' at the national SHE.com Awards last August.

Many Strapsicle users have taken to social media to share how the “simple but effective” design has transformed their reading experience.

“I have a strapcicle and find it useful…honestly, having one finger under the strap makes all the difference,” one user wrote.

“I just got it a week ago and I like it much better than any other grip I've tried,” another wrote.

Now with fans all over the world, Strapsicle may be next on the agenda to branch out into other designs using iPads and mobile phones.

“That's something we're thinking about, but we want to do it right,” Rice said.

The couple plans to head to New York for their first trade show this August.

“On the one hand, we're a new business and it feels a little chaotic, but on the other hand, we're always growing and figuring it out as we go,” Rice said. Ta.

When it comes to talking about where he got the confidence to start his business, Rice said there is no rush like the rush he feels when he receives his first order.

“You just have to, just keep going and get out of your own way,” she said.