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WowTowel: The Beach Towel of the Future?
After losing his job a few years ago, Todd Moore decided to pursue an inventor's life. He's hoping his creation, the WowTowel, will change beachgoing forever.
Posted 6/ 2 10 at 3:30 PM | The Next Big Idea?, Sales, Leadership, Starting a Business, International Business, Consumer Products & Services, Travel, Inventions & Innovations, The Next Big Idea?
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Don't you hate it when a good beach day goes awry? Whether it's too much sun, unwanted sand in the craw, or a skimpy towel that blows away in the wind, one niggling detail can ruin a perfectly nice afternoon.Todd Moore, 46, of Albrightsville, Pa., wants beachgoers to know that those days are over, thanks to his invention, the WowTowel. His creation is a huge beach blanket with a hole in the middle for an umbrella, pockets in all four corners for personal belongings (which help weigh it down against the wind), and four pastel colors to match any oceanic tastes.
About 10 years ago, while lounging at the beach in Robert Moses State Park, Moore fought a losing battle against an umbrella and wondered why there wasn't a center aperture to ensure shade all day long. At the time, he was working in the brokerage division at Prudential in New York, so he didn't do anything with the idea. Fast-forward to 2007: The stock market was headed for a crash, Moore's division was shut down, and he decided to step out on his own and revisit his beachcomber's revelation.
He attended a "Be Your Own Boss" seminar, where he met an angel investor who ponied up $20,000 to get WowTowel off the ground. Moore had three basic specifications that he wanted the towel to meet: It had to be large, convenient to carry, and able to keep sand from coming through the middle hole. The WowTowel is more than 50 square feet (big enough for an entire family), weighs only seven pounds, and wraps around the pole to keep it free from sand.
As they say on TV, But wait, there's more! The WowTowel is made of thick terry "loop" cloth like bath towels, so it actually absorbs water when swimmers need to dry off. It's a relatively simple innovation, but the WowTowel represents globalization in action -- Moore purchases the cotton from a U.S. farm and has the towels made in Malaysia.
Moore says the WowTowel is just the beginning of his three-year plan to create a one-stop "awesome beaching experience," which will eventually include his own line of umbrellas. The first run of 500 WowTowels sold for $70; the next generation will be a bit more, but will also feature a double loop and theoretically be twice as plush. For now, the WowTowels are only available on the company's website and from a few vendors such as BeachTowels4U.com, but Moore dreams of the day they will be on the shelves at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Moore is hoping to have a large shipment of WowTowels ready by summer, but needs more funding. He's trying to raise $1 million to do a run of 50,000 (he's in talks with an angel investor) and believes a busy sales season could take WowTowel to the next level. "I think this could be a $100 million company," he says. "There's hardly been any innovation in the beach industry in years, so there's no competition."
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Comments (Page 6 of 6)
THE UMBRELLA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWEL IS ONLY POSITIONED CORRECTLY AT 12 NOON, THEN NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED. WHICH MEANS IT IS ONLY LOGICAL FOR ABOUT AN HOUR A DAY. ALSO A HOLE IN MIDDLE OF BLANKET WILL NOT STOP AN UMBRELLA FROM BLOWING AWAY IN HIGH WIND.
TKQ: Your research is absolutely incorrect and I can tell you that it varies depending on the time of summer. You can provide "block" with the proper solar umbrella at all times. When you have it in the middle it blocks the middle portion of the day. As the sun tracks, you track your umbrella to the side of the WowTowel. Without a centerpiece, there are certain parts of the day that you are exposed without comfort. And did you catch the solar umbrella. A few minutes is all it takes for some.
TKQ: Most beach goers go middle of the day. Ever gone to Jones Beach and dealt with the traffic. Once you get to the beach, you are STAYING on the beach. And I am certain that is true for most popular beaches.
By having a family sized towel, you now only carry one for the entire family of 4 or 5. Secondly, the center positioning allows for protection all day long. How? When it is downlow, you position the umbrella outside the WowTowel. As it tracks overhead, you put it in the middle. As it tracks back down, position it outside again. This allows shade or blocking depending on if you are using a regular beach umbrella or solar beach umbrella, respectively.
And you are correct, a middle design will not hold it. We strongly recommend a beach spike SCREW type for ANY beach umbrella. Once that is screwed in tight (like a screw into a wall) you lower the bottom portion of your umbrella pole and there is a nut that tigthens to the umbrella pole. Hence, when the winds kick up, it is held in place and "anchored."
AOL must have money in this thing!
My comment is a few lines below, sorry about that. The short of it is that there is no insider anything between AOL and WowTowel. This story was about "why didn't I think of that?" Please ask and don't just blurt out silly things! It does not add or point a counterview to the subject at hand.
AMERICANS WILL BUY ANY GARBage idea
Very cool product! Nice job. And while at the beach take Stack Mates along for food... learn more at http://www.buystackmates.com or for some cool beach ideas visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7KUW28oqIw or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYrN5qgSOFg&feature=related
--signed a wannabe self-made entrepeneur
Good for you Todd! I hope you have great success with your WOW Towel.
We need more people like you and your American entrepreneurial spirit.
Also an item with a good genuine use, not one of these cr"ass" ideas like the beer bra or belly contraption.
Todd- I have a suggestion for an investment angel...I work for them. E-mail me.
Mike
Hi Mike, I cannot find your email address. Can you email me. My email address is WowTowel@gmail.com. Thank you very much and I look forward hearing from you.
That is insulting to the journalistic integrity of Patrick Sauer of AOL Small Business and to myself. That may happen on Wall Street, but it doesn't happen here. This story was based on the "simple concept" that no one else thought of. The, "why didn" I think of that," kind of story. Please don't blurt out things that are ignorant. Just ask. I am open.
Good eatin' friend. I wish you so much good fortune on your dreams and endeavors. If you need a hand, give me a shout.
I wanted to say thank you to all of you that spoke out how you feel (or felt) about the WowTowel. Some of you may not see the value. Those that want to go the beach, safely, comfortably, together as a family as one unit, and engage in conversation in an age that is "text" driven.
My friends, it has gotten so bad, that I know of friends who text one another within the same home and sometimes within the same room. Are you kidding me? Have we lost the art of conversation?
I say HELLO NO! Put those PDAs and cell phones away into the convenient pockets. Get on the family towel. Look at the scenery and talk about it. Then find ways to talk about each other with your mouths. Start to create memories that will last generations at the Thanksgiving table. Get up early as a family and see the sun rise or set at the beach. Take pictures and make it family memories. Share it on Facebook. Or keep it private.
We are looking into 7 foot solar umbrellas to protect those that want to go to the beach but don't want to pay for it later. Melanoma is no laughing matter and we take it seriously. We understand that people want to tan. Go for it! But you know that if you can burn within minutes. Why not have the option of this feature so you can choose when you want to be shielded or completely in the sun. It is your true freedom towel.
And above all, we are Go-Givers at our company. If you don't know what that means, I beg all of you to read two books "The Go-Giver" and "Go-Giver Sells More" by Bob Burg. Once you see what this is about, you will understand what we are about. A clue: GIVING!
And because I seriously want to see success here are two other books I highly recommend: "Put Your Dreams To The Test" by John C. Maxwell and "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. If you don't know Napoloen Hill, I will instantly inspire you. He knows all the secrets as the right hand person and the only person who knows the true formula success of Andrew Carnegie (as in Carnegie Steel).
And our giving starts with entrepreneurship. You are making a difference. We are also talking with a breast cancer foundation and ocean clean up now and long after BP is gone.
It is all in your hands as to what you judge is right for you. We will endeavor to find ways to keep costs as low as possible. We have missions to fulfill and we want to earn the opportunity to serve your family and help foster memories that will be generational.
If you want to talk to me further, feel free to email me at WowTowel@gmail.com
Thank you all again and keep your families comfortable and safe!
Todd, CEO WowTowel
Many of the "too expensive" folks are missing two things:
1) Four $20 towels cost more than one $75 towel. Kind of a shame that this needed to be pointed out, eh?
2) There is ALWAYS a market for quality/luxury. People fly first-class, stay in luxury resorts, drive expensive cars, wear expensive clothes, eat at five-star restaurants, etc., etc.
Of course some people will not pay for the wowtowel. Some people won't pay five bucks for a cheap towel and would rather lay on the sand or steal a bath towel from their room.
SO?
Todd, the "WOW towel, is it one peice of terry cloth 6 1/2 ft. x 6 1/2 ft or is it two peices sowed together? What is the weight of the terry cloth? The hole in the center, how is it made that it does not tare? My emai is usmileido@aol.com Thanks, David
Check this out people ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yYTwh9zyGo this young guy made this product that's awsome and is made in the U.S with U.S product !