I love to take my best bud for walks, hikes, swimming, the beach, you name it and we’ve done it! But there is always the issue of cleaning up after him. We’ve all been there with our horror stories, but we’re reluctant (or forget) to share the frustrations we encounter using the “hand in the bag technique.” The gross sensation and the worry of bacteria is always the #1 issue utilizing the “hand in the bag technique,” not to mention the countless other issues you run into while dog walking (loose stool on concrete, tall grass pick-up, small bags, remembering the bags, gross bag transport, etc.). We’ve always thought these are things we have to “deal with,” but not anymore.
Steve Kaufman of Boston, Mass., was determined to fix those issues. This family man with a 110 lb German shepherd/Greater Swiss mix named Mason is also discouraged with the lack of R&D in the “dog walking” category. He notes, “I wanted a dog walker’s scooper mainly because I was frustrated with tall grass and concrete pick up; however there were no products on the market that dealt with these frustrations specifically.”
Kaufman collaborated with a local engineer and developed a phase I prototype called the “Scoopette,” used “For Life’s Untouchable Moments.” Kaufman researched the interest level in his product and notes “the shops and trade shows were great because I kept making adjustments according to end user recommendations and would follow up for approval. It was really a fun and unique process because collaboratively, we were building something new!”
Kaufman took the concept of the Scoopette and worked to bring consumers the entire package! He developed functional prototypes, proved the concept while generating end user proposed sales, made adjustments according to their recommendations, and will be using a pre-order crowdfunding platform to facilitate production. New online crowdfunding platforms allow any entrepreneur the opportunity to follow suit.
Kaufman notes, “building a crowd wasn’t easy when I didn’t have one. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes for I hope to leverage its success to create other problem solving (dog-related) products.”
Please support Steve and his efforts to bring the Scoopette to market. The Scoopette campaign is live from Feb. 6, 2014 – April 7, 2014, on Indiegogo.com. Simply go to www.scoopette.com and you will be re-directed to the pre-order website. For updates, follow the Scoopette on Facebook. For questions or comments, please email Steve at [email protected]. The company name is Ruff Pawz, LLC.
