Business Opportunities Weblog

August 29, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 6 Comments

No matter where you go or what channel you watch on TV, there are endless commercials for women’s products. Where as most people wouldn’t blink an eye, some men would have to wonder, “What about me?”

Joe Rowett is the Managing Director for Man Junk, a business dedicated to men’s products. Their organic body wash for men takes care of those special needs a man would have. His business has the potential to become the brand to look for in men’s products.

If you don’t believe me, then Joe is giving our readers a chance to find out for themselves. Generally priced at $25 a bottle, you can now purchase it for only $15 by using “BIZOP10” at checkout. This coupon is only active for the first 50 people who take advantage of this offer, so if you want it you’ll have to get in on the deal before it runs out.

What is Man Junk and what are some of the products that you offer?

Man Junk is a new suite of natural organic personal care products for the man’s intimate area. Last week we launched our natural organic intimate body wash and received an overwhelming amount of feedback and support. So we thank you! We plan to launch a series of products that will revolutionize the way a man can take care of himself.

What inspired the name for your business?

We believe a brand starts with a name, and what better name than Man Junk? There are so many products out there that seem to fall short on their branding presence with a weak or unrelated name, we wanted to make an impact on anyone that came across our products; a name no one would forget.

Have you always wanted to own your own business? What made you decide to take that step?

This is my 4th company that I have started in the last 6 years, I guess I would consider myself to be a serial entrepreneur. It’s truly my passion to start companies and hope to be able to have a business that makes a positive impact in this world.

How long has it been since you launched? What kind of growth have you seen since then?

We launched BETA about a week ago to test the site with a QA team, then we launched the press release on August 20th. We are in media marketing mode and will begin to start consumer marketing the beginning of September. The first day we launched we received over 100 inquiries for radio, television, wholesale, retail, and distribution. We can only hope that this is just the beginning.

Do you have any special plans for the near future (that you can share), and what are they? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My plans consist of growing Man Junk into a thriving high-end personal care company and using a portion of our proceeds to help the prostate cancer research foundation. In 5 years! Well at the very least I want to have had done some traveling on my off-time and begin to launch another one of my bottled up ideas.

When you look back, what were some of the choices you’ve made that you wish you hadn’t? What have you learned from those mistakes?

I think it’s inevitable for every business owner to make mistakes. Looking back the biggest mistakes I made were rushing through the process with a limited budget, plan accordingly. Make sure your budget allows you not to stress about making that first dollar and take it slow if you need to. Realize that you are only one person and build a team of experts in every aspect of your business. Take your time, but be sure to protect yourself with patents and trademarks.

Was there ever a time you just wanted to give up and walk away? How did you keep yourself motivated?

I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to throw the towel in. When you’re working to get your idea off the ground chances are you’re working a full-time job in parallel to fund your business. It’s okay to take a day off once in awhile, take it from me it helps to maintain the quality of your work. Be sure to exercise and don’t be afraid to fix yourself a vodka tonic when times get real tough!

Did you have any previous experience that you were able to bring with you into Man Junk?

My background has been extremely saturated in marketing and business development which has directly contributed to building relationships and partnerships to strengthen my business for the future.

What separates your product from others available on the market?

First off there are no other natural organic intimate washes for men at this time. Our products are developed by men for men and we have spent over two years doing just that. We have a road map for our line, it’s not just one product that we hope to build a business from. We plan to have a line of over ten products in the next two years.

What advice do you have for others interested in starting their own business?

Do it! Pick an idea, do as much research as you possibly can, take action. Believe in your idea, believe in yourself, and stay positive!
Steve Jobs said it best, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish”.

In Interviews, Sales, Shopping, Startup | 6 Comments