A little over 2 years ago, Bill Ward was sweeping up a broken light bulb when he reached down to get the dust bunnies off the bristles of his broom. A piece of light bulb that was hidden in the dust cut his finger. Determined to find a solution, he managed to create a unique dust pan that could pull the dust off without the user having to reach down and do it manually. Unfortunately, no matter who he talked to people just didn’t seem interested in his idea.
Approximately a year later, Bill saw an article about Quirky, and how they help inventors bring their ideas to life. That is when he decided to pitch the website, and the rest is history. According to The Post and Courier, Quirky has sold over 4000 Broom Groomers to date.
The $12 product on Quirky was recently picked up by select Bed, Bath & Beyond stores across the nation, where it’s listed at $9.99, according to Quirky spokeswoman Tiffany Markofsky. Ward receives a percentage of each one sold.
[In January], his product, with the handle designed as a foot pedal to secure the dustpan to the floor without bending over, [was] the first of five Quirky products featured on the Home Shopping Network.
“It’s thrilling to see something that’s a concept in your head and then see the physical form and see it being sold in popular stores,” Ward said.
Ward said he constantly has new ideas and is working on other inventions.
“I hope to have something else marketable soon,” he said.
Image from Quirky