Some businesses try to solve a lot of different problems for their customers. Others focus on doing one thing really well. Seraph Enterprises LLC falls into the latter category.
The company currently offers a single product — one that solves a very specific pain point for painting contractors. Read all about the product and the company behind it in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Sells an innovative brush cleaner.
More specifically, the company’s product is the Brushmate CAV-JET PRO, a paintbrush cleaning power tool for professional contractors.
Business Niche
The ability to clean and rinse multiple paintbrushes in 90 seconds.
President, CEO, and Inventor Ted Brackett told Small Business Trends, “Until now, the only way to clean a paintbrush was by hand. We are the first and only company in the world to effectively combine all the essential elements it takes to thoroughly clean a brush in an automated system. The system is hands-free, self-cleaning, compact and portable with 20V DC cordless power.”
How the Business Got Started
After identifying a major frustration for contractors.
Brackett explains, “I am a former painting contractor and at the end of a long hard day found myself staring at a bucket full of dirty paintbrushes. Cleaning them was the last thing I wanted to do! However, knowing if I didn’t, I was literally throwing money away. That in itself was all the motivation I needed to come up with the solution.”
Biggest Win
Gaining patent protection for the technology.
Brackett says, “It meant we have the first mover advantage in an untapped global market.”
Biggest Risk
Using personal resources to fund a total product redesign.
Brackett adds, “If it had gone wrong, total insolvency. The end result was a positive. Allowing a new product to evolve and gaining an additional patent in the process.”
Lesson Learned
Keep business and family separate.
Brackett says, “Never partner with family or friends. It just isn’t worth the pain.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Design and develop new products.
Brackett says, “This includes a brush drying/storage system and a consumer DIY brush cleaner.”
Unorthodox Marketing
Cleaning brushes for free.
Brackett explains, “During the field-testing stage of development I would go to random jobsites where painters were at the end of their day and ask them if I could clean their brushes for free. Their responses were notable, “like knocking on someone’s door and asking if you can clean their toilet” but all were more than happy to have it done and amazed by the results.”
Company Motto
Create/innovate and design so dynamically…that people think aliens made it.
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Image: Seraph Enterprises, Ted Brackett
Aira Bongco
There will always be a market that you can serve. It is about finding the people that you can help.