You can accomplish more as a team.
Jared and Karina Rabin are the creators of Hang-O-Matic, an innovative tool for hanging wall décor like a professional. In one easy step, Hang-O-Matic measures, levels and marks your hole for precision and accuracy every time.
This husband and wife team realized their entrepreneurial dream and set out to make it a reality. The parents of toddlers, the two sold their home, cashed in their life savings and retirement and “went for broke”. So far, their hard work and determination is paying off. Their product is available at major retailers nationwide including Bed Bath & Beyond, Ace Hardware, Lowes.com, HomeDepot.com and other stores.
The Rabin’s are passionate about giving back to the community. When Karina was diagnosed with kidney disease, they decided to donate 10% of all sales to the George Lopez Foundation where they are helping to send children with kidney disease to summer camp.
Where did the idea for Hang-O-Matic come from?
The idea for Hang-O-Matic came when Jared was in college. When he would move out of a place where he lived, his landlords were charging him for all the unnecessary nail holes in the walls.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
Jared wakes up at 3:00am and goes to the gym. He arrives at his day job (construction distribution) at 5:15am where he keeps his Hang-O-Matic laptop side by side with his day job laptop. Jared manages both businesses back and forth throughout the day and comes back home at 5:00pm to spend time with the family before going to bed at 8:00pm. He keeps his day productive by keeping a tight schedule and keeping lists of things that need to be accomplished for the Hang-O-Matic. In the mean time, I (Karina) am at home with our two children, making calling on new retailer buyers, doing marketing, helping with PR and shipping products for PR and marketing purposes.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I (Karina) bring ideas to life by imagining new ideas, brainstorming them with Jared and sitting down and implementing them into action. When I see a challenge or road- block with something we are doing, we figure out a way to change it and make it better.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that excites me (Karina) is the consolidation of tools and electronics. This trend helps to reduce the amount of products we have, while accomplishing more tasks with less “things”. Another trend I like how we are able to promote our product via social media.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
One habit that makes me (Karina) more productive is keeping a “to do” list and probably keeping our work space neat and organized.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
The advice I (Karina) would give my younger self would be to not be so frustrated with the challenges in life. I would also tell myself that it is often necessary to spend money in order to make money.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?
Failure is a blessing. This may sound cliché, but you often must fail in order to succeed. Every setback we have suffered has made us stronger professionally and as a married couple.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
As an entrepreneur, I (Karina) don’t rush to make decisions and neither does Jared. We take as long as we need to make sure it is the best course of action. We write things down on lists and weigh the options. I also recommend that entrepreneurs give back when they can. I have kidney disease and Hang-O-Matic has partnered with the George Lopez Foundation to donate 10% of sales to help send kids with kidney disease in underserved communities to summer camp.
What is one strategy that has helped grow your business? Please explain how.
When someone says “no”, you give him or her some time and then follow up again. People come and go and change professional positions and change their minds. Also, as time passes and you become more successful, someone’s opinion or decision about your previously can change dramatically.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur and how did you overcome it?
We had a big failure in cutting corners with packaging. We tried to save money by hiring amateur packaging designers that we were able to afford but in the end, it was a waste of time. The end result was a design that did not sell and it prolonged us getting into big box retailers. We had to hire a professional packaging company and start all over again.
What is one business idea that you are willing to give away to our readers?
Figure out what hobby you are into and what you enjoy and turn it into a business. I (Karina) love to decorate and I love to be a Do It Yourself gal. Also…If you have an idea…Trust no one!
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
I (Jared) bought my wife flowers last week. I bought her six red and six white roses because I love her and she is my best friend. This was the best money I spend because without her love and support, I can’t be the best I can be.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
We use Dropbox often so multiple people can work off the same live documents anywhere and at any time. It helps us to always be on the same page, literally and figuratively.
What is the one book you recommend our community should read and why?
We recommend, “Rich Dad. Poor Dad”. This is a great book that teaches entrepreneurs how to sell and make money. It is a great read.
What is your favorite quote?
“If you build it, they will come.”
KEY LEARNINGS:
- We are co-captains of a tight and orderly ship. We keep lists, always work systematically and pause to make smart decisions.
- Persistence is our secret weapon. We have heard more “no’s” than “yeses” but rejection has not stopped us. We have worked hard to change minds and persuade clients to take us on. We have persevered through heartbreaking setbacks. We learned that it always pays off to try again.
- You can accomplish more as a team. Jared had the idea but it took two of us to bring it to life and make it the success it is today. There is so much value in finding the right business partner and working together to accomplish your goals.
Connect:
Hang-O-Matic on Facebook: Facebook.com/hangomatic1000
Hang-O-Matic on Twitter: @hangomatic
Hang-O-Matic on Instagram: @hangomatic
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.