Fund Me, KC: SlickRinse helps preserve your contact lenses

Editor’s note: Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by contacting news@startlandnews.com.

Who are you?
Brandon Presley, founder of SlickRinse

What’s your product?
SlickRinse is a new contact lens case that helps you take better care of your contact lenses. SlickRinse provides a consistent way of cleaning and rinsing your lenses.

How much money do you hope to raise with your campaign?
$38,440

What do you plan to use the funds for?
Final Revisions for manufacturing design, custom tooling, our first round of production and packaging.

How are you differentiating your campaign?

The past five months, I’ve been building an email list of interested people via our website and Facebook advertising. Users see an ad for SlickRinse, go to our website, and then add their email if they were interested. Currently, I am working with local Kansas City influencers, reaching out to blogs, media outlets and news agencies.

 Tell us about your campaign strategy …

I wanted SlickRinse’s design to be both functional, and beautiful. I hired an award-winning industrial designer based in Santa Monica, California, that was able to bring that vision to life. I also did not want to skimp on the manufacturing side, and I sourced an extremely reputable manufacturing company that produces parts for major corporations like Ikea and Tesla. This ensures no matter the demand, SlickRinse will be able to meet that quantity without issue.

To show the product and myself in a unique environment, the Kickstarter campaign video and some of the photography was completed in a gorgeous modern Airbnb in West Hollywood that a friend was gracious enough to provide free of charge. Since SlickRinse deals with eye care and contact lenses, I partnered with a local eye doctor, Dr. Lauren Seutter, O.D., to help with advising SlickRinse throughout the design and launch process.

What’s some advice you have to other crowdfunding campaigns?
You must have a huge list of interested backers that you are able to contact on Day 1. I had an email list of 1,300 people that signed up directly from my website, and even that hasn’t seemed to make quite the dent or effect in our funding goal that I imagined.Also, make sure you submit your campaign for approval well before your scheduled launch date, to account for any revisions and final approval that are required.