Meet Lance Ayon of Wave Cutter Body Boards

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lance Ayon.

Lance, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been interested in creating ideas and starting small businesses. I entered the United States Air Force when I was 20 years old with a goal of becoming a dentist. I worked as a dental technician for 4 years active duty and 2 years reserve. I applied for dental school and was accepted into the UCLA pre-dental program. In my second year, I had an idea for a clever drink holder called Puppet Koolers. I joined an inventors group and my idea quickly caught the idea of the president and a board member.

I was then helped in getting my first patent and it was then that I was smitten with the entrepreneurial bug. I quit dental school with dreams of becoming a millionaire.. lol. The board member joined me on my patent and then helped me get product drawings and a prototype made and we then shopped our product around and then attended our first trade show where we received a large order from a large big box chain stores. We then used our order to get an investor and my first product and business began. I traveled to Tijuana Mexico to have our product made and then to Guadalajara Mexico where we attempted to build our own factory to start fulfilling orders.

Unfortunately, my product was not well suited for manufacturing in Mexico so off to Hong Kong China I went and oversaw production and gained on hands training about injection mold plastics, packaging and marketing. I returned to the states and not happy with the direction my company was going I decided to sell my stock shares and with $150,000 I was onto my next ideas. I made several products and made and lost money along the way. I originally had an idea for a plastic molded body board with a foam wood grain looking top. I believed this new concept would allow the rider to ride more waves due to the hollow cavity and creating a more buoyant body board.

After much research, it was not cost effective and would have a very high retail price. I then looked at using this beautiful retro-looking wood grain we had created on foam core body boards. Using an app on my iPhone called Alibaba I was able to create, develop and make my body boards, hats, key chains, stickers and marketing brochures in China and my men’s shirts, women’s tank tops and hoodies in Pakistan.

Body boards are primarily made of 4 parts: 1) a foam core 2) a hard slick bottom 3) a deck top 4) and rails on the sides. So I sent my graphics files and purchased 5 samples. They were very expensive due to the small quantity but it lowered my financial risk as well as allowed me to do a photoshoot and create both my marketing brochures and digital sales sheets. I then shopped my product around and my first target customer was Costco. The buyer liked my boards but due to the fact that I had no retail sales history, and limited production I missed a 7 million dollar order… yes they would have ordered 300,000 units.

I was advised to build my brand and call back in a couple years. So I took a $50,000 Loan on my house and Wave Cutter Body Boards Inc. was now in business. I purchase and imported 1000 pcs and did some gorilla style marketing. I was able to set up a website, sell them to many Surf shops in San Diego and East Coast, grocery store chain, pharmacy chain, hotels and online. We then attended 2 major industry trade shows and gained much exposure and market presence.

I soon realized that my boards were very unique and could help create a second revenue stream for our body boards by doing a Private Label Body Board. The Private Label Boards allow us to put any company logo on our beautiful design. We are now in the process of ordering another 1000 Body Boards for 2018 and building our business model towards Amazon and our website to maximize our profits.

This is my story and I am sticking to it… come on board and catch a wave with Wave Cutter Body Boards.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Many struggles and snags with always starting a new product and business.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Wave Cutter Body Boards Inc – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We created and developed a retro wood grain looking bodyboard. I am pretty much a one-man show with investors and board members who have helped guide me along the way. I am proud that after investing in 5 samples I was able to attract Costco for a large order but, because of lack of sales, we could not do business. I then purchased 1000 boards and was able to get them into various well known Surf Stores, grocery store, Pharmacy, Hotels and Online. We have just ordered another 1000 boards for this coming season.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We have a new manufacturer in Taiwan and will have a better product and hope to bring on more Sales Reps.

Pricing:

• Retail: $59.99

Contact Info:

• Website: Wavecutter.com
• Phone: 818-516-2448
• Email: lance@thewavecutter.com
• Instagram: Wavecutter
• Facebook: Wavecutter
• Twitter: Wavecutter

Image Credit:
Jeff Wells, Mary Lombino, Chimpz

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