Be Comfortable, Shelter YourSelf!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Contact PSS
You can contact Premier Sports Shelters by any of the following;
Website
www.PremierSportsShelters.com
Phone
360-367-1341
Business Hours Monday - Saturday 9-6
Text the number above
E-Mail
contact@premiersportsshelters.com
FaceBook
Search Premier Sports Shelters and become a friend and click on the "like" button
Venues
I will be posting where I'm promoting, showing, demonstrating, selling or where I'll be on any given weekend, so check the blog site frequently for updates. Feel free to approach me and talk about the sports shelter.
Website
www.PremierSportsShelters.com
Phone
360-367-1341
Business Hours Monday - Saturday 9-6
Text the number above
contact@premiersportsshelters.com
Search Premier Sports Shelters and become a friend and click on the "like" button
Venues
I will be posting where I'm promoting, showing, demonstrating, selling or where I'll be on any given weekend, so check the blog site frequently for updates. Feel free to approach me and talk about the sports shelter.
My Story
Premier Sports Shelters (PSS) was created out of the idea, "their must be a better canopy out there"! As they say, necessity is the mother of invention". This is how I got started. After becoming frustrated and angry at the current pop-up canopies and how heavy and hard they were to carry and put up, I started on my journey to invent something better and I think I have the perfect solution, the Premier Sports Shelter.
I decided how the sports shelter should look and operate, with the end in mind. Day dreaming for almost a year, I envisioned the perfect shelter/canopy/tent or whatever you want to call it. I decided that it had to be light enough for 1 person to carry and easy enough for 1 person to put up in less than 5 minutes. The kicker was, my wife said " that's all find and dandy but I want Olivia (10 yr old) to do all the work! This was a tall order for sure.
Thinking for a year before I even put pencil to paper I had the whole shelter figured out in my head before I got started. Not to say I had all the answers, but I new how I wanted it to look and work. Jennifer (my wife) had thrown out the conditions and challenging me to meet them. She also stated, "don't spend a dime of our money unless you can meet them"!
After that first year I set out drawing and sketching the sports shelter on paper. I have a little skill in drawing, but not much. I used popsicle sticks and wood from around the shop to make a rough model of the function and how it would work. I had to confirm that the collapsing frame would actually work the way I envisioned. Once done with the rough model of "sticks" I approached my father-law after Thanksgiving dinner in 2007. I showed him the sketches and model and explained my problem and how I was going to solve it. Being an engineer he had a quizzical look and expression. I followed him out in to the living room where we could be alone while he drilled me with questions on how this invention would work, what problem it solved , who would buy it and why. I answered the questions the best I could while demonstrating how and why the shelter was a good idea. After an hour of the questions he finally said, "Paul you have to do this"!
It has been a long road of trial and error, sleepless nights, driving thousands of miles, self education, networking, cold calling, doubts, humiliation, elation, time with a patent attorney and enough money that it would make most people uncomfortable. I bought material from e-bay and junk yards, paid for help, begged for help, taught myself to sew and turned my house into a mini-prototype factory. I ended up sewing the first 4 shelters myself because I couldn't afford it any other way. One of the biggest moments was deciding to prototype the plastic connectors. After educating myself on the various methods of how to develop and test prototypes, it took close to a year before I pulled the trigger on doing it. It was one of the highest costs concerning the prototype development, but it had to be done to test what the industry calls, "fit, form and function".
The designing and development could have never been done without help from dozens of people. From my family and friends to professionals, I ask for help at every turn. I new nothing of designing, prototyping, sewing, manufacturing or business in general before I started this journey. Sometimes I paid for help and other times people helped me for nothing. I learned everything I could from each and every person. Some friends were encouraging and other would give me that "look" like I had gone hog wild crazy! My immediate family grew tired over time of me always asking what they thought of this material or that design. Some of the best design ideas came from my kids when I would ask then their opinion on a certain detail of the shelter. The idea for the side mesh came from one of my daughters after sitting in model shelter and not being able to see out of the side. Her comment was, " dad I can't see the game. What I replied? I can't see through the side, you should put a zipped down window their like the boat top". Duh! Yet another light bulb moment brought on by a child, but a brilliant one.
I kept at it day after day, week after week and year after year. I would make progress some weeks and sometimes none for months. I worked on the sports shelter design and business every day! I kept a journal with me all the time writing down thoughts and making sketches whenever an idea poped into my head. I read book after book on inventing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and the occasional inspirational book to keep me motivated to see this journey to the end (which I'm not at yet). If it weren't for the internet and google this invention would have never got off the ground. You can learn anything from the world wide web and you can buy anything off the internet. An amazing invention the internet!
Once the retail prototype was developed tested and evaluated I needed to decide where to manufacture the shelter. I had been thinking about this the entire time, as I was inventing the sports shelter. This was not a easy decision. I had been sourcing and learning everything I could regarding manufacturing in the US and off shore. After sourcing the material and building 4 models I decided since all the material within the sports shelter comes from China (really!) I would just have it manufactured there as well, at least to start. I used the internet to discover my manufacture in China and began a long slow business relationship by e-mail and UPS. It turned out I hit the nail on the head with his guy. He could sew it, develop the molds for the plastic connectors, stamp out the metal shapes and package it in a box ready for sale.
With my retail prototype under my arm and my brother, the pilot, beside me I jetted off to China to meet and discuss the manufacturing of the sports shelter. The flight was long, 12 hours I think, with a lay over in Hong Kong. The next day we were off for a 4 hour flight to the final destination to be pickup by Luke at the airport. We visited the factory, met with the plastic developers, the metal developers and went over every detail and aspect of the sports shelter. We sat down and hammered out the terms of the deal and I was off to the races of being a manufacture of a innovative and unique product.
Back in the states I continued to work on the business model and fine tune the sports shelter design. As soccer coach I would use the sports shelter at every practice and game weather I needed it or not. This was helpful to gain feedback and ideas from everyone that I came in contact with. These are my potential customers, parents and coaches of kids playing team sports. The response was awesome from the first time I set it up. This was at a soccer tournament in Lake Oswego, Oregon. It was 96 degrees and we were playing on Polo fields with absolutely no shade anywhere. I scanned the soccer fields and could only see the usual pop-up canopy tents everywhere. So, setting the sports shelter down I took a deep breath, pulled out the shelter and began setting it up. To this point I had only set it up in my local area. Unfolding the sides and locking the corner braces and locking the center latches, I started to pull it into the open position. Before I had it up I had 6-8 people around asking questions from where did you get it, how much did it cost, what do you call it and a whole lot more. I gave out all 12 of my business cards. My first real business lesson, always have enough business cards! This weekend sealed the deal for me and my commitment to the business of manufacturing and selling the best lightweight and temporary outdoor weather protection product, in my opinion, in the world.
5 years later I still have sleepless nights, spend money, meet with attorneys, improve the design, source materials, skype with Luke and sit in front of my computer for hours searching and scouring the internet for whatever I need to build the business and take that next step. I think, eat and could talk about the sports shelter or the business of selling them for longer than you would care to listen. It has taken over my life, my house and most of my money (thank you Jennifer). But, when I look back and realize what I have learned and achieved I would do it all over again! You can not buy the experience or education like the one I have received from inventing the sports shelter. The people I have met, the friends I have made and the places I have been have out weighed the low points of this journey.
Today I sell the sports shelter from my home through the internet to places as far away as Australia, New York and Vancouver and as close as my family and friends. The business is growing! I continue to work every day on my business because I love it! It's fun, rewarding and challenging to do something that I find satisfying in so many ways. I do pray that it continues and I make fewer mistakes, especially the ones that cost money, and it will grow into a full fledged company with a warehouse, a few employees and financial security that will carry into my retirement from the fire department. But, mostly I hope and pray that people who purchase the sports shelter will tell all their friends and family how great it is, so I can upgrade my 96 honda civic!
Inventor,
Paul Adams
I decided how the sports shelter should look and operate, with the end in mind. Day dreaming for almost a year, I envisioned the perfect shelter/canopy/tent or whatever you want to call it. I decided that it had to be light enough for 1 person to carry and easy enough for 1 person to put up in less than 5 minutes. The kicker was, my wife said " that's all find and dandy but I want Olivia (10 yr old) to do all the work! This was a tall order for sure.
Thinking for a year before I even put pencil to paper I had the whole shelter figured out in my head before I got started. Not to say I had all the answers, but I new how I wanted it to look and work. Jennifer (my wife) had thrown out the conditions and challenging me to meet them. She also stated, "don't spend a dime of our money unless you can meet them"!
After that first year I set out drawing and sketching the sports shelter on paper. I have a little skill in drawing, but not much. I used popsicle sticks and wood from around the shop to make a rough model of the function and how it would work. I had to confirm that the collapsing frame would actually work the way I envisioned. Once done with the rough model of "sticks" I approached my father-law after Thanksgiving dinner in 2007. I showed him the sketches and model and explained my problem and how I was going to solve it. Being an engineer he had a quizzical look and expression. I followed him out in to the living room where we could be alone while he drilled me with questions on how this invention would work, what problem it solved , who would buy it and why. I answered the questions the best I could while demonstrating how and why the shelter was a good idea. After an hour of the questions he finally said, "Paul you have to do this"!
It has been a long road of trial and error, sleepless nights, driving thousands of miles, self education, networking, cold calling, doubts, humiliation, elation, time with a patent attorney and enough money that it would make most people uncomfortable. I bought material from e-bay and junk yards, paid for help, begged for help, taught myself to sew and turned my house into a mini-prototype factory. I ended up sewing the first 4 shelters myself because I couldn't afford it any other way. One of the biggest moments was deciding to prototype the plastic connectors. After educating myself on the various methods of how to develop and test prototypes, it took close to a year before I pulled the trigger on doing it. It was one of the highest costs concerning the prototype development, but it had to be done to test what the industry calls, "fit, form and function".
The designing and development could have never been done without help from dozens of people. From my family and friends to professionals, I ask for help at every turn. I new nothing of designing, prototyping, sewing, manufacturing or business in general before I started this journey. Sometimes I paid for help and other times people helped me for nothing. I learned everything I could from each and every person. Some friends were encouraging and other would give me that "look" like I had gone hog wild crazy! My immediate family grew tired over time of me always asking what they thought of this material or that design. Some of the best design ideas came from my kids when I would ask then their opinion on a certain detail of the shelter. The idea for the side mesh came from one of my daughters after sitting in model shelter and not being able to see out of the side. Her comment was, " dad I can't see the game. What I replied? I can't see through the side, you should put a zipped down window their like the boat top". Duh! Yet another light bulb moment brought on by a child, but a brilliant one.
I kept at it day after day, week after week and year after year. I would make progress some weeks and sometimes none for months. I worked on the sports shelter design and business every day! I kept a journal with me all the time writing down thoughts and making sketches whenever an idea poped into my head. I read book after book on inventing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and the occasional inspirational book to keep me motivated to see this journey to the end (which I'm not at yet). If it weren't for the internet and google this invention would have never got off the ground. You can learn anything from the world wide web and you can buy anything off the internet. An amazing invention the internet!
Once the retail prototype was developed tested and evaluated I needed to decide where to manufacture the shelter. I had been thinking about this the entire time, as I was inventing the sports shelter. This was not a easy decision. I had been sourcing and learning everything I could regarding manufacturing in the US and off shore. After sourcing the material and building 4 models I decided since all the material within the sports shelter comes from China (really!) I would just have it manufactured there as well, at least to start. I used the internet to discover my manufacture in China and began a long slow business relationship by e-mail and UPS. It turned out I hit the nail on the head with his guy. He could sew it, develop the molds for the plastic connectors, stamp out the metal shapes and package it in a box ready for sale.
With my retail prototype under my arm and my brother, the pilot, beside me I jetted off to China to meet and discuss the manufacturing of the sports shelter. The flight was long, 12 hours I think, with a lay over in Hong Kong. The next day we were off for a 4 hour flight to the final destination to be pickup by Luke at the airport. We visited the factory, met with the plastic developers, the metal developers and went over every detail and aspect of the sports shelter. We sat down and hammered out the terms of the deal and I was off to the races of being a manufacture of a innovative and unique product.
Back in the states I continued to work on the business model and fine tune the sports shelter design. As soccer coach I would use the sports shelter at every practice and game weather I needed it or not. This was helpful to gain feedback and ideas from everyone that I came in contact with. These are my potential customers, parents and coaches of kids playing team sports. The response was awesome from the first time I set it up. This was at a soccer tournament in Lake Oswego, Oregon. It was 96 degrees and we were playing on Polo fields with absolutely no shade anywhere. I scanned the soccer fields and could only see the usual pop-up canopy tents everywhere. So, setting the sports shelter down I took a deep breath, pulled out the shelter and began setting it up. To this point I had only set it up in my local area. Unfolding the sides and locking the corner braces and locking the center latches, I started to pull it into the open position. Before I had it up I had 6-8 people around asking questions from where did you get it, how much did it cost, what do you call it and a whole lot more. I gave out all 12 of my business cards. My first real business lesson, always have enough business cards! This weekend sealed the deal for me and my commitment to the business of manufacturing and selling the best lightweight and temporary outdoor weather protection product, in my opinion, in the world.
5 years later I still have sleepless nights, spend money, meet with attorneys, improve the design, source materials, skype with Luke and sit in front of my computer for hours searching and scouring the internet for whatever I need to build the business and take that next step. I think, eat and could talk about the sports shelter or the business of selling them for longer than you would care to listen. It has taken over my life, my house and most of my money (thank you Jennifer). But, when I look back and realize what I have learned and achieved I would do it all over again! You can not buy the experience or education like the one I have received from inventing the sports shelter. The people I have met, the friends I have made and the places I have been have out weighed the low points of this journey.
Today I sell the sports shelter from my home through the internet to places as far away as Australia, New York and Vancouver and as close as my family and friends. The business is growing! I continue to work every day on my business because I love it! It's fun, rewarding and challenging to do something that I find satisfying in so many ways. I do pray that it continues and I make fewer mistakes, especially the ones that cost money, and it will grow into a full fledged company with a warehouse, a few employees and financial security that will carry into my retirement from the fire department. But, mostly I hope and pray that people who purchase the sports shelter will tell all their friends and family how great it is, so I can upgrade my 96 honda civic!
Inventor,
Paul Adams
Using the Sports Shelter
Welcome to Premier Sports Shelters blog! This is where I will be posting information and stuff regarding the sports shelter. If it has anything to do with setting up, using, taking down, packaging or anything else in between then you will find the information here. If you can't find the information or answer to your question then call me, during regular business hours. You can find my contact information under the contact tab.
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