The FlexStand Story

Since my first purchase of a webcam in 2001, I always had problems keeping it pointed in the right direction. In November of 2002 I went looking for a solution. It seemed the only product available for webcams was a tripod. As far as stability goes, a tripod would have worked, but they were large and didn't really provide the flexibility I was looking for, so not finding what I wanted, I decided to make one myself.

The concept was simple, create a stand that would work with almost any webcam, would be able to attach to my desk, and provide a maximum amount of flexibility and stability for webcam positioning. By the end of 2002 I had a design and had put together a prototype. I decided at that point, I would make a go of it and manufacture and sell this thing. I took all the money and credit I had and poured it into this project.

My background is in programming, I've been a Windows developer for over 13 years, I knew little about manufacturing and marketing a product in 2002. I did, though, know the FlexStand was a good concept and that there was a market for it. So I set out to learn what I needed to know and started developing it.

Fast forward six months to May of 2003 when the FlexStand was available for sale on our website. Sales started off slow and picked up steam through that summer. We went through most of the money and credit I had during design and to ramp up production. What was left was spent on banner advertising on webcam related sites, Overture and AdWords. We got placement on iFriends's product page and some blog mentions. We submitted the FlexStand for reviews and even made it onto the set of TechTV. We never did get wide coverage though.

Our first big break came when Amazon accepted the FlexStand into their Advantage program. The FlexStand was the first non-book/CD product in the program and was a big success. Of all the products chosen for the test, we were the most successful, selling hundreds of units that first Christmas. We had only spent a few thousand dollars that first year in advertising so our visibility was limited.

Around the same time, October, we received a large order from a contractor with the Department of Homeland Security. They were working on the US Visit project, which would help secure our borders by snapping a picture of all international visitors entering the country through the airports. This was a big boost to our bottom line and some advertising resumed.

Through most of 2004 and 2005 sales from Amazon, corporate customers, and continued orders from the DHS contractors sustained us, but we never were able to break through. Lack of marketing experience and money kept us at the barely making it stage. My fulltime programming income and sales continued to pay the bills but we were unable to take the product to that next level.

In November of 2005, just three years after I came up with the idea, the tough decision to close down production was made. We shut the doors at the end of December. We may have been able to survive a while longer but the writing was on the wall. I decided it was better to live to fight another day.

The FlexStand is a good product. As far as products go today, it's a low tech gadget, but it works, it does what it’s advertised to do. I still receive emails from people looking to purchase units. I unfortunately am not in a position to manufacture the product any longer. I had hoped that I could bring back the FlexStand myself, but that's not going to happen. And that is why we are now concentrating on getting it sold to a company who'll properly market the product so that it'll reach its full sales potential.

There are millions of webcams out there and most if not all can and should be placed on a FlexStand.