Getting Everything Started...

Phantom Enterprises Inc. was formed on October 30, 2001. I started the company with an initial investment of $10, 000.00 from my grandfather. I was 21 years old at the time and attending Kansas State University on my way of becoming a paranatologist (O.B. Specialist). I attended Kansas State University from 1998 to 2000. I then came back to enroll at Wichita State University and attend the entrepreneur program. My father is currently a family practice doctor in Wichita, and my grandfather was also a doctor. My going to Medical School and becoming a doctor would mean three generations of doctors. However, for all those years from me being in eighth grade I kept thinking about the knork.

While I was in Wichita, I worked for an armored car company. I then quit that and worked full time for Phantom Enterprises Inc. At the time, I had to make other money, but be able to be my own boss. I got my P.I. (Private Investigating) License and started a small company doing this. I then started a company called Iron Prodigy (Which I still own) building custom furniture out of motorcycle parts. I did all of this so I could afford to help keep knork going. I started the patent process at the age of 21, and then began the prototype stage. I took pictures of everyone from older people to younger people and how they held a fork. I then put this on a computer and stated the research process.

I knew that if I was going to "reinvent" the fork, I had to do it the correct way and cover everything. I then took a fork from my mother's drawer and went into the basement and began to create. I took the fork and covered it in Bondo (Auto putty) and started to sand. I sanded until I had a good enough prototype that I could get a mold built. I then had a C.A.D. made and then using stereolythography, I had a 3-D model made. I found a local company in Wichita, KS called Rapid PSI to do all my prototyping. This was my first actual knork that I was able to use. After I was satisfied with my creation, I sent the C.A.D. file off to a company in Colorado to build my first metal knork. This product was milled from a solid piece of Brass and then plated to give it the shiny polished look. This was by far the most expensive fork I am ever going to own!

Like most small companies, I had little or no money. I was a college student working two jobs. At the time I received my initial startup capital from my Grandfather, I figured this would be plenty of money to last me for at least several months. This is one big mistake people make when forming a startup company, under capitalization. I spent that first amount in less than a month. I then realized that I had a good product and a patent pending, but I had no money for product or marketing. I started doing some research on the internet about manufacturing. I researched several companies, starting out in Kansas (Close to home) and then branching out to the entire United States.

After several weeks worth of research I figured out that there was no way I was going to be able to get my product made in the states and be able to make a profit. I then looked into outsourcing the product overseas. I started by hiring a small company to outsource my product to different manufacturers for price and quality. These were two things I was very concerned about. If I was going to have my product made overseas, I had to find a company I could trust. After finally arranging samples and making all the necessary changes to the product, I was ready to place my order. This is where the stress would kick in!!!

Read the Next Part: Making it All Work