Linda Schuerman’s Kanga Ring

by Chuck Umeda  0006

 Linda Schuerman’s experiences in patenting and marketing effort of her product can be described aptly as “true grit.”  She is an IAA Board Member and Vice-chair of the Phoenix Chapter.   Her product, the original “Kanga Ring” Hanging Cell Pouch, is a cell phone holder for use in cars.  It is a neat device (a pouch) with a ring that slips over the power plug-in to the cigarette lighter socket.  This keeps the cell phone in a secure place while connected to the charger and still be in easy reach.  Linda had the foresight to add a second smaller pocket at the lower part of the pouch.  This works well for the newer generation miniature cell phones.  Out of the car, the Kanga Ring has a Velcro secured loop to hang from a person’s belt.  When Linda developed her product, she did not anticipate Palm Pilot type electronic organizers, but the Kanga Ring works well for these too.

 Like many inventors, Linda hoped to be able to license the product and have retail outlets sell them to the public.  When it became apparent that was not going to work, Linda took matters into her own hands and began sewing prototypes herself.  The first model wasn’t a success.  She kept improving the design and selection of materials. She got display boxes with a photo poster showing the Kanga Ring hanging from a dashboard.  She hired graphic designers to create the packaging for retail and sales posters.  She went through so many designers she didn’t even bother to learn their names.  It was all a costly process.  Several hundred dollars here and some thousands there as product and packaging improved.  Some displays worked and others didn’t.  The colors, layout and presentation have to attract the customer at a glance.

 An obvious potential large retailer was a branch of the former CellularOne, but the bigness was a disadvantage!  The branch manager loved it and others who saw it, but no one had the authority to buy even one box for display.  Major kink in the plans!  Crushed by the experience, Linda stopped by to see a friend who works at a car wash.  Car wash places have waiting rooms for their clients.  The manager bought one box and set it up.  Before she left, a customer waiting for their car bought the first one!  Good news.  Then, Linda went to car dealerships, which also turned out to be successful.  With persistence, about 100 retail sites were established in the Phoenix area.  Linda visited each one periodically to restock the displays.  At last, there is a distributor who takes care of Phoenix now.   

The old saying is that success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.  Linda’s version is based on her experience with the Kanga Ring is that inspiration is less than 1% and perspiration is over 99%!  She is walking proof that persistence pays.