The Next Big Thing on Kickstarter: Interview with Bika Founder

Introduce us to your business, how you got the idea, and how you sourced any materials.

Killwood’s vision is to create a movement to fight the pine beetle epidemic. That’s what inspired us to use pine beetle kill wood to create modern lifestyle goods. Pine beetles are causing Canadian forests to pollute instead of converting CO2 to oxygen. But by harvesting this blue-tinted wood before it decomposes, pine beetle kill wood becomes a stunning and strong eco material. Killwood is all-Canadian, and we keep things local. Our kill wood is sourced in BC, Canada, and our products are all crafted here as well.

How did you go about manufacturing your product, as that is a major obstacle for many entrepreneurs?

Our manufacturing is done by a team of dedicated woodworkers, sharing over 50 years combined experience. We partnered with a woodshop in BC to create Bika. One challenge is that cost because this product cannot be stamped out of plastic in China by the thousands. Bika is a quality product, handcrafted with patient precision, and attention to detail.

How do you handle the logistics and inventory management of a crowd funding campaign, not knowing how much product you will end up needing?

We’ve tried our best to estimate how many units we will be selling through Kickstarter. With a number in mind, we’ve allocated resources to produce a small batch, while preparing enough raw material to create more if there is high demand.

Tell us about the backend of your business and if there is any online tools or apps you use to stay organized?

We love to use Google Drive and Google Docs in addition to regular email to communicate on the backend. For social media, Killwood is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

How have you been able to get the word out about your product? Any direct or online marketing tips?

Press releases are essential. Getting media attention, as we have learned, is critical to target people with specific interests that are related to your product. For online marketing, videos are great, as they increase engagement many times over compared to still images. Talking to local news outlets is also fantastic, as they’re more than likely eager to support a local business.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

If you make a mistake, but you learn from it, it is no longer a mistake. It’s a lesson.

What tips do you have for crowd funders and entrepreneurs, from making a crowd funding video to making a website and selling product?

Video:

Tell your story. Be passionate about it. Everyone loves a good story that is spoken from the heart. And specifically for a Product Design crowd funding project, show how the viewer can benefit from this product in their daily lives.

Website:

It’s important that the brand identity is expressed in the website. Is your product simple, elegant, modern? Your website should reflect that. How do you approach creating your product? Bring those ideals into the way you shape your website and communicate ideas.

Selling:

Face-to-face interaction is important. There’s nothing like telling a story in person to connect with people. When selling in general, it’s important to communicate your value proposition. How is your product better than others? Why should I care about YOUR product? It’s important to convey this as quickly as possible, because in the end, people want to know how you can help THEM, and they don’t want to do mental gymnastics to figure it out.

Lastly, what should consumers know about your product that is different from what is already on the market?

Killwood Bika is the first premium bike rack that is crafted from pine beetle kill wood. There are wood bike racks out there, but ours tells an engaging story about restoring Canadian forests, and displays a beautifully unique blue color. Many bike racks just hang your bike, but Bika has a dedicated key holder and storage shelves. Bika lets you keep your gear all in one place, and displays your bike as a centerpiece in your home.

Thanks so much for talking with us!

-The Create Team