BowerBags: From Grad School Project to Kickstarted Company



Jamie Bowerman, Bowerbags

Jamie Bowerman, creator of Bowerbags in Savannah, Ga., designed and created the Bowerbag for a class project in graduate school. The challenge: Create a bag that would allow Bowerman to carry his work and school material in a single, comfortable bag. To solve his commuting challenge, Bowerman created a courier carrying system. He fueled bag production by starting a Kickstarter project to fund his bag. Bowerman quickly reached his Kickstarter goal and began producing.

Courier Magazine recently got in touch with Bowerman and interviewed him for an article that appeared in the March/April issue. Read on to see the full interview, and find out how Bowerman created his bag and why he chose to fund his project with Kickstarter.

Courier Magazine: I believe you came up with the concept for the bag in one of your graduate school classes. What was the project and what sparked the idea?

Jamie Bowerman: Yeah, it was a completely strange thing. I felt that going back to grad school was the right thing for me to do. It was just a weird time. I wasn’t really happy [with my career].

[In class,]I was working on a project, trying to figure out how people can better carry things without cars. And I grew up riding bikes. I think bike culture is phenomenal. [At the time], I wound up carrying all my bags from school to work, back and forth. Everything I had was in different bags. And I was thinking, ‘I wish I had a messenger bag for work and a backpack for school,’ and that pulled me into creating this bag system. Basically, it’s a carrying system and it started as a three-way bag. It goes from a messenger bag, to a backpack, to a saddle bag.

There was a competition in town where you could pitch ideas for companies and start-up businesses. I entered it in the student category and there were people who wanted to buy bags. All I had was this prototype, so I had to figure out, well, how I actually make this. So, I did a Kickstarter project. I learned a lot.

CM: Why did you make the changes to the product?

JB: I am always pushing the boundaries. And I’m always looking at things, not from the perspective of this is wrong, but what can I do better. The project was successful. Then slightly after I made the bag, I thought there’s got to be a better way to do this, so I spent time making different prototypes [to improve the bag].

CM: How was the Kickstarter process?

JB: I think Kickstarter is fabulous. It’s a fabulous format. I encourage everyone to use it because it sort of solves the big question that many of us have, which is does my product have a market. Even if it’s a handful of people. I think if you gathered a bunch of entrepreneurs in a room you’ll consistently find that they’ll all say you don’t want to make your product for everyone. Find a niche, start in that niche and really support it. It gives you a chance to be, like, ‘hey, is anyone out there interested in what I’m doing.’ And no matter what you do, you’re going to the people and looking for funding. And everyone likes to see the bigger numbers, but even if you have 10 people, I feel like that’s a win. It helps validate the idea. There are other formats that have sprung up like it, other things that are similar, but nothing like that [Kickstarter]. But, yes, it does have its highs and lows once you get going.

CM: Who is most interested in the bag?

JB: It’s a mixed bag. It’s really been individuals right now. I hope that as the product continues to evolve and grow, so will the audience.

CM: How long have you been making the bags? And do you have any plans for making any other types of product for cyclists in the future?

JB: For about the last year or two. And yes, I think with cyclists it will be popular! I’m really excited. [It’ll work] not just for cyclists but for even just the person who likes to ride their bikes for work, or for leisure.

CM: Yeah, it does seem like an all-purpose bag that would help commuters, too.

JB: Yeah, I want to help incorporate that for people where it’s a part of their lives.

CM: Have you graduated yet?

JB: I’m in the process. I’m in this grey-zone where I’m working on my thesis at the same time. I’m ready for that next round of funding. I’m driving this forward.

A No-Nonsense Pannier: Mark Kohr Talks about the Donkey Boxx



Donkey Boxx

Have any of you come up with a stellar yet simple product idea lately? Yeah, me either. The human brain is a great organ, but it rarely creates truly useful inventions. Mark Kohr’s noggin is different, though. Kohr is quite creative -- an inventor at heart. And that’s probably why Kohr saw a potential product idea after creating a DIY pannier box for his bike.

Kohr, creator of the Donkey Boxx, developed a concept for a simple, no-frills bike pannier that bike commuters could use and not worry about. Since thinking up the original idea, the product has evolved from a simple, makeshift cardboard box carrier, to a sturdy bicycle pannier made from recycled plastic.

Courier Magazine recently spoke to Kohr for a feature that appeared in the March/April issue. Read the full interview below and get additional insight on why Kohr created the Donkey Boxx, how he started his business and why he values sustainable, independent businesses.

Courier Magazine: Why did you start the company and where is your business located?

Mark Kohr: My wife and I really enjoy bicycles. We have two children and recently moved to Berkley, Calif.

CM: What inspired the idea for the Donkey Boxx?

MK: When we moved to Berkley we got rid of one of our cars. We really enjoyed using our bikes to basically do the things we had to do. We would go to the farmers’ market. And here, in Northern California, we have this amazing profusion of really beautiful artisan food. So, you get incredible tomatoes. I would get food and all these different things -- a ton of stuff. One thing I would notice that would get me kind of bummed out was that my tomatoes would get crushed on the way home. This was because they were in bags and the weight of the produce would push down, and it would push the sides of the bag and kind of squeeze on the tomatoes. So, I thought, well, I’m just going to get a box and I’m going to put it in the bag of the Xtracycle. I did, and it worked really well. The produce sat in there and I didn’t get the cracking of the tomatoes, and so forth. So, I started to refine the box and I thought, why don’t I make one to stack, and made one that would sit in the rack entirely.

CM: How did you find out about the Xtracycle?

MK: A friend turned us on to the Xtracycle, which is a long bike. It’s an attachment that you can put onto any bike – a mountain bike or a road bike. It lengthens the wheelbase and provides an area where there are bags. But they aren’t traditional bags. They are kind of like hammocks where you can put grocery bags on both sides of the back wheel so it is loaded low, and in the back and it can attach to the bike. So, it’s not a trailer. You have a bit more versatility and you’re more articulate as a rider. I know the Xtracycle guys because they are in Oakland, Calif. So, they have become friends of mine.

CM: What was the first pannier you created constructed from?

MK: {At first} I thought why not make a pannier out of cardboard -- a DIY situation that people can use that wouldn’t be very expensive. I explored the idea and then it rained. I knew it wasn’t going to work. While it {the cardboard box) is a great thing, people do need that extra layer of durability. So, I started exploring the corrugated plastic and that’s when I first started thinking about the postal bin.

CM: How did you find a company that would create the Donkey Boxx out of the plastic you preferred?

MK: I ended up, through a series of events, working with a company in Minnesota called Minnesota Diversified Industries (MCI) {http://www.mdi.org/}. They make those postal bins that you see all over America. It’s a really a great company because it’s not-for-profit and the company hires people with disabilities, and the material is 80 percent recycled. That all really appealed to me because it’s exciting to make stuff in America.

CM: What did you do before making the Donkey Boxx?

MK: I worked as a music studio director for many years and it was really wonderful. That’s what I did for a living and what I still do to an extent.

CM: Why did you want to try something completely different than what you previously did?

MK: I was experimenting with making a business that would essentially just be me. I kind of jokingly would say I’m working with sort of a Chinese business model. What I mean by that is the manufacturing model that people do all over the world, which is they’ll design something and they are not going to try and make it. They will just provide the money for an order and the order will be delivered, and they will deal with distribution marketing. I thought well, maybe I will play with that idea and see if I can pull it off, but I didn’t want to go to China. I really wanted to see if I could pull it off here in America. I really don’t make any money from Donkey Boxx. I get orders every week, probably every other day-ish depending on how much advertising I have going on.

It’s basically me and then in Minnesota there is the company that {makes the box}, MDI. And I’ll order 2,000 of them or 1,000 and they will make them, and then right across the street there’s another company. They have a big warehouse and they fill my orders and they send them out, and then I have the site and my business license is in Berkley, Calif., where I live with my family. I basically get orders that come across the net and then I fill them.

I’m producing fresh images and getting those out there and then upgrading the website. It’s something that I’m not doing enough and I need to kick myself and do more. I’m considering having them make, and I just need to run the numbers, some orange and yellow ones -- to increase viability. And I think also because of increased visibility cars on average would give them a little bit more space.

CM: What was the creation process like?

MK: The big thing was that I was investigating making them for the Xtracycle. I was making them for a real limited number of bicycles -- a real small number. There aren’t that many {Xtracycles} out there. So, based on making {it} for a very small market, I thought, this is insane.

{So, then,} my strategy was – this would be a great thing to have for everyday use. People who use their bikes for everyday use, they need something that they are not worried about. Because I feel like, bags, and so forth – they are great – but they are a little more precious. You need to take them on and off. And cyclists start carrying around all this stuff that might not be suited for the way {they want} to present their self as you move to where ever it is -- to the office, to the store, or sports thing, whatever. They might not suit that engagement. When I put the box on the Xtracycle, I made sample boxes inside the cardboard. The thing I really liked is that I wasn’t worried about people stealing these things. I don’t have to carry it with me when I go. I kind of let it be the truck for your bike. I thought also, for some reason, I was trying to create something with a low entry point. It would be the cheapest thing out there. I knew I wasn’t making a basket.

CM: What are some of the features you added to the product?

MK: I wanted something different and light. And I wanted something that could deal with heel strike. That’s why I made the heel strike tool. I also made it so it could be easy for shops, and something that’s easy to attach. They {the boxes} also have a taper to them -- there’s a slight taper to them at the bottom {which was inspired by a certain brand of motorcycle metal box}. They take a low load in toward the center.

I tried to add a little slope across the top so if it rains the water would go fall off like on a roof. They are not watertight but if you are riding {in} the rain your stuff will stay relatively dry. It won’t get soaked. There might be a little dribble here and there.

CM: Who orders the Boxxes? Commuters or couriers?

MK: I’m not quite sure. I get a lot of individuals. I get some shops. Adventure cycling – they are a company that sells gear and bike maps, and they also have summer trips they have organized. They recently bought 200 for some family trips they are doing this summer. They were looking for something so that the families could do one of their trips – they are doing a trip {to the} Eerie Canal this summer – and they wanted something that the kids could put on easily and that they could decorate. Something they could put stickers on and paint, they could poke holes in it – they could do whatever they wanted. And another thing that the Donkey Boxx kind of lends itself to is the surface that can take stickers and spray paint.

CM: Is there anything you’ve learned from starting the business and anything you want to do going forward?

MK: I think that now, if I were to try to do another thing, where I’m making something, I would do it as a Kickstarter campaign. I think Kickstarter is a fantastic platform to do marketing, to do market testing and make a good where you get your capital -- your money -- to produce upfront without any interest cost from a bank. You are going right to the source. It becomes a really great way to lower your risk. I am huge supporter of alternative currency systems and crowd source financing. You need to run your numbers. You need to know how much it’s going to be to ship out. And you need to know who your manufacturer is before hand and how much it’s going to cost, for your quantity. You need to have all that stuff worked out and then you put your campaign out there.

Leather, wood and beer: Geoffrey and Valerie on the Success of Walnut Studiolo



Image from Walnut Studiolo

Leather and wood are attractive and sturdy materials. So, it makes sense that Geoffrey Franklin really digs using the previously mentioned supplies when crafting handmade bike accessories.

Geoffrey and Valerie Franklin, husband and wife, and co-owners of Walnut Studiolo, sell handcrafted bicycle accessories out of their home in Portland, Ore. The couple has worked together since 2009. Geoffrey designs and creates the company’s bike accessories while Valerie markets his work. The couple works well together (thank goodness!) and has garnered quite a following in the sustainable biking community.

Courier Magazine recently featured the co-owners in an article that appears in the March/April 2013 issue. Below is the full interview with Valerie and Geoffrey. Read on to discover why Geoffrey loves working with leather and wood, and why he and Valerie enjoy working together.

Courier Magazine: Do you both cycle, and has it always been a way of life for both of you? And have you both been a part of, or at least supported, the indie/sustainable/small business community before jumping into business?

Geoff Franklin: Growing up I had a number of bikes: BMX, Freestyle, and eventually a Mountain Bike. But it wasn't until I started riding centuries on my road bike that cycling changed the way I looked at the world. When I went away to college, I left my car at home and took my bike. Before starting my own business, I had no experience being an entrepreneur. My dad worked for Nike for over 10 years. He instilled a respect for local businesses like Intel, Gerber and Columbia Sportswear. But for me, small, indie business came into my life in Eugene, Ore., while going to school. When I moved back to Portland, Ore., I was ready to set out on my own path.

Valerie Franklin: My family always cycled for weekend recreation. We had an annual tradition of doing the New York City five-borough ride every year when I was a teenager, but it wasn't until I moved to Portland that I got into bicycles for daily transportation. I think my awareness of sustainability and the importance of small and local business have evolved and deepened over the past 10 years. I worked at a food co-op when I was in college, and that really opened my eyes to the truth of ‘voting with your dollars,’ a vote that I have been careful to exercise ever since.

CM: Any initial concerns with working together?

Geoff: You really have to like each other to work and play together all the time.

Valerie: Yes! But we actually work great together. We have such complimentary skills, so it's not like we're stepping on each other's toes. I think it helps that we have separate areas of responsibility and even separate physical working areas.

CM: Do you have a background in business management and marketing, or did you grow into it?

Valerie: I was a liberal arts major (anthropology) in college, so business wasn't my area of study, but I learned from the school of hard knocks. After graduation I worked for non-profit organizations in management and then in project management for a large corporation. My understanding of business definitely grew more sophisticated at the large corporation, which increased my interest in it. Now I really love learning more about business and I have a robust self-learning program of periodicals and business books. I enjoy applying my concepts and theories every day to our work here, in a way that really aligns with my morals and beliefs, in striving to make our business sustainable and just.

CM: The company seems to have grown incredibly fast. Do you typically get orders from individuals or small courier businesses interested in outfitting bikes?

Valerie: We are growing fast, but in a controlled, healthy, steady way. Most of our orders come from individuals. We are in a few brick-and-mortar stores around the country and I hope to increase that number this year. A list of them is on our website.

CM: How do you approach selling the business or does it just sell itself through word of mouth?

Valerie: I believe in the products that Geoff designs first and foremost -- my job marketing them is actually pretty easy because he makes such darn good stuff. His work sells itself because of its design and quality, and thanks to our incredible photographer, Erin Berzel, that manages to come across online. Her photography really does an incredible job communicating the texture and feel of his work. Because of that, we rely mostly on word-of-mouth and blog coverage. We don't really spend money on advertising, but we do try to support and be involved in the bicycle, beer, and craft communities.

CM: What’s the best-selling product now?

Valerie: The six-pack frame cinch, a multi-purpose belt designed to hold anything somewhat narrow to your top tube, like a coffee thermos, or an umbrella, or a six-pack!

CM: Any plans on expansion?

Valerie: We definitely want to grow more this year, but we also want to stay true to our roots and beliefs. This business is a lifestyle business for us. We love working from our house, so we've got plans for this year on how to rearrange our existing space to squeeze in some additional hands for help. We've also got some fun ideas about how we might expand into teaching leatherwork, maybe holding classes, or an online video series.

CM: Why are you drawn to designing with leather and wood? Is it mainly the durability of the materials, or how well the materials work together? Have you ever considered using other materials?

Geoff: I don't know exactly why I'm drawn to the material pallet I've chosen. It's likely influenced by the time I've spent on my family's ranch; growing up with horses in the country. There is just something special about wood and leather -- the tactile senses it awakes. Both materials are quite durable yet require a little maintenance to look their best. My use of leather and wood could just be a subconscious backlash to the inundation of synthetic materials. I would love to add metal work to my line-up.

CM: Where do you get your materials from (I see SCRAP is one of your suppliers)? How did you find these organizations/companies?

Geoff: All our leather comes from United States-tanned hides of U.S. beef cattle, which is important to me because I consider that leather an upcycled product {taking a product scrap or old item and repurposing it} -- if it's not turned into leather then those hides get landfilled. It's taken me a long time to find these organizations! I found them eventually over time through word-of-mouth and the Internet. We ship all of our products in upcycled packaging when we can find enough of it, and SCRAP {scrappdx.org} is a local craft and office supply upcycling center that we use for packaging products, like one-sided paper, used envelopes, or bubble wrap.

CM: How long does it take to design a new product?

Geoff: It can take anywhere from a few days to a few years. I have literally experienced both ends of that range of time. The Frame Handle was in R and D for two years. But more often than not it takes me a season of riding with a product before I am comfortable selling it.

CM: Are you working on any new designs? Do you get product requests from cyclists?

Geoff: I always have a few designs simmering on the back burner. Many are my own ideas -- I always design things that I want to use. But I am also lucky to have such amazing customers. They come up with great ideas! We get product requests all the time. I'm not able to make all of them, but I love working on them. Sometimes they turn into products for us, and sometimes they are just one-of-a-kind.

Family, Art and Persistence: Daniel McKewen on Founding Seagull Bags

Seagull Bags

Daniel McKewen, owner of Seagull Bags, Columbus, Ohio, founded the courier bag company in 2003. McKewen’s business goal was to create the perfect courier bag, although he had no bag construction or sewing experience.

Since the company’s inception, McKewen’s company has become a highly regarded bike bag company. The business makes different sized bags to accommodate every rider. And when the company does take custom orders, the embroidered artwork is mesmerizing.

Courier Magazine recently got in touch with McKewen and interviewed him for an article that appeared in the March/April issue. Read on to see the full interview and find out how McKewen learned to craft his bags, how he has surrounded himself with a top-notch team and how professional couriers have a part in Seagull Bag testing.

Courier Magazine: When did you first begin creating?

Daniel McKewen: I started when I was in school. It was sometime in 2003, 2004.  It’s hard to put a date on it because it truly was an organic process.  

CM: How did you learn to sew and construct bags? Also: what types of materials do you use and how did you come up with the bags’ style? How’d you settle on what materials were best suited for courier bags?

DM: It was a bit of a process for me. My friend taught me the basics of sewing and I learned a ton just from trial and error. Over time, I started teaching myself newer techniques by looking around at what certain stitches looked like and learning how aspects of construction functioned. Again, this was mostly by trial and error. What we've got now is the result of a pretty long evolution of tweaking various ideas. We're really happy with it. The idea for the asymmetrical flap was there early on and so was the basic functional construction of the bag. But there has been a nice evolution in the strap and getting the exact dimensions dialed in. The strap has been to a pretty good place for years now, but getting the particular dimensions perfected makes the bags fit better and feel more cohesive. It’s nice to be able to continue to tweak ideas after using a bag for several years because a lot of the little things that people don't necessarily notice will help the bag feel and function better overall. Plus, as the years go by, our sewing has become visually better as well, so every bag looks clean and crisp.

The materials were a bit different. The first bag that I used every day was canvas and would get soaked with water as I rode to class, so having a bag that could stand up to the elements was paramount. Starting with that idea, we used a vinyl, trucker-tarp interior that was waterproof and an exterior cordura with a water-resistant backing. The construction is also designed to prevent water from getting inside the bag. Early on, we even reshaped the flap of the bag to further prevent water from getting in through the top. It’s cool looking back on almost 10 years of consistent design and evaluation on the same product. That’s one thing that really separates a company that manufactures bags and bag makers. 

CM: Were you a courier before you created the bag?

DM: No, but I was definitely riding a ton. I loved my bike and rode every single day. Going back and forth to school and everywhere else got me pretty familiar with how bags function and feel and where certain bags lack. We still have our new products tested by messengers, and we listen very closely to their feedback.  

CM: Are most of your customers individual buyers or courier companies?

DM: We do some ongoing orders with courier companies from all over the world, but the vast majority of our orders come from individuals. I think the super customization of our bags lends itself to that really well. In the near future, we'll be introducing some bags that are semi-customizable, sort of an in-between of our black bags and custom bags.

CM: What are couriers’ favorite aspects of the bags?

DM: Hands down, what we hear the most is the durability and comfort. It’s nice to have something that lasts for a long time. We're also committed to our warranty policy on parts and labor, so if something does start to function poorly, we restore it to its original ruggedness. That has definitely been a plus to anyone who uses their bag a ton. The strap on our bags is probably the most defining feature. It is super comfortable and stays comfortable for a long time. It also positions the bag correctly on your back to distribute the weight properly. Working couriers are pretty excited if they can have something that is comfortable to wear and lasts a long time.

CM: How did you assemble your team?

DM: Everyone who works here has been here multiple years. The first couple employees, Maika and John, were people who were right around me. I went to art school with Maika and John is my brother. They're both still working here and in charge of large sections of the company’s operation. Ben, our embroiderer, was someone who I knew through multiple avenues and I liked his ability to recognize interesting visual things. He is also a hard worker and has excelled in stepping in for our former embroiderer, Tina. Skinner is the baby of the group and has been friends with Ben for a while. He's also a really hard worker and has expanded from just cutting to also building bags himself. He has been really good at finding new ways to contribute here. Keira is John's and my younger sister, and she comes in to clean up in between her classes. We've got a great group of friends here and it is a total privilege to have such awesome friendships with the people you work with.

CM: It seems like a lot of your repeat customers come back because of the shop’s customer service and the warranty policy. How did you develop that type of service?

DM: That's really cool. I'm glad people say that about us. The center of it has to be that we have all been here for a long time. This gives us knowledge and an expertise that helps us fit features and bag size to what someone needs, rather than trying to push "X" product because that’s what the company wants. But with that expertise we realize that we can make mistakes, too. We try to be fair and honest with ourselves if we could have communicated something better or if an error was made on our end, and then we're aggressive about fixing those errors. The overwhelming majority of people are grateful for us fixing the problems and continue to recommend us to others. The third thing is that we like being kind to people. It may sound strange but there are a lot of places that take their expertise and use that to make people feel dumb or un-cool. Or you're dealing with huge institutions that don't care about you, or what you want, or what you think (banks, the government, utility company, etc.)  We like talking to new people and finding out what they're into, showing them around the shop and taking the time to relate with them beyond just bag questions. That extra time helps us figure out what bag will fit them best and we get to make new friends in the process!

And we’re back!

We’re going to get this blog running again. Our plan is to post fresh content and commentary about courier industry news. We’ll also post extra interviews and Q&As that don’t appear in the print Courier Magazine. And from time to time, we’ll write about social marketing, small business marketing and HR tips. We’d love to get your feedback on what we post, so please feel free to comment! If you have content ideas or news tips, don’t hesitate to contact us (we’re at -- social@couriermagazine.com ).

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Image: stevendepolo, Creative Commons