GLENDALE, Ariz. — Starting any business from the ground up is a risky proposition. Starting one during the pandemic can be even more difficult.
But that’s just what Justin Hillsten did when he was inspired by a common problem -- pulling hair from the shower drain.
“So, the DrainFunnel works in bathtub drains,” said Hillsten, creator of the DrainFunnel, a small, rubber device that fits into the drain of most bathtubs.
The Drainfunnel is designed to allow hair to pass through the drain without clogging and flow out to the sewer. It started with just a few orders a week.
“Maybe like five DrainFunnels every couple of days,” he remembered.
It’s now exploded to hundreds of orders a day, thanks to Hillsten’s use of the social network, TikTok.
“And then just last like two weeks ago, we had like 800 orders in a day. And that was just like, 'Oh my god, and this is all TikTok,'” said Hillsten.
Hillsten started using TikTok from the beginning and now almost all his sales come from the platform, where more than 22,000 people follow him.
“If you have a small business or any business right now, and you're selling your products, you got to get on TikTok because honestly, 100% of our sales have come through there," Hillsten said.
According to Hillsten, consistency is key. Hillsten posts three or four videos a day to keep his audience interested in the product and find new followers.
Hillsten currently sells the DrainFunnel on his website, through TikTok and on Lowes.com. He is hoping to get his product into Walmart stores soon.
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