But that’s just the beginning. When you use crutches to walk, your muscles will atrophy. This slows down the healing process.
Enter iWALKFree, Inc., which is the only company that manufactures and distributes a hands-free substitute for crutches. The iWALKFree device is a huge success across all channels, and consumers are eager to give up crutches.
This is the story about how iWALKFree came to be and what it will become in the future.
Brad Hunter is Chief Executive Officer at iWALKFree. He has seen first-hand the negative effects of crutches. Hunter was injured in a serious ankle injury and realized how limited crutches were when he tried to leave the doctor’s door. Hunter was frustrated when he had crawled on the floor in order to give water to his dog.
Hunter bought a walking boot from Craigslist. The seller showed him another product that would change Hunter’s entire life. He says that the man had “one of the first versions” of the iWALK. It was a good concept, but it wasn’t fully developed. I bought it, and it was a real game changer. He wondered “Why isn’t this everywhere?”
Hunter was able to do all the things he needed in order to survive the day. This included going up and down the stairs. Hunter said, “I understood the device’s value immediately. It was impossible to walk down the street without someone asking me about it. “I knew that there was an opportunity in this, which grew from my visceral dislike of crutches.”
He set out to find out more about the iWALK. A Canadian farmer broke his ankle, and was unable to tend his farm while on crutches. He invented the first device. He came up with the original iWALKFree concept while kneeling on a stool in order to shave. The first version was made of wood.
He turned iWALK, which he had created, into a business by raising money from friends and family. Hunter continues the story.
As with many startups, this business was not without its challenges. The founder moved his entire business into his barn to keep it alive. He kept the business alive for 10 years without any advertising or marketing. Hunter had promised himself that he would not start another business. But he thought to himself, “I know how to do this. I can do it.”
Hunter was a successful accountant in corporate America before he made the jump to restructure iWALKFree.
He reports that he was “good at it”, but “I hated it.” It was too passive and boring. “I was not doing anything, I was just watching.” His next move in his career was to become an independent bookkeeper and accountant for businesses ranging from small mom-and-pop companies to Fortune 500 corporations. My niche was to help companies reach the next level. He says, “I’ve always been entrepreneurial.” “I wanted learn why people fail and succeed.”
After doing his research and crunching numbers, he took over the Canadian company and got to work. Together with a small group, he created a second version – iWALK2.0. The iWALK2.0 allows you to walk anywhere, including stairs, using your upper leg. Clinical benefits are also possible.
Hunter says that if you don’t use your muscles they will shrink every day. A month in a plaster cast will significantly reduce strength and muscle mass. When you use an iWALKFree, your muscles contract, increasing blood flow. This is essential for healing and especially bones. This allows for faster healing. “There’s no other product in the world like this.”
iWALKFree is not for everyone, but the website explains the details.
Users must be able to walk up and down the stairs without a handrail, and stand on one leg for 30 seconds. You will need strength and balance to use the iWALK if you are able to do both. The device is more safe than crutches when used correctly.
“We exploit all distribution channels,” says Hunter. The iWALK crutch has been sold in more than 30 countries both B2B as well as B2C. We sell directly to consumers, medical supply stores, independent online sellers and 3rd-party ecommerce sites. We are currently handling it all with just 5 staff members.”
Bradford is SmartBiz’s Relationship Manager, who helped Hunter with the application.
“Working with business owners such as Brad makes my job enjoyable,” he says. Bradford helped Hunter secure a SmartBiz marketplace term loan. Hunter is a driven and passionate man, and his company is changing the world. We secured a non SBA loan because the process was faster due to the structure of the business. The bank’s term loan is below 10% which makes it competitive with SBA loans.
Hunter’s obsession with finances is one of the reasons why his application for funding was approved. He only needed to update his paperwork. I put systems in place using my previous experience. I am able to make decisions in real-time because I have a daily financial overview. “We have the flexibility to adapt as conditions change.”
His $300,000 loan is helping to grow his company and reduce his workload. Hunter says, “I am working 80-90-hour-weeks back-to-back. I’m facing bandwidth limitations.” I’ll use the money to hire more staff and buy more inventory.
Both Mario Lopez, a television personality and Harrison Ford, a superstar have ditched their crutches in favor of an iWALKFree.
Hunter, despite the long hours in the office, hasn’t let his passion for his company go. He encourages entrepreneurs to see the bigger picture. It’s been a very long journey. When you are immersed in your day-to-day activities, it’s difficult to take a step back and see how far you have come. This product did not exist five years ago. “Now I will be in public and see an iWALK, and I’ll say, ‘OK, we’re progressing.'”
