If necessity is the mother of invention, annoyance has to be a close relative.
Yvette Frank-Wolfe was tired of tossing out open water bottles, but she would rather offer a new bottle than spread someone else's germs.
With every bottle she tossed out, she mulled over how to mark a plastic bottle in a way that was safe for children, easy to recognize and reuse.
So she invented a flexible ring with a colorful charm that fits over the bottle neck. She called it a waterbud.
"A constant flow of family and friends in our home made this a real challenge," said Frank-Wolfe, who lives in Henrico County. "I wanted to keep my family healthy, but I was tired of watching my money follow the wasted water down the drain."
By day, she was a medical equipment saleswoman. By night, after the kids went to bed, she was an inventor. Her husband, Ken, a welder, created prototypes of the product. Her family and friends helped test each version.
One night, she was watching the host of "The Big Idea" on CNBC, Donny Deutsch, interview an entrepreneur who had made a million dollars on pickle juice.
Pickle juice?
If he could make a success of pickle juice, Frank-Wolfe figured she could do it with her bottle charm.
Last year, she and her husband and family friends Kirsten and Brad Bever formed Waterbuds.
Always in the back of her mind she worried about someone else developing the same product. "I searched -- holding my breath," she said, "hoping no one had."
In September, Waterbuds' design received a patent. She has another patent pending.
The silicon rings come in a variety of colorful images: sunfish, high heels, beach balls, to name a few. Frank-Wolfe says her young company continues to add designs.
She found a hometown distributor, E & R Sales.
Successful single-product companies don't happen very often, said Greg Fairchild, an assistant professor of business administration with the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
"If she can build around it and develop a line of products of similar design that are recognizable," Fairchild said, the company has a chance to grow by offering more opportunities for consumers to purchase something.
Waterbuds charms can be bought in variety packs of four for $2.99 to $3.99. Individual charms can be purchased online at the company's Web site, www.watersbuds.com.
Locally, Ukrop's Super Markets Inc., Count's Hallmark shops and Westbury Pharmacy sell the four-packs.
The firm has entered into an agreement to provide customized packs to amusement parks, zoos, aquariums and museums. It also has a licensing agreement with Virginia Tech for Hokie Tailgating Waterbuds.
The process has been a learning experience for Frank-Wolfe.
-- Linda Dunham
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