Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Forster.
Chad, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I opened Forster’s Concepts in February of 2016. I have been pretty independent my whole life, so I knew eventually I wanted to open up my own company. Leading up to opening Forster’s Concepts, I received my undergrad at University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and worked for about eight years in Media Sales. Really learning how to manage medium to large clients and taking care of a national territory. Having ran multiple meeting with advertisement agencies and executive teams from large brands, has really helped me build the confidence I needed to open my first business and feel comfortable going out and marketing my own brand.
I knew when I started a business, I wanted to do something that was niche and was going to be new to the market place. We slip proof floors with a new safety product that prevents slip and fall accidents on wet floors without changing the appearance or strength of the floor. My mission is to keep people on their feet and businesses out of the court room.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would say for being a little over a year old, it has been an okay road. My biggest struggle is getting people aware of my product and trusting it. I have done lots of demonstrations for companies and some are really excited about it and others look at me like a deer in headlights. I think companies are very cautious because its new and it’s not what they have been doing for the last 10-20 years and sometimes change is hard.
When I first started I would go into an office or home and bring a board with six different type of flooring tiles on it and have them test the difference in the tiles. Now I try to get the person in charge to let me test a small area on their floors so they can see the difference it makes on their own floors. Occasionally, I will send samples in the mail as well.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Forster’s Concepts – what should we know?
We protect people from slip and fall accidents with a new safety product that once applied makes wet floors safe to walk on. The product is NOT a coating or a sealer, it’s a safety product that opens up pores in a porous floor (tile, brick, concrete, marble, granite, river rock, etc.) and creates a suction cup effect for sure footing once the surface becomes wet without changing the color or the strength of the surface.
I am most proud that in a little over a year we have helped multiple businesses protect their employees and customers from slip and fall accidents. We have now slip proofed a little over 16,000 square feet throughout the Chicagoland. The biggest thing that sets us apart is our attention to detail and the ability to effectively explain to the customer exactly how the product works with a well-constructed demonstration.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I am the owner of the company and take on the role of owner/operator as we grow. My Dad (Ed Forster) is certified in the product as well and helps me with southern Wisconsin territory. He knew it was a wonderful product and was more than happy to help out. He has always stepped up and helped me with whatever I had going on in my life, so I knew this would be no different.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.forstersconcepts.com
- Phone: 312.219.4875
- Email: chad@forstersconcepts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forstersconcepts/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forstersconcepts/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FConceptsOSHA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/forsters-concepts-chicago
Image Credit:
Xsport Fitness, Woodman’s Grocery Store, Janson’s Drive-IN, POS Remarketing Group, Las Tablas Colombian steakhouse
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