Thomas quickly had to become an ethical yet efficient negotiator, especially as prices for field-quality gear for one of the most dangerous callings in the world could be much higher than their generic counterparts — something which Thomas hadn’t initially thought of as an active firefighter who’d always been issued with his gear as part of his job.
“The department I work for gives us gear and tools for free — I didn’t fully understand how expensive tools and gear actually were. The biggest challenge is getting the products for the right price, especially as the smaller businesses we work with often have to charge high prices just to make slim margins. This often makes it hard to source enough products to make a satisfying box.”
On top of that, as a one-man-business, Thomas also had to wear a variety of different hats to keep everything moving.
“Being a husband, father, and full time firefighter — and then an entrepreneur — was a challenge. I’ve had to do the market research, customer services, website, email, social media, and fulfillment.”