FuelNet presents a case study on how one smart company, as part of its business development strategy, grew its market share by launching an innovative niche product unrelated to its core business.

PROBLEM: Michael Lyons, owner of Tower Publishing in Standish, Maine, was plagued by back pain. But when he visited a chiropractor, he got some surprising medical advice: lose your wallet. He learned that years of sitting on that lump of leather, paper, and plastic had created problems for his lower back. Within a week of wallet-free sitting, Lyons’ back pain had disappeared.

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But that led to a new problem: what to do with his license, business cards, credit cards, and all those miscellaneous pieces of paper he needs to carry around. Sure, he could stash his old wallet in his front pants pocket, but the wallet was too bulky for that to be comfortable. And a search of other wallets on the market didn’t come up with anything better. 

SOLUTION: Lyons was determined to find a wallet that would accommodate all his necessities and still slip neatly into his front pocket. But researching some 200 wallet patents turned up only variations on the same old rectangular or square design, so Lyons decided on a new tack. He tested various materials and different angles, and developed a lighter wallet with an ultra-thin, curved design that matches the contour of a front pants pocket. Lyons took his “front-pocket wallet” prototype back to his chiropractor for advice. When his doctor ordered a large number to sell to his clients, Lyons knew he had hit upon a solution with potential.

“After playing with prototypes for at least a couple of years, I got serious about it and launched the Rogue Wallet Company,” Lyons says. Two years later, Rogue Wallet is getting a good response in the marketplace because it eliminates the ergonomic problems — and associated pain — caused by sitting on a traditional wallet. “It’s a quickly growing product line,” Lyons notes. “It’s exceeding expectations and could easily take 110 percent of my time.”

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