ASK HOW YOU DRY
clothing that should not go into a dryer, and you will get a variety of responses. Most practices are cumbersome, an eyesore, or take up space. Some will admit risking heat damage to their favorite clothes out of frustration or time constraints. Engineer Jim Lutz had the same problem, so he invented DryAway out of his Brookfield home to solve his own laundry room problem. “DryAway changes the way laundry is done in a home. From the original design in 2000 which our family still happily uses today, I re-engineered DryAway in 2009 to work in nearly all situations so that every household can enjoy the benefit it delivers,” he said.
Jim Lutz is revolutionizing laundry drying with DryAway.
DRYING OUT OF SIGHT AND OUT OF MIND!
In 2014, DryAway became patented and had its first production run. DryAway is an eco-friendly laundry drying system comprising slim drying racks that easily pull out from a custom cabinet and slide away for clothes to dry. There is no need for special fans or air flow to dry. With frames made from environmentally friendly bamboo, DryAway contains a huge amount of hang drying in an efficiently small space, and offers a durable high-end, finished look. Every two frame drying rack carries a medium size load of wash. Jim mused, “My wife and I will never use accordion style drying racks again, and we hope no one else will need to!”
RE-ENGINEERING INTO A FULL-TIME BUSINESS
“Going full-time with DryAway has always been the goal since our re-engineering phase. I have a supportive wife who clearly was the breadwinner through product development. When I was introduced to Karen Taylor, Business Consultant at the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center and the Waukesha County Center for Growth, I was given a new opportunity to chase my dream and make DryAway a full-time business. Building a clear plan with Karen’s help and finally receiving bank financing became the tipping point,” said Jim, who has left his full-time job as a loan officer at Assured Mortgage. In December 2017, Jim obtained $100,000 in bank financing to take DryAway to the next level. As a mortgage consultant, he was able to create his own financial projections. The SBDC and Center for Growth helped by reviewing and evaluating his sales and cost assumptions and cash flow projections to prepare him for financing. Having implemented operating efficiencies through good systems and product quality control, DryAway is now ready to move into a larger commercial space and better manage inventory and increased sales.
DRYAWAY Accomplishments with Waukesha SBDC • Strategic planning • Bank financing • Sounding board for scaling the business • Guidance on growing as an entrepreneur “Writing the business plan to apply for funding was very difficult for me. My Business Consultant Karen Taylor helped me pull the right information out of my existing knowledge and prepare me for funding. She was also a great source of contacts and networking.” - Jim Lutz
Karen counseled Jim to scale his business through collaborative partnerships, which include cabinet makers and developers. “I also encouraged him to surround himself with good resources and business mentors, and to invest in his personal development,” she said. “We understand that being an entrepreneur can be a pretty lonely affair. Making time for the people who have been there before, who can help demonstrate that the journey gets better, is one of the keys to both survival and success. I am impressed by Jim’s commitment to further build his sales and marketing skills, as he improves digital marketing tactics for his business.” DryAway is now sold across the United States, and Jim plans to expand sales domestically and potentially overseas.
