Business Owner Profile: NoNetz Bathing Suits

Me and my two sisters have talked about this idea for the last 15 years. We watched as our husbands and boys suffered the dreaded rash and said “There has to be a better way!”

What makes your company special?

NoNetz is different because it is a guy’s bathing suit with a never done before design. No mesh net, but rather a comfy liner that prevents chaffing and provides support. We are also Made in the USA!

What made you start your own small business?

The business finally happened because my sisters, Patti and Kym, pooled their savings to help me out financially (I lost my health, my marriage, and finally my house).

What was your occupation before this?

I worked in a Hospital as a Medical Record Analyst for 13+ years before this and my sisters are still full time career women. They are doing this in addition to working – Kym as a teacher, and Patti a family owned business manager.

So how would you describe your business mission?

Our Mission is to provide ridiculously comfortable, unique swimwear for boys and men. We would also like to expand into other apparel as well some day. Rash guards, accessories, and who knows what else? We are also determined to remain Made In the USA  as well as source many of our components from the US.

How are the products made to get these results?

We took great care, and did much research to get the liner just right. We did surveys on guys of all ages and went through many sketches before the final design was completed. We listen very closely to our customers. With each run, we make (minor) modifications based directly on their feedback. We think of our customers as our co-designers.

What are the next steps of your expansion?

We are currently working on a rash guard for boys. After that we want to try new styles for both the boys and men’s with more color options. We have also received feedback that girls want to wear our suits, if they were only shorter.

What makes small companies different?

Being small gives us the opportunity to develop close, personal relationships with our customers. It also gave us some great friends behind the scenes. People that have helped move us along, teach us and help spread the word for us have become an integral part of our business.

What do they do small businesses do better than larger ones?

It is the personal relationship thing that makes being small so nice.

What has been your hardest lesson? or what’s the most important thing you’ve learned?

We have learned so much – Never count on things going according to a plan. So much has happened from day one and we have learned to roll with the punches and plan on getting knocked down a few times but always popping back up!

How did you choose the manufacturing location in Brooklyn?

We had the help of a great Consultant, Boaz David from NYC. He found us the facility that worked best with our budget and location.

How important is it to your customers that you manufacture in the US?

It is extremely important that we remain Made in the USA. It is costing us 3X more and taking us just that much longer to launch each line, but we are not changing our minds. We did it to sustain communities, and help, in a small way to grow our economy back. Our customers seem to agree. They are spending a little more for our line and seem to understand that it is the only way to support our lifestyle – to keep the money within our country and not support sub standard lifestyles overseas.

What drives you to do better every day?

The drive to become successful is enough! So much hard work has been put into this Business…. We will not fail!

What’s the best part of being a business owner?

We work as often as we can, and as hard as we can every day to reach our goals. We have come so far in less than a year. This gives us hope for the future. The best part is seeing it be well received by people. We were just featured in the June issue of Parent’s Magazine and have just partnered with Generation Rescue. Our suits are so soft, textile sensitive people are really embracing it. Achievements like these reinforce that we’re really starting grow.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting their own business?

Focus and work hard. Be prepared for nothing to go your way so that when it does you can enjoy the fruits of your labor!

What other small companies do you think get it right?

We have come to admire many small businesses that are also Made in the USA – like you guys. Bullet Blue Jeans is a favorite of ours. What we all have in common is that we don’t give up. Sure we will make mistakes along the way, but its how you pick yourself up that defines you as a company. Just keep going, growing and evolving.