IT'S NEVER TOO early to become a successful entrepreneur. It is
also never too early to learn about safety and supporting your
community. Those are the lessons that two Oakley boys will get the
chance to learn as they begin a new endeavor this week, according to
their mother, Sandy Haas.
Matthew, 12, and Brandon, 13, made a presentation Tuesday evening
to the Delta Vista Middle School PTSA that might start them on their
way to developing a nice little business. The idea started when the
boys' father, Bryan, and a friend had developed a new product called
Rescue Facts LLC.
Rescue Facts is a embroidered card that is put on car seat belts.
"It's an ID that wraps around the seat belt of the person who
usually sits there," Sandy said. "Then if there is an accident the
ambulance drivers will be able to learn everything they can about
the person so they can help them."
The card features a picture of the person, their name, address
and phone number, date of birth, primary care physician, allergies,
current medications, blood type donor preference, emergency contact
information and a consent-to-treat signature in case no one is
available to give such authority in an emergency.
"When the emergency service providers arrive on the scene of a
medical emergency to render aid, one of the first steps involves
removing the victim's seatbelt. The card is right there for them to
see and use it to help," Sandy said.
She said the product can be sold to anyone, but the idea to sell
it as a fund-raiser is new and different from the standard practice
of selling cookie dough or the like.
"This is something that is going to be useful for a long time to
come," she said. "Not like food that you eat and it's gone."
The way the sales program works is that the product is sold to
the group for a low price, depending on how many Rescue Facts are
purchased. For instance, if 500 or more are purchased, the price is
$3.50 each. The group can choose to sell the product at any price
they feel they can get. For example, one group is selling them for
$4.99 each. That gives the group the chance to make $745 from the
sale of the 500 items.
Of course, the boys hope to sell more than 500 Rescue Facts to
the PTSA. Sandy said she has made a deal with Matthew and Brandon.
She will purchase the first 130 items for them to sell. After that
they are on their own. The Haas family has no doubt the product will
sell. Since Rescue Facts was developed last year, it has been
approved by law enforcement agencies, firefighters, paramedics,
hospitals, auto clubs and insurance companies.
The sky's the limit in selling this item. Even though it is
primarily used in cars, it can also be used in buses, trucks,
motorhomes, airplanes, on personal items like backpacks, canes and
walkers. Rescue Facts is also available in a child's car seat size.
The boys hope to use that information as a selling point.
Recently I read a column written by a woman who said people
shouldn't be donating to organizations whose services are
state-funded. She used specific examples like schools, police
departments and elderly groups. She simply said that since we
already pay for these organizations through our taxes, we shouldn't
have to purchase raffle tickets or fund-raising merchandise, because
if we show the government or the powers that be that we can raise
funds on our own to host after-school programs, or buy fun books for
kids to read in the classroom, they will take more and more money
away from the programs. Interesting point. But in the meantime,
there are no after-school activities, no fun books for kids to read
in the classroom and the only ones who suffer are the kids.
The Haas boys are an example of two children who are thinking
about their school and learning a lesson at the same time. It's
great to see that they are learning about the world of business and
learning that schools need help funding projects.
Roni Gehlke is president of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce. Her
column on life in Oakley appears every week. Reach her at 625-7924
or click on ourbackyard@comcast.net.
The opinions in this column are those solely of the author and do
not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper.
