Case Protects Phone, Keeps It In Reach
I’ve often thought that the bag I carry around must have some sort of escape pouch where my belongings like to hide. My cell phone, especially, likes to retreat into this Bermuda Triangle area. Maybe my bag is too big. Or maybe I’m just not very organized. Either way, I have a problem — and it’s one I think a lot of people share.
That’s what makes Link it — created by the mother-daughter duo, longtime Sheraton Waikiki employee Linda Takeuchi and newly minted MBA Courtney Viernes — such a good idea. Link it is a hybrid of phone case and leash to both protect your phone from breaking and keep it within your reach. The phone case includes a chain that can be latched onto a variety of places — a purse or a belt loop, for example — or tied around your wrist.
“With the struggle of looking for your phone in your purse, we just thought that we need something that would help us find it,” says Viernes, who also is a real estate agent.
“(The case) is really durable,” she adds. “I always drop my phone, and it is still good!”
Viernes credits Takeuchi, who previously ran a clay flower business called Linda’s Creations, with the initial idea. They both often had trouble finding their phones and had many friends who had dropped or lost their phones.
“We wanted to invent something that would help us out,” she says.
Link it launched in May, and so far, it’s available for the iPhone 5 and 5s in black and white. A wider range of cases — for other types of iPhones and Androids — and colors are set to be unveiled in the fall.
A particular powerhouse for Link it sales has been social media.
“Getting it out on social media has been (important),” Viernes says, explaining that Link it’s Facebook and Instagram accounts get a lot of traffic and have helped the company expand sales to Mainland customers.
As a recent graduate, Viernes encourages other students to pursue their own entrepreneurial ideas, even if it seems a little crazy.
“A lot of people were telling me, ‘What if you don’t sell it? What if no one likes it?'” she recalls. “But just do it.”
Link it can be found at GifThings at Ward Warehouse or online. Currently, Link it products are $10 (usually $15) through the end of July for its summer sale. For more information, call 927-1596 visit linkitgood.com.
coconnor@midweek.com
