Walt Disney was turned down by companies, claiming he’d never sell his now-iconic mouse. But we aren’t talking about mice; were talking about tampons.
“My girlfriend calls me the ‘Tampon Man,’” said Alexander Beauchamp, 21, and an economics major.
Beauchamp and his partner Gustav Andersson, 21, are co-founders of the business Tammy’s Club. Tammy’s Club is a web-based company that offers a mail delivery of tampons according to a women’s individual preference.
Both dressed in collared button-ups, khakis and shined leather shoes, the two City College students described the future of tampon distribution while remaining unshaken by a crowded patio.
“What–a tampon delivery service?” Andersson said. “I also thought it was really funny at first because it’s two guys coming up with it. I talked to some of my friends about this and they would ask who the woman was that I was working with.”
There are multiple packages customers can sign-up for depending on the household demand and brand delivered promptly to members’ doors on a specified date of choice.
“The future of sales is online–somebody’s got to do it,” Beauchamp said. “Tampon designers are trying to make tampons ‘cool,’ but we’re going to make periods less inconvenient for women.”
The two approach business aggressively and their customers’ needs diligently.
“Of course–women don’t enjoy having periods, so we’re here to make it a little bit better as well as taking off another thing from the to-do list,” Beauchamp said. “I’ll be happy when I don’t have to go buy tampons anymore–I’m sure most men and women would agree.”
The two partners wish to make tampon delivery affordable so it fits any budget. Their business philosophy involves a reciprocating cycle of benefits that spans beyond making money. Tammy’s Club strives to flourish on building a relationship with members through rewards programs.
“We have to have a bigger vision than making profits,” Beauchamp said. “We’re going to have an affiliate type program that offers referral codes and discount packages that…so when you get five or more people to sign up, you get a free month of tampons.”
They will use their business to enter the New Venture Challenge on May 2. The competition will give their business exposure to investors in order to improve their ability to provide member rewards. Both men agreed that they developed an entrepreneurial mindset working with the Scheinfeld Centers staff.
“I’ve contacted Nestlé Chocolate to have gifts in the package as well as other brands,” Andersson said. “We’re working on getting partnerships with breast cancer awareness so we can give a certain percentage of profits to the cause.”
A small part of male character may make tampons a purchase they’d prefer to avoid. What most people don’t realize is that the first tampons patented were created by none other than two men.
“One thing we would like to do is change the negative connotations that people may have about periods,” said Beauchamp.
Even though some men may question their masculinity for feeling uncomfortable standing in line with sweaty palms and a fistful of Tampax, Tammy’s Club offers an alternative to the anxious midnight run.
“My girlfriend forgets to buy tampons all the time,” said Beauchamp. “I’m on the way home from the gym one time and she calls to ask me to stop at CVS to get her some tampons and I’m like whoa—It showed me an opportunity to open up a new thing for women.”
The dynamics of their personalities carried their plan to the point where it became a reality.
“We’ve realized we both wanted to get into business together after meeting in class because we have a passion for entrepreneurship,” Beauchamp said. “One day we had lunch and talked about the possibilities of what we could distribute–I brought up tampons.”
Beauchamp is a native of Orange County and first had a taste of business when he started a custom pillow distribution service at the age of 12. His mother helped with his young ambition by providing him with sewing skills and the proper tools to produce his product. School wasn’t the only path to running his own business.
“Most courses in school teach you how to work for money, not how to make money,” Beauchamp said. “One thing I like about this is that I’m learning more from actually being a part of the market than I have in the last two years of school.”
From New York to California, Swedish born Andersson faces a new country without the constraints of personal boundaries. In his hometown of Motala, Sweden, Andersson’s brother has been a significant influence in his life.
Understanding Andersson’s talent, his brother bluntly, yet constructively told him that he “sucks” in school adding that he’s doing no good studying.” The Tammy’s Club slogan is, “Love What’s Inside You.”
“E-Commerce is booming right now,” Andersson said. “If it takes 10 or even 20 years to start up, I don’t give a f***. We get to put all of our passion into something good and I know at some point we’re going to be successful–entrepreneurship is a lifestyle.”
