We laugh at their bad one-liners, trust their GPS-worthy navigation and devour their BBQ feeds.
Father figures play an important role in all our lives. While we appreciate them year-round, gift-giving annual celebrations such as Father’s Day, birthdays and Christmas are a chance to show them how grateful we are.
And for our readers in Australia, Father's Day is upon us!
Shopping for The Man, The Myth, The Legend can be tricky. They say they don’t need anything but deep down we know they deserve a gift just as thoughtful and hilarious as they are.
That’s where Dad Dooler comes to the rescue. The Aussie-based business designs personalized Face-On-A-Stubby Holders. Founded by Andrew Petty, Dad Cooler has been keeping drinks cool, hands dry and spirits high since 2020!
In celebration of all kinds of fatherly figures, Sendle caught up with Andrew to talk about life as a Dad-trepreneur and why he tapped into the hard-to-buy-for gift market.
Andrew Petty, Co-Founder | Sydney
Personalized stubby holders (or beer koozies, depending on where you are!) of your dad, kids, pet, friends or even your car.
Dad’s perfect gift.
Dad Cooler has such a feel-good vibe. It is priceless to see photos of fathers smiling as their family hands them a stubby holder with their likeness on it.
It's something they’ll use every day. We’ve all seen the “best dad” mug or t-shirt, but it is so much more personal having a photo that celebrates a dad exactly as they are.We started Dad Cooler 18 months ago, as a kind of a COVID project. Jay Wright, my business partner, and I had met through a prior business relationship. We also knew we wanted to pair up on a startup but we needed the right idea.
Jay called me one day and said “Father's day is coming, do you think we could sell personalised stubby holders?” I said, for sure! In less than 2 weeks we launched an online store, locked in integrations with print providers, ran social media ads and had our first sale.
We both have existing day jobs and run Dad Cooler at night, as a passion project. I work in Streaming Video Apps and Jay works as an Ecommerce Marketing Coach.
Balance is hard, especially with a full-time job and a business on the side.
My father taught me about the importance of working hard and working smart. I want to do the same for my three kids, who are between the ages of five and ten. They often help with packing orders and ask questions about numbers and how it all works. I’ve helped my eldest set up an online shop selling fishing lures. At such a young age, he is now learning both the benefits and challenges of running a business.
We developed software to manage orders through each stage of production to delivery. This is the brains of our business.
We outsource the photo cropping and artwork to our global network of 75 independent designers. Once approved, the automated system assigns the order to one of five manufacturers across the country. This is determined by customer location and delivery options. The workflow then books the shipment with Sendle and hands the manufacturer the artwork, shipping label and packing slip. We print orders in bulk. During peak times we receive up to 1000 orders a day!
I’m quite pragmatic about sustainability. There is a point where efficiency and cost matches with sustainability for a win-win. We manufacture Dad Cooler products as close to the customer as possible. This is a more sustainable option that also saves on shipping cost and time.
Customized products increase the value of a low cost product by adding something that makes it unique. In the first 6 months, Dad Cooler sold over 50,000 stubby holders and turned over more than one million dollars. So yes, customized products can turn over a large profit!
Both Jay and I are firm believers in the eCommerce equation. It is a growth strategy that outlines that sweet spot where marketing spend returns a positive ROI to enable a business to scale hard and fast.
“Our Shangri-la” by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. It is a song about your happy place. At the end of a work day that’s my song of choice to chill with my family.
We’re definitely looking to see how far we can grow. Dad Cooler had a successful Father’s Day and Christmas, but we are looking to introduce offerings that are less seasonal and more evergreen.
Photos courtesy: Dad Cooler