From the beer connoisseur looking for a new brewery to try, to the business traveler wanting to travel light, the PHX East Valley is home to several innovative startups and small businesses that are creating unique, products and services to fit every need. Here are seven PHX East Valley small businesses and startups that you should know about:
#1 DUFL… For The Business Traveler
What Business Travelers Need To Know: Want to travel lighter for your next business trip? Then DUFL is the perfect app for you. This Tempe, AZ startup acts as a personal assistant that saves you time by storing, cleaning and shipping your clothes, business materials and or personal belongings for your away business/ pleasure trips. To get started, all you have to do is download the app and DUFL will send you a suitcase to fill with your business attire in or shipping labels to send the heavy duty tradeshow collateral you are looking to have stored. Once you have your suitcase filled and or items ready, DUFL will pick up and send your belongings to their facility to be cleaned and stored in your new DUFL locker. When your next business trip approaches, the app will have your belongings appear in a virtual closet to select from and then sent to your next destination. When the trip is over, simply use the app to schedule pick-up and your things will be sent back to your DUFL locker to be cleaned and stored until your next trip.
Here’s the Catch: The app is free to download at the App Store and or on Google Play but there is a $9.95 monthly fee for storage and a fee of $99.00 for each round trip which includes shipping, return shipping and cleaning fees.
The Good Deed: DUFL has a “DUFL Cares” program that allows you to help those in need of business clothes for interviews by using a DUFL suitcase to donate your unwanted clothes
Growth: Since the launch of this travel-made-easy app, it comes as no surprise that DUFL’s business has been growing. The app now operates internationally, has added a Business Travel option with DUFL Business Pro (currently in beta testing) and has also introduced DUFL Sports which allows you to ship your sporting gear.
Learn more about this must-have app developed here in the PHX East Valley & that is now disrupting the way people travel.
www.dufl.com
#2 OfferPad… For The Homeowner Looking For An Easier Way to Sell Their Home
What Homeowners Need To Know: Looking to sell your home quickly while skipping the stress? Then look no further than this Gilbert, AZ startup, OfferPad. OfferPad is simplifying the home selling process by allowing you to do it all online and within 24 hours if the offer is right!
How it Works: Login on to offerpad.com and request a purchase offer by providing background information on your current house. OfferPad’s team will then assess the request and within 24 hours send you an email with their highest purchase offer. You can than choose to accept the offer, pick your closing and move out dates, and sign the purchase contract all online. Offerpad will work with you every step of the way, so you can focus on finding your next dream home.
Associated Costs: None. Requests for purchase offers are FREE.
Having purchased and sold about 100,000+ houses in the U.S. — the founders of OfferPad, Jerry Coleman and Brian Bair wanted to make selling homes easy and convenient for the homeowners.
Learn more about this convenient home selling app that was developed here in the PHX East Valley.
www.offerpad.com
#3 Crowd Mics… For The Audience Member or Presenter Looking For a Voice
What Presenters Need To Know: Instead of passing a microphone around the room, this Mesa, AZ startup— Crowd Mics— allows you to engage with your audience through an app. As long as both you and your audience have downloaded the CrowdMics app, are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can choose which audience members get to engage through the app during your presentation.
What Audience Members Need To Know: You no longer need to awkwardly leave your seat to find that microphone in an aisle. Downloading the Crowd Mics app gives you the chance to be heard at lectures, meetings and live events all through your phone. You can connect to the same Wi-Fi network as the presenters and use the app to request to talk into the microphone feature to ask questions or give comments.
App Bonus Features Include:
- Presenters can mute or turn off the microphone access
- Presenters can create polls and send them to audience to better gauge audience opinions
- Audience members can send texts with comments to the presenter
Associated Costs: $0.00— You can download the app for free in the App Store and or on Google Play.
How the App Idea Came About: Tim and Sean Holladay are two brothers who started CrowdMics after attending a large meeting where neither of them could hear audience questions or comments. Sean questioned why he couldn’t just use his phone as a microphone and after no luck of finding an app to do just that, they went ahead and built one.
Learn more about this “phone= microphone” app that was developed here in the PHX East Valley
www.crowdmics.com
#4 Old Ellsworth Brewing Company…For the Beer Connoisseur
What Beer Connoisseurs Need To Know: The Town of Queen Creek is getting its very first craft brewery. Working closely with Queen Creek’s Economic Development team, brewers Brain McKean, Ryan Bostrom and Chef Robert Hutson are on the path to opening a brewery where locals can come together and enjoy good beer and food. Old Ellsworth Brewing Company is making a commitment to brew “beer inspired by life, free of constraint, and impartial to axiom.”, for Queen Creek residents as well as surrounding communities and visitors to enjoy!
Interesting Facts:
- Old Ellsworth Brewing was originally called Rittenhouse Brewing Company
- The brewery will serve beef finished on spent grain from the brewing process
Where You Will Find Them: 22005 South Ellsworth Road Queen Creek, AZ 85142 in June, 2017
For now, all PHX East Valley beer connoisseurs should follow Old Ellsworth Brewing Company on Facebook!
#5 Rustic Remedy LLC… For The Local Shopper
What Local Shoppers Need to Know: This small business, located in the “homegrown community” of Apache Junction, AZ, was started by two long-time friends, dedicated to creating a variety of all natural products for the body, home and pets. Rustic Remedy is your new one-stop-shop for all things natural and unique, whether it’s Coffee Eye Cream (to help your eyes wake up) or Beard & Mustache Conditioning Oil. The best part is… Rustic Remedy is making it their mission to provide these homemade natural products at affordable prices for everyone.
Product Costs: Prices range from $1.99 to $20.00
What Makes Them Unique: Rustic Remedy gives customers the option to customize their own natural, homemade products, with choices of the type of ingredients, essential oils, fragrance and size!
Where to Shop: 124 S. Ironwood Dr. Suite 5, Apache Junction, AZ 85120 | Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Rustic Remedy is just one of the many local, non-chain businesses thriving in the PHX East Valley.
www.rusticremedy.com
#6 State Forty Eight… For the Proud Arizonian
What Proud Arizonians Need to Know: Looking to show your state pride in a fashionable way? Then check out this Chandler, AZ clothing line startup, State Forty Eight. Brothers Nicholas and Stephen Polando, and longtime friend Michael Spangenberg founded the company that mixes their passion for all things Arizona with fashionable clothing and accessories for both men and women. T-shirts, beanies and even pet bandanas all feature a unique graphic design element that was inspired by Arizona.
Where You Can Shop: Online -OR- by visiting the startup’s select retailers which include some right here in the PHX East Valley:
- Changing Hands Bookstore– 6428 S McClintock Dr. Tempe, AZ 85283
- Joss + J– 323 S Gilbert Rd. #109, Gilbert, AZ 85296
- Sibleys West– 72 South San Marcos Place, Chandler, AZ 85225
Desert Bonus: If you love to hike — State Forty Eight has the perfect gear for you that pays homage to the beautiful landscape of Arizona. Get it Now
Arizona passion meets Arizona fashion with this PHX East Valley Startup
www.statefortyeight.com
#7 Tuft & Needle… For the Mattress Hunter
What Mattress Hunters Need to Know: This Phoenix-based mattress e-commerce startup is simplifying mattress shopping by offering a quality mattress for a reasonable price. Tuft & Needle took note of everything wrong in typical mattress companies, such as offering several types of mattresses that can be difficult to compare. The result was Tuft & Needle creating one mattress with T&N adaptive foam that offers a range of support without an expensive price tag.
Mattress Costs: Depending on mattress size, prices range from $350 to $750
Where You Can Shop: Online with free shipping -OR- by visiting a Tuft & Needle Showroom:
- Scottsdale: 2730 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
- Phoenix: 735 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007
What You Should Know When Buying a T&N Mattress: Tuft & Needle allows customers to try out their mattress as a part of its 100 Night Sleep Trial. If customers are not satisfied, Tuft & Needle will help customers find a local nonprofit or charity to donate the mattress to.
Co-founded in 2012, JT Marino and Daehee Park were looking to build a better alternative the expensive mattress/ entire buying experience. Fast forward 5 years, they have proven this business model successful and were recently ranked Number One Entrepreneur’s list for top large company culture.
