Company summary
If you walked down a busy Toronto street back in 2013, you would certainly notice an uptrend in bearded men. At least that is what Chris observed, so he decided to hop on the trend and grow his first beard. His initial thoughts were “How hard can this be? Just wash it and watch it grow”. Being new to this movement, Chris wasn’t aware of all sorts of beard oils, shampoos, waxes, or balms. So what did Chris do? He did what any regular man would do, he used whatever shampoo and conditioners he had laying around in his bathroom to take care of his first beard, but the results were unsatisfying.
“I remember getting out of the shower afterwards and almost immediately my beard felt dehydrated and wiry, like the moisture had been sapped right out of it! I thought to myself, 'This cannot be good for your beard'”
Christopher Edge, Founder & CEO at Urban Beard
It was time for Chris to find the right product for his beard. However, after a wide research on Google and Reddit, Chris realized that he is not alone in this. He found that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of men in the same need of good beard products, but most importantly, beard education. The deeper Chris dove into his research, the more he realized “I gotta start a beard grooming company”. Remembering the feeling of all the different chemicals from regular shampoos and conditioners left for him and his beard, he knew he would have to develop an all natural ingredients formula for his products. But Chris knew that having good products is not enough, so he focused on building a community of modern men who want to express themselves through the culture of beards. And right from here, Urban Beard was born.
Brand Mission
One thing about beards is that it's easy to spot from a distance. But are there any benefits besides just a look? Yes! Actually, numerous studies have shown that beards can drastically affect the socio-sexual attributes of a man and how women perceive them. On top of that, beards can Block UV Rays, prevent acne, prevent wrinkles, act as a natural filter and save you lots of time by not having to shave. But the coolest part is that you enter a secret clan of like minded Beard enthusiasts. The clan doesn’t really exist (or does it?), but if you grow a nice beard and walk down the street and see another beard enthusiast, you can expect a “nod” as a sign of acknowledgement from your fellow clan-mate.
It quickly became clear for Chris that this is not just about having an amazing product, which he absolutely does. But it is more about bringing like minded people together who share the same values. People who express and share their manhood with clean and healthy beards. People who want to build confidence and improve their life's.
Question: What does having a beard mean to you?
Answer: I think having a beard compliments my face. When I first grew out my beard, I began to feel more confident in myself. And when you feel confident, you act confident, then the world changes around you. People start treating you differently. At the beginning of growing out my beard back in 2013 there was this kind of unspoken brotherhood with other guys who grew out their beard. A nod when you walked past them in the street, or in a bar you'd say "nice beard bro!". Obviously, having a beard led me to start my own company Urban Beard so for me personally, having a beard has been life changing
Christopher Edge, Founder & CEO at Urban Beard
Our contribution
With no previous business background. No real business network and with no partners Chris has launched his company. He knew it wouldn’t be an easy route, especially when every aspect of starting and running a business fell onto his shoulders. Chris spent many long days and nights with his team creating, producing, and packaging his products. As the business grew, it became harder and harder to track every moving piece in his company, so Chris needed a solution to stay on top of everything that was happening to the business. And that is how Paperstack and Urban Beard met.
Question: What was the best part of working with the Paperstack team?
Answer: Working with Paperstack has been great.They helped spot an issue in our financial reports because the numbers weren't adding up. There was a miscalculation - and the accounting software overstated fees we paid by 10 times! They also spotted areas through the data where Urban Beard seemed to be spending too much money, compared with other businesses in the same sector, which again I have taken corrective action on and will be investigating further.
Christian Edge, Founder & CEO at Urban Beard
Chris is on the mission to provide education & premium products at a reasonable price, to the thousands of bearded men across North America. Every big goal is a destination, and metaphorically speaking Chris is heading to Fiji. The question here is: How is he planning to get there? Walk? Swim? Bike? Car? Chris can choose any option and with the right effort, time and strategy, he will reach Fiji. So, how does Paperstack help? Let’s just say we are providing a first class airplane ticket to Fiji with meals and movies included. Chris still has to pack his bags, gather all the documents, and wait in the airport line up. But the journey? Well, we just make it easier.
