Like many entrepreneurs, Jeni Nguyen’s business started because she decided to build the product she was searching for.
In her case, she wanted a piece of furniture that would work for her and her beloved bunnies Elvis and Betty. The result is Bink Rabbit Goods, a company dedicated to elevating products for bunnies and those who love them.
The first product is a piece of furniture that is stylish but also functional for holding a litter box and containing the endless supply of hay rabbits require. It comes in two sizes, a credenza and bench. She focused on living room furniture since rabbits need large areas to run and in most homes the living room is the largest room used for free-range house bunnies.
Nguyen launched the products on Kickstarter with a $12,000 goal to help her hit a minimum production run. The project was fully funded in two hours. The Kickstarter remains active until Sept. 17. As of Sept. 9 it had raised $24,233 from 78 backers.
“I made this because I know I am not the only bunny person out there with these problems,” she said. “Rabbits are the third most popular pet but it feels like no one is making products for us. Bunny people need love too.”
Nguyen is an architectural designer. She worked for a boutique architecture firm on all manner of projects from private residential, to new commercial buildings to multifamily projects. She loves design and the problem solving element it brings to create something that is not only aesthetically pleasing but functional.
Nguyen designed the furniture and built the first credenza prototype in her garage. She is now teamed with a local furniture maker to manufacture the pieces. Keeping production local was important to her.
“There are challenges to making stuff, but it’s important to work with local makers. I am a local designer and I enjoy being part of the Portland creative scene here,” she said, adding that her branded apparel is also made locally.
Bink is designed as a direct-to-consumer brand. Once the Kickstarter pre-orders wrap, the products will be available online. Nguyen is targeting January for the online store. She also has lots of other ideas for future products beyond furniture.
Nguyen is a first-time founder and is building the company on her own. She expects to bootstrap the business based on revenue, but she is learning as she goes.
The startup’s mission is twofold. First, she wants to bring good design to rabbit owners. The second is she wants to raise awareness about rabbit ownership and what responsible rabbit ownership looks like. Nguyen became a bunny parent in 2006. She wanted a pet, but a dog was too high maintenance and her partner is allergic to cats. She fell down a virtual rabbit hole on YouTube learning about rabbit ownership.
There are a lot of misconceptions to rabbit ownership, she said. Rabbits can live 5 to 15 years, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. They can also be litter box trained.
“The core issue is so many people adopt rabbits and they don’t realize what they are getting into and then they abandon rabbits,” Nguyen said. “I thought here is one way to spread awareness and share with people what it looks like to live with rabbits.”
By making beautiful products aimed at rabbit ownership she hopes it will encourage people to “share your rabbit lifestyle” with others.
“This gives a more sophisticated look and feel I think (rabbit owners) deserve,” she said.
