Bean Bag Manufacturing Business
A bootstrapped manufacturing business producing bean bags for the Egyptian market, introducing a product that didn't exist in the country at the time. Built a complete supply chain from scratch as a solo operator: fabric sourcing from local markets, laser-cut MDF templates at Qafeer makerspace, tailor partnerships trained on waterproof material techniques, foam factory relationships built through persistence, manual assembly, and direct-to-consumer Facebook sales. Achieved approximately 220 units sold with 70% profit margins.
Problem Solved
Bean bags were a popular comfort product in America that simply didn't exist in the Egyptian market, creating a first-mover opportunity
- •Designed 3D bean bag models in SolidWorks and generated cutting templates in AutoCAD
- •Built complete supply chain from fabric sourcing to foam factory relationships
- •Trained tailors on waterproof material sewing techniques
- •Managed manual assembly and quality control
- •Executed direct-to-consumer sales through Facebook and in-person demos
- ✓First-to-market product introduction - bean bags didn't exist in Egypt at the time
- ✓Sold approximately 220 units in 6 months (averaging 37 per month, 9 per week)
- ✓Generated approximately GBP 10,000 net profit at 70% margin
- ✓Funded first international trip to England with business profits
- ✓Achieved B2B sales including PlayStation cafes ordering 20+ units at once
- ✓Built complete supply chain from scratch as solo 20-year-old operator
- ✓Designed using SolidWorks 3D modeling with AutoCAD cutting templates
- ✓Created innovative sliced MDF laser-cut templates for consistent fabric cutting across S/M/L sizes
Scale
- • 220 units sold in 6 months
- • 37 units per month average
- • 3 sizes: Small (400 EGP), Medium (600 EGP), Large (800 EGP)
Technology Stack
Challenge
Tailors had never worked with waterproof beach umbrella fabric and initially couldn't sew it properly without tearing or perforating the material
Solution
Trained tailors on specific thread selection and needle techniques that prevented fabric damage while maintaining waterproof properties
Impact
Consistent production quality across all units
Challenge
Foam factories refused small orders, making it impossible to source the key filling material through normal channels
Solution
Persistent visits across multiple Egyptian cities until finding a supportive factory manager who agreed to help after-hours because he was impressed by the young entrepreneur
Impact
Secured reliable foam supply enabling production scale
Challenge
Discovered foam beads would fly everywhere if the zipper opened on the outer cover, creating a mess and safety hazard
Solution
Designed inner liner bag from thin waterproof acrylic fabric that contained the foam, allowing the outer cover to be removable for washing
Impact
Improved product quality and customer satisfaction
Challenge
50kg foam bead order expanded to fill 16-17 large bags in volume, requiring transport truck - hadn't anticipated volume-to-weight ratio
Solution
Arranged truck transport and adapted assembly process to handle bulk materials
Impact
Learned critical lesson about foam properties and logistics planning
Challenge
Manual assembly at home caused family conflicts due to foam mess spreading throughout living space
Solution
Moved assembly to various locations including friend's house and street, accepting operational chaos as cost of bootstrapping
Impact
Memorable foam explosion in street when bag punctured - neighbors gathered thinking it was a party
Situation
A co-founder from Qafeer makerspace returned from America fascinated by bean bags - how comfortable they were, how popular with young people. But bean bags simply didn't exist in Egypt. Seeing a clear first-mover opportunity, Khaled decided to introduce the product to the Egyptian market by building the entire manufacturing operation himself.
Task
Create a complete manufacturing business from scratch: design the product, build the supply chain, manage production, and sell to customers - all as a 20-year-old solo operator.
Action
Khaled designed the bean bags in SolidWorks, creating three sizes (small, medium, large). He generated 2D cutting templates in AutoCAD and laser-cut them from MDF at Qafeer makerspace. He sourced beach umbrella fabric (flexible, tear-resistant, waterproof) from local markets and trained tailors on sewing waterproof materials with specific threads and needles. After factories refused small foam orders, he visited facilities across multiple Egyptian cities until finding a manager who helped after-hours, impressed by the young entrepreneur. He discovered the need for inner liner bags when foam flew out of early prototypes. Assembly happened wherever possible - home, friend's house, even the street (memorably, a foam bag punctured outdoors and neighbors gathered thinking it was a party). Sales came through Facebook and in-person demos at coffee shops and PlayStation cafes.
Result
The business sold approximately 220 units in 6 months, generating about GBP 10,000 profit at 70% margins. PlayStation cafes provided B2B opportunities with single orders of 20+ units. The profits funded Khaled's first international trip to England. At 20 years old, with priorities shifting toward career building and upcoming marriage, Khaled chose to end the business rather than scale it further - but the experience proved he could identify opportunities, build from scratch, and generate real profit.
Technical
- • SolidWorks 3D modeling for product design
- • AutoCAD 2D cutting sheet generation
- • Laser cutting for template production
- • Waterproof fabric and foam material properties
- • Manufacturing process design and optimization
Soft Skills
- • End-to-end manufacturing as solo operator
- • Supply chain building from scratch
- • Direct sales and product demonstrations
- • Relationship building with suppliers and factories
- • Bootstrap business operations
Key Insights
- 💡 First-to-market advantage creates natural demand in underserved markets
- 💡 In-person product demonstrations drive immediate sales for experiential products
- 💡 B2B opportunities can dramatically accelerate growth (single PlayStation cafe order = 20 units)
- 💡 Qafeer makerspace skills directly enabled real business creation