Your Questions, Our Answers - The PuffCuff Business

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and absolutely The PuffCuff was born out of great need. Frustrated after several failed attempts to find something to hold her thick, curly hair without giving her a headache, Founder Ceata Lash had an idea. Little did she know her idea would solve a problem faced by millions of people around the world. This problem ignores geographic boundaries, socioeconomic status, race, religion, and gender. 

With our Republic equity investor campaign underway, we’re getting lots of questions about the business of our brand. Below Ceata touches on some of the most frequently asked questions, and we invite you to add yours to the mix over on our campaign page. 

Q: How do you market to customers? What does your future line of products look like? 

Ceata: We have three new versions of the PuffCuff scheduled for release over the next 12-18 months, in addition to a new line of consumable products set to debut later this year. For our customers, we try to take as much guesswork out of the buying process as possible. By selling bundles that complement a customer’s specific hair care needs and lifestyle, we’re able to showcase our product’s versatility and flexibility for all-day use. Thanks to our bundles, returning customers' rate is up 22% from last year. The more sizes of PuffCuff you have, the more styles you can create. 

Having natural hair myself, I understand what’s needed to take you from the office to soccer practice to the gym and back home again. We’re also seeing a trend where whole families use PuffCuffs, so they’re always coming back. In fact, I’ve heard reports of husbands stealing their wives PuffCuffs! 

As we see the PuffCuff customer base grow more diverse, I’m understanding more and more how curly hair is a unifying trait for so many – we all share the same difficulties and need the PuffCuff as a solution. 

Q: How do you differentiate yourself in the market? Do customers understand the value of your product? 

Ceata: I love this question. The path to The PuffCuff for many customers is paved with broken dreams and broken hair tools. Most, if not all, of our customers, have been dissatisfied with over-promising hair products in the past (myself included). Many of these tools, although marketed for thick, dense, curly, or kinky hair, work against one’s natural texture. They’re heavy and yet flimsy at the same time, making it almost impossible to hold your hair in the appropriate way. 

From its inception, the PuffCuff was designed to work with the hair. We created it to be a homogeneous material – made from virgin ABS plastic – which keeps it from breaking due to brittleness or degradation over time due to the natural oils produced by the body. All our PuffCuffs weigh less than an ounce and are very durable.

Q: Has your business been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic?

Ceata: Yes, the current coronavirus pandemic has affected us, mainly due to impacts in our supply chain. Two of our partners have had positive cases of COVID-19 at their facilities. Due to closures for safety and cleaning, we’ve faced a slow down in production time, but thankfully not a complete stop. 

Q: What’s your exit strategy? 

Ceata: In the long term, we see PuffCuff becoming a global leader in the beauty and personal care industry. By providing high-quality, styling tools designed specifically for those with curly or textured hair, our global footprint will continue to expand as we help more people find freedom with a tool that works, lasts a long time, and offers styling versatility. One potential exit plan would be in the form of an M&A, but we still have a lot more growing to do before then! 

Visit our Republic page for more information and for the opportunity to become an equity investor in the PuffCuff.