A Veteran Startup Overcame Extraordinary Funding Problems

A Veteran Startup Overcame Extraordinary Funding Problems

Anyone who has started an enterprise knows that sometimes it takes more than an excellent idea to make it a success. Capital is what entrepreneurs cite as the top resource. Startup businesses are no different.

Entrepreneurs who have experience have many resources available to them that they can use to raise awareness and funds, even in the toughest of times. A Marine Corps vet turned entrepreneur like Frank Manteau is a great example of what can be done when you put those resources to work.

A new company of Manteau's has generated excitement around San Diego's military community (and beyond): Crayons Ready-to-Eat. The excitement surrounding his business, and the efforts he put into creating an edible (and delicious) sweet that you can actually use as a coloring agent, did not alleviate the special challenges he faced.

The program wasn't even in development, says Manteau. 'I didn't get a new health permit, which would have allowed me to produce my crayons at home, due to the COVID requirements. The county basically closed my business because of the COVID requirements."

In 2002, Manteau separated from the Marine Corps and moved to San Diego, California. Kamikaze Wood Werks is a woodworking business he started with a 401(k). Eventually, he thought of turning the old joke about Marines eating crayons into an effective marketing tool.

Using the advice of a friend who is also a chef, he developed a crayon that could write, was edible, and was also quite tasty. It was launched in 2018. Veterans In Residence hosted a pitch session for his idea. The reception Crayons Ready-to-Eat got there confirmed his suspicions.

Set up the business, the website, and product line, then got started on getting some buzz going. As a result of COVID-19 and all the restrictions, stoppages, and economic fallout it caused, we experienced the economic crisis.

At the time, we had only attended 9 or 10 events. Our sales were over a thousand units, but we knew if we got into farmers markets, major events, and bases we can scale. But COVID hit us hard."

Although Manteau and his partner faced setbacks, they were still able to scale up the business on schedule. Initial plan was to get a cottage food permit so he could make the crayons in his house and then raise the money to expand. As he did not have permits, he sought external funding.

He then turned to Warrior Rising, a nonprofit startup incubator that offers training, mentorship, and funding opportunities to veterans like Manteau. He next turned to Kickstarter after winning a Warrior Rising pitch competition.

Manteau used FundtheFirst, which facilitates crowdfunding for veteran- and first responder-run startups, instead of more popular sites like GoFundMe or Kickstarter.

It took him 10 months to raise the money, but once he did, he invested in a packaging and facility that was Food and Drug Administration approved. He got approval from the FDA to ship them across the country, and is now taking pre-orders on the Crayons Ready-to-Eat site to pay for their final manufacturing costs.

"It's a wonderful feeling," says Manteau. Our product is now in the hands of people, we're able to keep the joke going and actually put smiles on people's faces. It's amazing."

Each branch of crayons Ready-to-Eat offers color options tailored to the particular branch.

These colors, as well as his new color for the Space Force, Space Cadet White, are packaged in CRE packages.

Nonetheless, Manteau won't stop with crayons. His plans are to make coloring books for veterans, military spouses, and to fill pre-orders and future orders. It is a lot of work in conjunction with trying to maintain Kamikaze Wood Werks. Having overcome the extraordinary restrictions imposed as part of COVID-19, Manteau is ready for anything.

As a veteran, you consider the mission accomplished, your progress, he says. Our experience has trained us to adapt and overcome anything that comes our way. We find another way, stay focused, and keep going.