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April Roy was a little surprised someone already hadn’t come up with her idea for addressing a common problem.
Roy is the founder of femPAQ, a company that provides feminine emergency kits for menstruating people.
Inspired by an emergency situation experienced by a friend, Roy originated femPAQ to provide travel-sized kits that include one tampon, one pad, one panty liner, one black panty, a feminine wipe, a packet of ibuprofen and a miniature, organic dark chocolate. Not only did Roy have an original idea, in a new era of social justice awareness the concept has grown from a product to a movement to create menstrual equity in all corners of society.
“It’s so great to be a part of a community of great period warriors who are all working collectively to end period poverty in our own way,” Roy said.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I started femPAQ after a girls trip to Los Angeles with my best friend, where she unfortunately got her period unexpectedly. We searched for a quick, convenient solution so that she could feel safe and comfortable on her flight back to New York. Unfortunately we didn’t find any. I started researching if there was a convenient solution to unexpected periods and there wasn’t any, but the real problem I found was that most public spaces didn’t provide accessible menstrual hygiene care.
How has the business/industry changed since you started?
We became more than a product, moving from retail B2C to creating a movement to create menstrual equity in every space menstruating people exist. Becoming a B2B Company creating menstrual equity in schools, women’s sports, travel and hospitality, parks and rec, military, outdoor industry, every space. … Because of this movement, companies are mindful of being inclusive, businesses are dedicating shelf space to women and minority business owners. Legislation is being passed and policies are being created to end the period tax in some states and provide free menstrual hygiene products in schools. It’s kismet.
How does someone turn an idea into a reality?
You would need to start with Google and do your research; use your local and state resources. … Arkansas has amazing resources: Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, Startup Junkie, Conductor, Venture Noire, Venture Center and many others if you need a place to start.
If you were starting over today what would you do differently?
I would ask for help in the beginning. It took me a year of research and development and then I created the product and then I asked for help. So [that’s] about a year and a half of me working on my own when I should have asked for help, or rather research for help in the beginning.
What advice would you give someone thinking about starting their own business?
Don’t quit your day job until you can afford to. Pitch competitions and accelerators are great ways of getting capital. All money is not good money so always look for smart investors, investors who invest in companies like yours. Crowdfunding is another option.
Who is the most important person to hire first when starting a business?
A CTO or technical co-founder and/or operations director.
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