A man who travelled around Australia as a busker has turned his love of adventure and the great outdoors into a global business.
Klaeton Sheehan created Maroochydore-based KickAss Products in 2007 and it’s become one of Australia’s leading lifestyle brands, with a range of locally-designed products in the 12-volt category including batteries, fridges and freezers, solar panels and camping equipment.
“We now employ 44 staff on the Sunshine Coast in a range of roles from sales, to product development, engineering, finance, administration, HR and recruitment and marketing, along with a global staff of over 60 people with offices in China and the Philippines,” he said.
And there are plans for further expansion.
“With COVID limiting international travel, we have seen the emergence of people wanting to get out and explore their own country while not skimping on many of the modern cons they enjoy at home,” he said.
“We have ambitious plans for growth. We have nearly outgrown our Maroochydore head office and we are looking to expand our retail outlets.
“We also have a number of exciting new products to add to our range including a lithium battery with a display screen which has a dongle that can be plugged into a screen and mounted in order to monitor the health of your battery.
“It’s that sort of innovation which gives us our competitive advantage and it’s great that we can do it all right here on the Sunshine Coast.”
Mr Sheehan forged his passion for travelling and the outdoors as a young man, when he moved around the country with little more than a guitar and harmonica, busking in the street to fund his way from town to town.
His career progressed and he became a professional musician, working in pubs, clubs and casinos both in Australia and overseas.
It was during his journeys that he realised more could be done to help people in their outdoor adventures.
“When I was travelling overseas, I never stopped thinking of home and I spent my spare time researching and buying things I would need for my next big trip,” he said.
“The world of eCommerce was only just beginning at this stage and I found it difficult to get the right information on the products I needed.
“Decent customer service over the internet was a joke so I started my own eBay store and slowly but surely things began to grow,” he said.
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Mr Sheehan was intent on providing quality products, advice, information and premium customer service.
He included his his phone number on the company website and as a result he took calls from clients around the clock.
“It was an exciting and busy time,” he said.
“If I couldn’t answer a question on the spot, I would go and research the answer and call the customer back.
“The feedback to this approach was really appreciated and I noticed a lot of repeat business as a result of this proactive customer service.
“As the store grew, the brands I was sourcing couldn’t keep up so I decided to create my own high-quality, proven products which I used in my travels and then backed them with my promise of high customer service, which remains an important part of the KickAss DNA today.”
For more information visit KickAss Products.
