Zechariah Thomas

As I searched the web, I came across an article about a young 23-year-old man name Zechariah Thomas who noticed a small issue in hockey equipment and turned it into a million-dollar business.

Thomas founded Swift Hockey, a business set up to deal with one of biggest issues in hockey which is the cost of equipment. Which he was a former hockey player; Thomas had a good understanding of how expensive the sport could be. A player typically uses between 12 and 15 sticks during a season, and premium sticks can often cost hundreds of dollars each. Therefore, at the age of nineteen Thomas made up his mind to do something about the situation. His aim when he launched Swift Hockey was to offer high-quality hockey sticks at a lower price. Although top quality sticks can cost about $400 to $500, Swift’s sticks are sold for about $200. Rather than adopting the conventional approach used by sporting-goods companies, Thomas concentrated on selling directly to customers via the internet, and this strategy enabled the company to grow while not having to spend extra money on advertisement.

But Thomas quickly realized that the problem went beyond hockey. Since equipment expenses can make it impossible for many young athletes and their families to take part in sports, Swift Hockey has started looking into opportunities in other sports while supporting initiatives which help young athletes pay for equipment and take part in sports. The results have been impressive; Swift Hockey now has about 20 employees and is expected to achieve around $7 million in annual revenue by 2026 according to Entrepreneur. Thomas’s story is a valuable lesson for entrepreneurs since the best business ideas can arise from problems that you encounter yourself. At twenty-three years of age, one does not have to have years of experience to make an impact; all one sometimes needs to do is identify a problem, believe that there is a better way and be willing to build it.