The Handless Handle, created by Jack Wax of Deerfield, allows individuals to open in-cabinet garbage cans and sliding shelves without using their hands. (Provided photos)

When Jack Wax’s parents redid their kitchen five years ago, they went from a foot-pedal trash can to an in-cabinet receptacle – and that created a problem.

“My mom is a neat freak, so when she was cooking, there was a lot of hand-washing (after using the trash can),” Wax said.

When a visiting relative said someone should make something to solve the garbage-can issue, the light bulb went off over Wax’s head.

The Deerfield resident who attends Indiana University went into his business incubator class and started working on designs.

From there, Wax created The Handless Handle, which has been on the market for a year and is in 12,000 homes in the United States. It allows an individual to open an in-cabinet trash can or sliding drawer without using his or her hands.

Getting a product to market is exhilarating, Wax said.

“It is the best feeling,” he said. “Even getting back a prototype is special. When you get the physical product, it’s incredible.”

Wax said getting the business off the ground was nerve-wracking.

“There is risk,” he said. “It took $9,000 to get the first 2,000 units. If they didn’t sell, I was broke.

Jack Wax

“But I hustle. I have worked on it every day since the incubator. There was a lot to overcome; there were different challenges. It was not easy, but I learned tons. It is the best type of learning, but it takes money and time.”

He said he quickly learned about budgeting, the importance of influencer partnerships, trademarks, returns on investment, websites and domain names.

“I made a lot of mistakes, but by failing and learning, I did not make the same mistake twice,” Wax said.

When sales stagnated shortly after opening, Wax wondered if he had made mistakes along the way.

“I started to second-guess myself. Was the research process flawed?” Wax asked himself. “It was tough. I had to market the product. I was able to keep working at it.”

Wax noted that when he brought The Handless Handle to market, there were limited options for opening in-cabinet garbage bins without using your hands.

“There were some installation options, but there was nothing that was affordable for consumers or easy to install,” Wax said. “You had to have a professional contractor install them.”

As Wax was developing The Handless Handle, a company produced a four-pack hand-less can- and cabinet-opening option, but the Deerfield resident feels his product is of a superior quality.

The Indiana junior already knows that creating his own products will be his career path.

“I love being an entrepreneur. You can have worldwide impact,” Wax said. “Twelve thousands homes across the U.S. have something I made. I love creating.

“You are able to work for yourself. It takes hard work, but it is what gets me up every day.”

Wax is willing to share what he has learned with other students in IU Innovates and serves as an entrepreneurship advisor for other start-ups.

The Handless Handle

“I am super-involved there,” he said. “I give my expertise and experience to others to help them with their product ideas.”

However, he won’t be hands on with IU innovators for awhile as he is spending a semester in Italy.

Wax said he is hopeful of connecting with Italian entrepreneurs, but “I don’t know where to look.”

The Deerfield resident said he has always had the entrepreneurial bug.

“I sold sneakers when I was younger. I always knew I wanted to create opportunities,” Wax said.
“I always thought that if had a good idea, I could make it work.”

He said he had app ideas and wrote them down in a notebook, but said he gravitates toward products.

“I like to question things. Why isn’t there a better way to do this?” he asked.

Wax said potential entrepreneurs need to be wiling to venture out and take on challenges.

“Nobody knows what they’re doing at the start,” Wax said. “It is about trying and not being afraid to fail. You need to execute and work hard.

“No entrepreneur knows what their product is going to turn into. If you don’t do it, it won’t ever work.”

Once he had a prototype for The Handless Handle, he tested it in 30 homes, getting feedback on what the homeowners liked and didn’t like about the product.

“Some said it was a cool idea. Some said that it was too hard and not comfortable to use,” Wax said “Some worried about permanent damage to the cabinet.”

A three-sport athlete at Deerfield High School, Wax said swimming taught him the discipline and hard work that has carried with him into the business world.

He took that information, tweaked the product and went to market.

Wax has hired friends at IU to help with his business. He said his mom has been a help as well, packing orders and taking them to the post office when he can’t.

He noted that he hasn’t pocketed any money from the business yet as all profits so far have been reinvested into the firm.

Wax anticipates starting another business soon.

“I don’t like to sit still and be lazy,” he said. “That is why I do what I do.”

The Handless Handle comes in four different colors and sells for $16.99. It can be found on amazon.com.

kbeese@chronicleillinois.com