Powered Wheel Chair Inventor Shares His Story of Entrepreneur Success
While working in his father’s business, Roland Reznik, observed the difficulty many wheel-chair using customers had in navigating around. Reznik’s inventive mind started putting some designs together and he launched KD Smart Chair, a lightweight power wheelchair. This is what entrepreneurs do, they find solutions to problems.
We’re sharing this story, in partnership with KD Smart Chair.
Approved by the FDA, this special wheel-chair folds in seconds, travels easily and turns in small spaces. The ability for it to handle harsh terrain is a welcome benefit for new and experienced wheelchair users alike.
What is Reznik’s journey as an entrepreneur?
Reznik had humble beginnings. His parents immigrated to the United States from Russia to make a new life. As a young boy, Reznik observed his parent’s strong work ethic and determination to create a better life. This motivated him to work towards something greater and more meaningful than just getting a job. Reznik had his eye on a career as an entrepreneur from a young age.
Reznik’s hard work paid off by the age of 18 when he was named manager at a Toyota Car Dealership in New Jersey. The challenges he faced as a young worker in a large company tested his strength, skill set and work ethic. His drive and motivation catapulted him to becoming a young business owner.
Reznik used his passion for cars to create a new dealership that specializes in high end and exotic cars called “Xtreme Auto Group.” In addition, he has a car shipping company named “Ship Any Car.” The company was created in 2006 and remains in high demand in the car transport brokerage industry. Reznik continues his career as a businessperson, investor, and entrepreneur. He currently holds an executive position at Xtreme Auto Group, KD Healthcare Company USA, Ship Any Car and Ethan Rose Salon.
Reznik is an entrepreneur who is focused on improving the lives of others through his technical creative, but also donations and a degree of social entrepreneurship. This includes donating a KD Smart Chair to a Boston bombing victim, or a bullied fan at a Kanye West concert, and contributing to meaningful organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America Mission.
What can business owners learn from Reznik’s experience?
Reznik’s experience in business is an excellent tool for new entrepreneurs to use as a guide. He started off with humble beginnings and used his drive, determination, and ambition to succeed at every job and opportunity he was offered.
Finding your passion and creating a business around it will help you set a good foundation. If you don’t have a passion for what you do, your rate of success is pretty slim.
Another bit of advice from Reznik, is that once you establish yourself in a niche use your skill set and knowledge to improve the industry. Reznik used this formula by building on an already established product such as the power wheelchair, to create a better, powered wheelchair.
What sets the KD Smart Chair apart from other power wheelchairs?
Power wheelchairs are often heavy, bulky, and difficult to navigate in small areas. The large size prevents users from accessing a variety of places such as small areas in the house, public buildings, doorways, and crowded stores. The KD Smart Chair is lightweight, folds with a touch of a button, fits into cars and SUVs with ease, plus navigates easily. The slim design allows users to access small spaces and areas they were previously not able to reach. It opens up an entirely new world for users that used bulky power wheelchair models in the past.
How do new government regulations impact the power wheelchair industry?
Like many small business owners and entrepreneurs, government regulations and red tape are sometimes the biggest challenge to starting and growing a business.
Certain government regulations force the wheelchair industry to adapt new changes immediately. This causes some wheelchair providers to make changes to their product or hold back on making improvements.
KD Smart Chair is no exception.
Government regulations can interrupt, stall, delay, or cancel a helpful product for the disabled community from coming to fruition. On one side, most wheelchair providers want to create a product that improves the lives of those with mobility issues. This includes making improvements and changes to the original designs.
The other side of the situation traps wheelchair providers in a difficult situation because they also want to make their wheelchairs easily accessible for all consumers, especially those on Medicaid and Medicare.