“He just sells washbasins”

Erwin Kunst, founder of KUNe, had an idea in 2014. At the beginning, nobody could have guessed that the idea of “selling washbasins” would ultimately turn into a successful company. In this interview, the Upper Austrian gives an insight into how KUNe came about.

How and when did the idea of creating a sink come about?

Relatively pragmatic at the end of building the house for my own use. It was clear to me that I wanted to buy a sink to be able to wash bulky or dirty items. So I went in search of a high-quality sink at a fair price. I couldn’t find a sink on the market that met my requirements. Either the material or the price was right, but never both. As a trained designer, I simply took matters into my own hands and designed my dream sink myself.

One thing led to another. More and more friends and acquaintances expressed interest in my sink.

Relatively soon, the first “small series of sinks” was created, although everything was still within the family framework. At some point, a few sinks were left over and I didn’t know what to do with them. I decided to offer them on Willhaben. They were gone immediately.

At what point did you realize that the private project had the potential to become a business concept?

That was when the inquiries started to increase. The voice inside me became louder, saying: “This could be something!” A B2C web store didn’t fit in with the corporate culture and business model of my employer at the time, so I gradually began to implement the idea alongside my day job.

I was immediately hooked by the allure of something new. I set up my own website and sold my sinks online. I quickly realized that this direct marketing in my own online store was a great advantage for both customers and myself. The opportunity to offer excellent quality at a fair price is simply brilliant and is made possible by eliminating middleman mark-ups. This means that customers get more (material, quality, service …) at a lower price. It’s a pure win-win situation for us and our customers.

How did it feel when KUNe was entered in the commercial register in 2015?

Strange at first, suddenly you have a website and a logo.

Doing everything myself, from costing and sales to customer support, was a bit unusual at first. But I was really pleased when KUNe was registered as a word/figurative mark and I applied for design protection for my sinks. I was really proud! Our KUNe sinks are unique on the market and are clearly different from other commercially available sinks.

How did those around you react when you started to set up your own business?

The reaction: he just sells washbasins on the side. At the beginning, many people didn’t realize, including myself, that this was going to be something big. But I believed in the idea and the potential. I knew that there were a lot of homeowners looking for a sink. I had developed a new solution for many, even millions of potential customers. Even today, people still look at me in amazement and ask if it’s possible to make a living when they find out what I do.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife Kerstin in particular, she has supported me from the very beginning and has had my back. Without her understanding and support, I would not have been able to set up KUNe. What’s more, our two children, Elisa and Emil, were born during this start-up phase. Looking back, that was an incredible challenge. I will always be grateful to my wife for her support, she is simply a tough woman!

Were there any doubts in the early days?

Of course, discipline, seriousness and perhaps also doubts are part of it, but first and foremost, the focus for me was always on fun and games. So I was always relatively relaxed. What’s more, I still had my job at the beginning and the online business ran on the side. The opportunity to learn something new every day and to explore new avenues was what kept me going.

For me, KUNe is a large, colorful field of work with many different facets that I can discover anew every day.

When did you realize that KUNe was becoming more and more successful?

When competitors became aware of my company. Even big players in the market noticed our presence. That’s when I realized that things were moving forward.

When did you realize that you needed a partner by your side?

I once heard the saying “Luck is the moment when opportunity meets readiness” – and it’s true! I was ready and so many things fell into place as if by magic. I knew about the production possibilities, standards and suppliers. My wife worked for a tax consultant and took care of the bookkeeping right from the start. Then I was lucky to find a warehouse for my washbasins at pro mente Oberösterreich.

What I completely lacked was online marketing know-how. Fortunately, my preferred online marketing agency turned me down and passed me on to my current business partner and online marketing expert Manuel Steinhuber. Manuel was crazy enough to get involved with a weirdo like me who wanted to sell washbasins online. After all, I wasn’t the first on the market and our competition consisted of Chinese imports and large corporations with billions in sales. A challenge. And to be honest, sinks don’t look that sexy at first glance.

There were many lucky coincidences in the history of KUNe and I am very grateful for that.

The KUNe team now consists of six people and the product catalog is also constantly expanding. Was it clear to you from the start which products were needed on the market?

Just like the team, the different types of sinks evolved over time. At first, there were only our Solidum 70 basins, then more and more customers requested other sizes, so we added them to the product catalog over time. I often asked myself: What would I like myself? And that’s how new ideas and ultimately new products came about.

I wanted to bring practical, high-quality products to the market without the unnecessary wholesalers and middlemen with their profit mark-ups.

Thanks to my expertise as a technician, I also knew what worked and what didn’t in production. That was and is an advantage.

Another unusual aspect of KUNe is that the employees mainly work from home. How does this modern way of working work and why did you choose this path?

I myself often worked around the clock in my jobs. There was very little time for family and private life. It was clear to me that I wanted to work differently in my company and I also wanted to give my employees this freedom. Of course, some potential employees can’t and don’t want to do that, because it takes a lot of self-discipline and just as much trust, but it works!

Companies are currently struggling to find employees, but thanks to our modern way of working, we are fortunately not experiencing this challenge. On the contrary, we are not limited by space when searching for employees and can choose from a much larger talent pool. This allows us to find the right people quickly and efficiently.

I would describe our corporate style as “free” and “at eye level”. I want my employees to work independently and self-disciplined, earn a decent wage and enjoy their work and life. I want my employees to feel like I do. Since I started my own business with KUNe, I no longer see my work as work or as a must. Work should be fun, even if there are tedious tasks, annoyances, wrong decisions or unpleasant things to do. There’s nothing that can’t be solved calmly, sensibly and at eye level.

What’s next for KUNe? What is your vision for the future?

Given the current geopolitical situation, the associated economic outlook and a pandemic, it is not easy to make predictions. However, I am a very positive person and see problems as an opportunity to grow and learn something for the future. I am therefore positive about the future. We have a vision with a lively and functioning strategy process and are in tune with the times and our customers. We know how to make our customers happy and we adapt ourselves and our work to the circumstances. If we keep this in mind, I am certain that we will continue to be successful in the future.

Our goal-oriented vision is as follows:
In 2030, the term “KUNe basin” has become synonymous with high-quality sinks / wash troughs in the DACH region. KUNe sinks are seen as the standard to aspire to and can be found in all new builds, conversions and extensions.

If you had to say in one sentence what KUNe means to you personally, what would it be?

Personal development. I go to my office every day because I want to achieve something, do it better every day and develop myself further. The positive feedback from our customers also spurs me on every day.