1 Creating my own products based on specialty ingredients and selling them directly to window cleaning companies without any distributers.
2 I have already discovered many different unique products that can be used by window cleaners. The manufacturers have already created their own distribution network for these products and there is literally no room for anyone else to take them on. Even if someone tried to the wholesale and retail pricing precludes anyone from taking them on. How can you compete with Home Depot or Walmart? So my plan is to create videos demonstrating how such products work and how we can use them. Then work directly with individual companies in sourcing the products and training the employees on how to use them. So essentially working with window cleaning companies or fleet maintenance companies as a consultant. Not making any money from selling the product.
3 There are certain pure ingredients out there like superabrasive powders such as cerium oxide or even chemicals/surfactants like lauramine oxide. Such are many times difficult to buy in small amounts because the manufacturers or their distributors absolutely refuse to sell them in five gallon pails or one pound baggies. Which aggravates me tremendously. At times I discover ingredients that are fantastic but I can't even buy a 55 gallon drum! If I could do that, I could sell to window cleaners a quart at a time, or even a gallon, or a five gallon pail at a time. So the game is to find these ingredients in small amounts which are reasonable. This way I could sell to individuals very small amounts and make a few dollars.
4 There are companies out there that have so many products it would give you a headache just looking through all of them. These are companies that I am collecting and am talking with on a regular basis. They all have tech reps that know a great deal about their area of expertise. Such as green solvents and surfactants/soaps. Or superabrasive powders and other abrasive products. Like the cerium based four inch pad I used on my miniwobble wheel. What is best about them besides the wealth of knowledge they have is that they will sell small amounts to individuals.
It was many years ago back in 1994 that Henry Unger introduced himself, his family, and his business to me. From the short time I was associated with hime I learned much about product development. Including especially the numbers. To get to a retail price for any product you develop yo must first up all of your expenses for a single unit (one item). This includes even the electric to power the lights at the factory. Then you must multiply that cost by 4.5 to 7 to get the retail price. That is what the end consumer would pay. This is a formula. The formula many times prevents a manufacturer from developing a product. This is why I have chosen to not use distributers. They all get half of the total retail price. Of course they have expenses too. But selling this way literally doubles the end retail price every time.
Not using distributers only eliminates one problem. It also causes other problems. Such as dramatically reducing sales volume. Also there are many other problems. That I have alluded to in the four numbered paragraphs of this post. In considering all things I have determined that no one of this four has all of the answers. So I have calculated it would be much more practical to explore all of them simultaneously for every product I look at. This way I will be able to produce the product at the lowest price for me and you. Also I will be able to make it easy to get. Further this plan should be able to open the floodgates of products development. Maybe not sales. But definitely diversity. Which is something that manufacturers absolutely do NOT want. They are VERY careful to limit the number of products they bring to market! They know exactly when they will release each one, how many they will sell, and exactly what their projected profit will be. Because of all the reasons I have explained here. I know these things because I have been talking with manufacturers and distributers for many years. BUT I am NOT going to do it that way. I never do things like everyone else anyway. This is no different.
Written by Henry Grover Jr.
