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Wizard9999":27wl9vdv said:flanajb":27wl9vdv said:Eric The Viking":27wl9vdv said:There's an old saying:"In a goldrush, be the person selling the shovels." And it's true: they're the people who make the bulk of the money, because they meet a pressing need at the minimum risk for the greatest return. They were the bussiness analysts and accountants and business 'angels' of the Klondike.
I like that saying. One that I could learn a lot from!
Flanajb
There may be something in this for you. You mentioned in one of your posts that some of the inspiration for this was the use of concrete technology more usual in the US and Australia, you used an acronym I was not familiar with but I assumed it was glass fibre reinforced concrete. I drew this conclusion based on havinf watched an episode of Grand Designs Australia where large panels of this were used in the construction, so maybe I am wrong. There have been many examples of people transferring an idea from one country to another and making a chunk of money, the most notable route being from the US to the UK. If you have invested the time to get to grips with how you can use a superior technology / product in a application where it has not been used before then maybe that is the USP you need to make a successful business, rather than looking at the product design.
You mentioned products for architects before and maybe there is something in this. Concrete is a popular product in many areas these days and if you are able to produce items with superior strength for example then maybe you can produce one-off bespoke items that need this extra strength? Instead of selling directly to end consumers your target market would be specifiers and architects. If you read magazines like Living Etc. for example you will often find homes where a clever designer has taken off the shelf kitchen carcasses / cabinets as a the base for a kitchen but used high end handles, worktops, etc. to given a much higher end look (I mention Living Etc. rather than some of the more high end magazines as they often feature aspiration all types who want the full look but can't afford to go to a top end provider for every aspect).
Anyway, sure you get the idea, but thought it worth mentioning.
Terry.
I think you are correct there Terry. I feel as though that with clocks and lamps you are competing in a very tough market. A market where it is easy to have mass produced items shipped into the UK from Eastern Europe and the Far East. Trying to compete there is pointless. In fact, I will tell you that not long ago I saw that exact same lamp being advertised on Ali Express for $30 it was basically a company in China offering to make copied concrete lamps for nothing. All you had to do was to agree to buy 1000 of them in one go.
Taking the wall panels / custom sinks and other made to spec item idea, the above is not easily done. For one, volume and lead times will usually mean the item has to be made here in the UK. That is a better business to be in. Funny, but I have just demoulded the first 36" * 18" custom made wall tile that I am planning on using to tile a feature wall in the kitchen. The panels will be fixed to the wall with stainless steel bolts. Very industrial looking, but a different feature. I also agree that architects and specifiers are a better option as a customer as if you do a good job there is no reason why you will not end up with repeat business. Retail customers who buy a clock or lamp are probably only going to do it once.