Opportunity
The news often covers problems related to global warming and
other negative effects from climate change.
Oceans levels are rising as sea ice from the poles continues to melt at
rapid rates. Average earth temperatures
are on the rise, resulting is strange weather events. But most importantly, people are feeling the
effects from heat. Just this week,
another deadly heat wave moved across the United States brining temperatures in
excess of 100oC to Washington DC, New York City, Philadelphia, and
Chicago.
Many residents own cars and few people never have their
vehicle parked in the sun. That means
many of us can relate to entering a scorching car and having to wait outside
until the interior cools off a bit. What
part of a car is metal and within reach?
The seatbelt, which is the part people are most likely to tough. I see an opportunity to fix this
problem. Drivers and passengers show
never have to worry about getting burned by accidently toughing the hot metal
part of a seatbelt. The market is
defined geographically. The opportunity
is big and will last for at least a couple of years.
Innovation
I have created a small rectangular device that attaches to
the end of a seatbelt. The object is
powered by four AA batteries. The seatbelt
must be clicked in and the car not running to activate the seat belt
cooler. It can be produced in 10
different colors to perfectly match the existing interior color. This allows the cooler to be out of
sight. The electric motor is quiet and
operates efficiently. My invention would
be produced in the USA using recycled plastic.
I would target recycling companies to purchase plastics in bulk at low
prices.
Choosing production to take place in the United States would
increase labor costs but transportation costs would be minimized. The United States also has more regulations
that foreign countries. I would
integrate mass production lines to increase potential output.
The starting cost for a seat belt cooler is $25. This reasonable price would target a variety
of audiences and multiple classes. My
plan is to sell to auto parts stores at the wholesale level. The stores would then sell it as retail, and
I would receive a percentage of profits.
If the product advances and experiences further success, I would change
my business strategy.
My long-term goal is to integrate this product into large
car company assembly lines. This would
ensure all cars produced would protect customers against burning themselves on
hot seatbelts.
Venture Concept
I think initially consumers will be hesitant to try my
invention. I will rely on customers who
try my device to spread good reviews. I
hope word disperses with positive feedback and sales increase. Customers will buy this product because
nothing like this exists in the market.
My invention is truly unique, innovative, and most importantly solves a
major problem.
Because this is the only item of its kind on the market,
therefore it is difficult to determine potential competitors currently. Locations plays a major role, as I must place
emphasis on areas that experience extreme heat.
I would start with 20 employees and expand as necessary.
Additional Elements
My most important
resource is location. I live near
numerous transportation methods including truck, ship, and train. I can import raw materials and export the
final product in a timely manner. As
mentioned above, I eventually want to integrate my invention into assembly
production lines of major car manufacturing companies. This will further increase profits and allow
my business to continue to expand. As an
entrepreneur, I hope to be CEO of a public corporation in five years. I hope to be making great profit in five
years. Most importantly, I hope to save
people from burning their hands with hot seat belts and prevent them to deal
with this problem anymore in the future.
Adam,
ReplyDeleteYour idea of the cooling seatbelt buckle has continued to expand and grow into full form. The idea has turned into more of a "how" and I really like how you broke down how youre going to put this plan into action.
Hey Adam,
ReplyDeleteI found your venture concept interesting and well detailed. I think you could replace AA batteries with a rechargeable energy source to power your device. You could also sell your product to both auto part stores and online too at first. As you said, many people will be hesitant to try it so you could hire a marketing specialized employee to make your product well known and convince people to buy it.