Business competition - marketing/sales ideas

daz

daz

daz

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Hi guys, I'm taking part in a business competition this week for KCL. Today we have been challenged with the task of selling a particular product, and it has found out to be an incredibly difficult one to shift.

It is "Hands2Go" and is a hand sanitiser, but is non-alcohol based unlike the competition, so it's much kinder and moisturising to your hands using natural extracts of aloe vera and blah blah blah.

We've got to sell these bottles of the sanitiser above our cost price, which is £3.10 per unit - anyone got any ideas? We've tried selling to independent sandwich shops and restaurants, but it's really proving difficult. We have to make as much profit before 15.30 as possible, if anyone has any genius ideas, the pint will be in the post. :p
 
You're trying to either enter a mature market, or enter a non-market.

Either way, you will probably have to give the stuff away for free.

£3.10 unit cost? You're being taken for a ride.
 
Borris said:
You're trying to either enter a mature market, or enter a non-market.

Either way, you will probably have to give the stuff away for free.

£3.10 unit cost? You're being taken for a ride.
Click to expand...

That's becoming more and more apparent to us as the day goes on. Oh well, I hope the other teams do rubbish too. :o
 
Problem is the sanitiser doesn't even come in those packs that fit into dispensers, it's like a hand spray thing. ( :rolleyes: at product, not anyone in the thread!)
 
[DOD]Asprilla said:
Yup, get yourself to Soho and find some "specialist" shops what may require the use of convenient hand sanitising products.

There is no shame in business.
Click to expand...

ROFL, i meant like lush and bodyshop types buy hey if it makes your hands soft :p
 
How about selling it as a product that will reduce the effects of hot chilli's being soaked into the skin and getting in the eyes etc for restuarants. "It has a surface acting agent thet act's as a barrier to dirt and chemicals...."

Doing a kids version for the bathroom. As a hand wash for mechanics to give their skin some moisture back after a degrease. For ladies to keep their hands looking younger despite washing the dishes. Doctors and vets carry a bottle for home visits.

Tons of stuff you can do with that product
 
I was serious btw.

If you want to sell it then in a very competitive market place then you've got to think about who would have a need for things like this and who will be able to make purchases in a short timescale.

It's doubtful that large retail establishments will be able to buy something like that without having it abproved buy their hear office and added to their range and have the ability to be added to their Epos system.

You need to be looking at independant places who will buy a few as samples and will pay cash.

You also need to establish a need. Have you thought of approaching hair dressers for the stylists to clear their hands inbetween customers.

"Specialist" shops in soho, for the customers.

You could approach local butchers or fresh food shops for their staff or even places like fish markets where you are likely to get a load of people who might want it.
 
People with dry skin? Psoriosis (sp?) sufferers? Pregnant people get dry skin sometimes dont they, also they dont wanna have harmful stuff around their babies? Some sort of Sex Fun toy?

What's so good about it not having alcohol? Focus on that and the target market will pop up.

I cannot think of an immediate reason why non-alcoholic is better so perhaps there isn't a market?
 
I last bought some of this when I went to V Festival.

So I would say festivals etc would be a good marketplace. Or maybe the camping shops etc.

Maybe even somewhere in train stations - don't know if its me but I don't like eating food knowing my hands are dirty from the London pollution and trains.

Well my 2p anyway ;) good luck!

BB x
 
Well we didn't manage to sell too many, only 16 in the end but we got something like £80 for our trouble. We had a good margin on our products, I think some people sold more than us, but only made 50p per item.

Thanks for your help... we were so dejected after phoning around dozens of places up to lunch time, in the end we just went to Oxford Street etc and sold them on the street. :o

Tomorrow our challenge involves running a section of the LSE bar: we have to bid for the various drinks of the bar stock (i.e. Grolsch, Coke, Vodka) in the afternoon and then sell them on during the evening 7pm-11pm. E.g. we could decided to buy up all the coke and monopolise, or we could go for drinks that might not cost us so much in the auction, and probably won't sell very many but that we could make a good margin on. Or we could just go middle-of-the-road and spread the risk. :)
 
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good plan :)

hit the local markets


best thing to do is have someone stand around you with a video camera :)

folk will buy anything if they think they might appear on the telly :)
 
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