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Possible Billion Dollar Idea... Can it REALLY happen?

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Ronnie Bryan

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The problem: Restaurants in all 50 states, and maybe even over seas, lose a lot of dollars every month on silverware either taken out by customers', or that end up in the trash, despite the fact, magnets have been invented to help stop this loss.

Thinking if possible could there be a way to solve this problem,an invention to track silverware?or maybe, a new type of silverware. I am still locked in working on my first, invention so, do not have the time to really, get into this thought.

My thinking is this, someone can run with this, and earn lot's of money, so if it helps anyone great.
 
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Ninjakid

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Buddy Guy Eh
magnets have been invented to help stop this loss.
1ys176p.jpg
 

blackhat

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I don't see the ROI.

How much does a fork cost? 30¢? Why spend more on "Find my Fork" technology?

I'd rather let someone walk out than confront them in front of customers and possibly cause a scene. I certainly wouldn't spend time tracking my lost forks. Are you going to take people to court over at most a couple bucks?
 

mikekob

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I think you're on to something here. Maybe attach a bluetooth device to each piece of silverware and create a custom interface tracking the whereabouts of the item. Or how about a silverware check out system once you enter the restaurant? BYOS?
 

jazb

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Think about how you can provide value for 1 restaurant. just one. save them them money/time, make it a no brainer for them.

then you can go from there.
 
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loop101

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I don't see the ROI.

How much does a fork cost? 30¢? Why spend more on "Find my Fork" technology?

I'd rather let someone walk out than confront them in front of customers and possibly cause a scene. I certainly wouldn't spend time tracking my lost forks. Are you going to take people to court over at most a couple bucks?

You don't have to track every fork, just enough that people expect to steal one that is tracked. A few public beheadings, and no one will risk it.
 

Ronnie Bryan

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You ALL made me laugh, okay, I do know managers will have employees clean the parking lot, even dig through trash to grab what little silverware they can.

I also, know they bitch about the loss and cost of each it ALL adds up.Maybe, you can't stop people from stealing.

I thought about this the eight hours I worked tonight how about inventing some sort of trash can that beeps if silverware is dropped in it. Has sensors?
 
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Ronnie Bryan

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You ALL made me laugh, okay, I do know managers will have employees clean the parking lot, even dig through trash to grab what little silverware they can.

I also, know they bitch about the loss and cost of each it ALL adds up.Maybe, you can't stop people from stealing.

I thought about this the eight hours I worked tonight how about inventing some sort of trash can that beeps if silverware is dropped in it. Has sensors? /QUOTE]

I don't see the ROI.

How much does a fork cost? 30¢? Why spend more on "Find my Fork" technology?

I'd rather let someone walk out than confront them in front of customers and possibly cause a scene. I certainly wouldn't spend time tracking my lost forks. Are you going to take people to court over at most a couple bucks?

Blackhat, the reported biggest loss is usually in spoons, But I still see your point you may be only saving the business $40 a month I am sure the cost of wasted food thrown away is a lot higher. However; my friend $40 saved for one RESTAURANT over 1 year do the math
what is 40x12 what? around $480.00 in the year.Tell me other restaurants wouldn't think about investing in something like that.
 
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BigBrianC

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Jokes aside, its good thought process. You thought of a problem, and tried to find a solution. Just then need to add in business viability and how big of a problem it is. However, dont go after stuff thats hot or stuff that you think people like. IE saying "restaraunts like things that make noise" vs "how can i build a product a restaraunt will die to have"
 
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Ronnie Bryan

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I think you're on to something here. Maybe attach a bluetooth device to each piece of silverware and create a custom interface tracking the whereabouts of the item. Or how about a silverware check out system once you enter the restaurant? BYOS?
Nope, for now on I am just going to use plastic.
 

BigBrianC

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Now if you invent a classier and more durable fork than plastic but just as cheap, you may be on to something
 

Ronnie Bryan

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Who spends time and money looking for their lost forks? Did you research this at all?
Nope, I live it I know Managers, will have employees dig through garbage and patrol the parking lot for lost silverware and then bitch about loss. 80% of my life has been working as either a cook; dishwasher, or Janitor.
 
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wade1mil

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However; my friend $40 saved for one RESTAURANT over 1 year do the math
what is 40x12 what? around $480.00 in the year.Tell me other restaurants wouldn't think about investing in something like that.
Okay, so they save $480.

How much extra will they spend on the silver wear up front?
How long does the silver wear last in a commercial environment?
How long does it take to get their investment back?
How much do you have to sell it for in order for it to make sense to the restaurant?
How much do you have to manufacture it for in order for it to make sense for you?

You may be able to turn it into a monthly payment by basically financing the cost for the restaurant.
Then you need lots of capital.
 

Ronnie Bryan

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Okay, so they save $480.

How much extra will they spend on the silver wear up front?
How long does the silver wear last in a commercial environment?
How long does it take to get their investment back?
How much do you have to sell it for in order for it to make sense to the restaurant?
How much do you have to manufacture it for in order for it to make sense for you?

You may be able to turn it into a monthly payment by basically financing the cost for the restaurant.
Then you need lots of capital.

Right, very good questions. However; I am not convinced we need a new utensil, gears changed I am focused on this trash can thought.Thinking it offers more value,something that makes an small noise to alert dishwashers' and servers that silverware fell inside the plastic bag as an added safety feature to work with the magnetic lid.Again these questions apply, and I will have to research this more using the blueprint you gave me ,"wade1mil".
 
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Ronnie Bryan

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And here comes the bomb! Someone already acted on this and may have already invented something. So, could something be invented that would be better than this? does the Trash Can Idea fit now? Maybe it is not a good fit. http://www.chron.com/business/article/Invention-aims-to-keep-silverware-out-of-trash-1587753.php

considering, this article was written in 2010, is there still a chance? maybe? or am I barking up the wrong tree?
 
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liquidglass

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While I admire your thought process it doesn't seem like a viable business for you or the restaurants. I could be wrong and for your sake I hope I am!

Option 1:
Create a trashcan that can detect when silverware is dropped in and beep, etc.

Problem: It would be costly R&D which means you'd have to charge more per trashcan. I'm assuming restaurants use multiple trashcans so the purchase wouldn't pay for itself until a few years in. Then it comes into question how often the technology would break and need to be serviced or replaced. Which might cut into the yearly savings by 50% and when we're talking $480 it wouldn't make sense.

- What would make sense is the restaurant charging $0.20 more per entree to replace the cost of lost silverware.


Option 2:
Create sensors that can detect silverware but can be installed on trashcans already in use.

Problem: Same costly R&D. However, you could charge less per unit because they are smaller and easier to produce and therefore restaurants would be more likely to adapt them. It's a much better choice than option 1, but you would still need to analyze the cost vs savings a restaurant would experience using your tech.

- You still have to get cheaper than the option of them charging a small amount more per entree to offset the loses.


Option 3:
Create and patent the tech behind detecting silverware and license it to companies that make trashcans with magnets (I have no idea if this actually happens).

- This is your best option but convincing the manufacturer to use this is a different story.

Option 4:
Create ware that is biodegradable over the period of the expected life expectancy of normal silverware and charge significantly less to buy in bulk.

Problem: R&D again plus beating the current wholesale price of silverware and being profitable.


My advice is to take this line of thinking and apply it to other issues that plague restaurants that could result in a much larger problem being solved. I believe if you peruse this you'll "make hundreds of dollars"

Good luck!
 

Polarbeans

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Or... you can print signs and put up in every restaurant: "this restaurant uses technology to trace missing cutlery" - problem solved
 
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Sovereign

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Considering the silverware in the trash, and the numbers in the link, I wonder:


Is $20 per trashcan an acceptable selling price?
And 1 cent per fork (knife, spoon, etc)?

Option 2 is viable, and R&D won’t be expensive ($200 in materials maybe?)

Those metallic stickers in the article gave me an idea on how to make this more ‘’eco’’.
By the description I presume the device in the article is active – i.e. it consumes power to work – I think it can be made passive, but the trick would be to make it sufficiently sensitive. How big are the trashcans?

Since the current device is active (presumably) it probably doesn’t pay off well as you get an additional electricity bill and need additional mains sockets for it.
It can be done to work passively or on a watch battery.


It’s easy to test if it would work, and materials don’t cost more than $20 for the first test.

But still it needs some problem solving for large scale use.
 

Maxjohan

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I came up with another way to solve this problem. Without complicating it.

NEIHRia.jpg


I got lots of ideas going with this method. But this is the simple version of it. This is more of a management thing. And I believe it's just as powerful and could get sold just as well as some metal detector in the trash. Because they still need to dig through that trash right?? After the metal detector starts to beep? Which would not seem like a lot of fun. And takes time too.

Why complicate things?? :/

Sell this as a management saver and benefit on lost silverware then.
 
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Formless

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I may or may not have stolen four chopsticks from a Chinese buffet once.............
 

Sovereign

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Why complicate things?? :/

Sell this as a management saver and benefit on lost silverware then.

I agree this is a management/peoples ethics problem, but how will you motivate people or customers to sort things?
There used to be a thing called Etiquette (social, business, etc) and a thing called duty, and a thing called working ethic…
But they all seem to be dead. Thus we have resorted to solving everything through technology.

Think about recycling. It's common sense to sort your garbage, right?
Then why do municipalities have to enforce it through laws and consequential fines?

Hello, my name's Oscar...and I'm a fork thief...

Why does everybody get hung up on steeling, and not on the forks in the trash?
 

Maxjohan

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I agree this is a management/peoples ethics problem, but how will you motivate people or customers to sort things?
Not orginally what I thought about. But I believe the big problem is actually stealing and not going in to the trash. So that's a true thing. If you can track the knife and fork somehow. And the numbers are true... $500 million. And not just taken from cold air. Then I believe you are on to something. And can actually make it fastlane. But that was not my orginal ideas with this. I keep the extended version for myself for now.
There used to be a thing called Etiquette (social, business, etc) and a thing called duty, and a thing called working ethic…
But they all seem to be dead. Thus we have resorted to solving everything through technology.
This is just generalizations that you seem to have and believe in. To be honest. But generally. I think technology have done a lot of good things for mankind. If we can speed up things and make things more effective. Why not?

But sure. There is a time and place for technology and there is a time and place to not make something technology driven.

Think about recycling. It's common sense to sort your garbage, right?
Then why do municipalities have to enforce it through laws and consequential fines?
Because not all people have the same mindset about the environment and so on. It's just the way things are. Something you can't do much about.
 
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Maxjohan

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