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My Bootstrapping Method

amp0193

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Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing anything anybody has to say on the topic, so let's hear it!

I think you've got a cool idea here.

Figure out the legality of using different school's logos (I imagine every school will be different).

Figure out how you're going to distribute. Via social network, and word of mouth? Supplying the school directly, and having them sell them somehow? Having PTA sell them at sporting events? This has massive scaling potential.

Doesn't appear to me much competition on google for "high school iphone cases".
 

Glorydog

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I think you've got a cool idea here.

Figure out the legality of using different school's logos (I imagine every school will be different).

Figure out how you're going to distribute. Via social network, and word of mouth? Supplying the school directly, and having them sell them somehow? Having PTA sell them at sporting events? This has massive scaling potential.

Doesn't appear to me much competition on google for "high school iphone cases".
Distribution would be almost completely through face to face interactions. If you've ever been to a sporting event, you'd see people at a table selling things like tee-shirts and cups and other silly things. This would be my ideal method of sales. School groups are always looking for fundraising methods, and this would be a great one (Once more types of phone cases are available). At lunch, my school has tables set up to sell school tee-shirts and similar things, and I would also like to get in on this. There are many options, however I don't think that social media and ECOM are going to be major players for this product.
 

amp0193

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I think it'd be an easy sell to get any PTA or booster club to push your product.

$10 seems low. $15 might be a better selling price, depending on the quality of the case. Maybe you sell to PTA's for $8-10 a piece, and then they sell them at games or wherever for $15-20
 
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Glorydog

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I think it'd be an easy sell to get any PTA or booster club to push your product.

$10 seems low. $15 might be a better selling price, depending on the quality of the case. Maybe you sell to PTA's for $8-10 a piece, and then they sell them at games or wherever for $15-20
Good idea. Think of the case as an otterbox, but not as strong plastic. The case is mostly for looks, but provides some protection. Not near as high quality as Otterbox, but still nice. I never got any complaints. My mom and my cousin both use them and love theirs.
 
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GuestUser140

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Christmas Break came, and I stopped selling them after the break, even though I have some in stock. No particular reason, really. I just haven't gotten back into it yet. I've had many people contact me wanting iPhone 5c and 6 cases, and I am probably going to order some and start selling them again.

I never get why people turn down other people who have their wallets open. Don't be lazy, get out there and make sales! It's exciting!

I'm in the mobile phone business, some ideas:

a) $3 is OK, but you can do a lot better than that. How does $.70 sound? It's just plastic.
There are little printers out there that you can buy (upfront cost though...depends on your volume) which accept cheap blank covers. Printing on them takes 30 seconds to a minute or so. You can print up what as many styles as you want. This is probably what your supplier does.

Another option are vinyl stickers specifically made for your iPhone covers that can be printed on. You print your logo on the sticker, stick it permanently on a blank phone case et voila.

There are also rubber bumper cases with a metal back plate insert. The metal plate is impregnated with ink (pretty low cost, but really high quality - deep glossy blacks and colors don't age with wear).

b) Are these low volume cash transactions (hence the round price)? Why not set up a simple Facebook / Web page. You could do $9.95 or $12.45.
c) Later on, you could have the logo on more premium, leather cases which you can sell for $19.95. Pretty straightforward to have these made too.
d) Remember there are more high schools and colleges out here.

Have fun!
 
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Glorydog

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I never get why people turn down other people who have their wallets open. Don't be lazy, get out there and make sales! It's exciting!

I'm in the mobile phone business, some ideas:

a) $3 is OK, but you can do a lot better than that. How does $.70 sound? It's just plastic.
There are little printers out there that you can buy (upfront cost though...depends on your volume) which accept cheap blank covers. Printing on them takes 30 seconds to a minute or so. You can print up what as many styles as you want. This is probably what your supplier does.

Another option are vinyl stickers specifically made for your iPhone covers that can be printed on. You print your logo on the sticker, stick it permanently on a blank phone case et voila.

There are also rubber bumper cases with a metal back plate insert. The metal plate is impregnated with ink (pretty low cost, but really high quality - deep glossy blacks and colors don't age with wear).

b) Are these low volume cash transactions (hence the round price)? Why not set up a simple Facebook / Web page. You could do $9.95 or $12.45.
c) Later on, you could have the logo on more premium, leather cases which you can sell for $19.95. Pretty straightforward to have these made too.
d) Remember there are more high schools and colleges out here.

Have fun!
Well, one reason I haven't gotten back into it is that I don't want to become the guy that is always trying to peddle his wares on everybody. I decided I'd wait to come back with more cases until I get a new order in with more variations. $.70 would be great and I will look into getting a printer if things pick up, but for now I am okay with $3 since the supplier is great to communicate with and I like the quality.

Yes, everything is cash. I go to the poor school in town, so I try to keep my prices low and affordable. It's easy for them to whip out $10 and it also keeps me from having to make a lot of change. I will definitely set up a website and social media sites if my scale ideas take off. If schools are interested in making a deal, I will create my own brand!

Yes, there are millions of high schools and junior highs. The trouble with many colleges is that they have strict trademarks and copyrights on their images. I'm sure I can get some smaller colleges and universities on the bandwagon, though!
 

RogueInnovation

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Sounds like you got some work to do.
Contact schools
Contact groups that might sell them
Source a better price
Sell to those groups and tell them what they sell at
Give them a script or general way to sell it and guidelines on what to expect

Then supply all the schools in your state, then expand out from there
Go, go, go
Haha ;)

Start by automating your own school (the one you are already doing) and figure out the best approach
 

Wal-Mart Vendor

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I have actually been down this road not long ago with High schools. You do not need to contact each school location, go to the district administration office.
 
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GuestUser140

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Well, one reason I haven't gotten back into it is that I don't want to become the guy that is always trying to peddle his wares on everybody.

Got it.

I started my business during my last year at university, and never told any of my previous classmates about it. Now when I'm packing orders, I sometimes see names popping up of people that I went to school with. Kind of funny to think someone orders $400 worth of product - they probably don't even know it's me behind the website. That is the position you want to be in. :)

One simple solution: be a business. A website that's in the school's newspaper, not a guy plastering Facebook.

The solution never is inaction, just remember that. There's always a way. Don't stop running before the first hurdle. I notice so many people kill off brilliant little ideas too quickly.

Also, you could start with phone cases, but if you think about it, you could do bags, jackets, paper, binders, pens... if you manage to close a deal with schools and there are not doing that already.

PS: you could go to the administration office, but if you are committed, visit each school in person. Once you close 5 schools, you'll gain traction and it'll be easier. With a little bit of hustle, you could visit the 250th school in a while and show them a list of schools that already signed up with physical samples and sales fugues. A % of each sale could go to the school fund (if such a thing exists in the US?) to buy new computers, picnic tables, infrastructure.

Just some ideas!
 

Glorydog

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Got it.

I started my business during my last year at university, and never told any of my previous classmates about it. Now when I'm packing orders, I sometimes see names popping up of people that I went to school with. Kind of funny to think someone orders $400 worth of product - they probably don't even know it's me behind the website. That is the position you want to be in. :)

One simple solution: be a business. A website that's in the school's newspaper, not a guy plastering Facebook.

The solution never is inaction, just remember that. There's always a way. Don't stop running before the first hurdle. I notice so many people kill off brilliant little ideas too quickly.

Also, you could start with phone cases, but if you think about it, you could do bags, jackets, paper, binders, pens... if you manage to close a deal with schools and there are not doing that already.

PS: you could go to the administration office, but if you are committed, visit each school in person. Once you close 5 schools, you'll gain traction and it'll be easier. With a little bit of hustle, you could visit the 250th school in a while and show them a list of schools that already signed up with physical samples and sales fugues. A % of each sale could go to the school fund (if such a thing exists in the US?) to buy new computers, picnic tables, infrastructure.

Just some ideas!

Classes end sometime in April, and graduation is in May. It is between the day that classes end and the day that graduation starts that I will present the idea to my school. I will be sure to point out that the school is always pushing students to be different, be motivated, and be successful. My school/ school district will be the first that I attempt to get on board, as they should be easiest as I am a product of their school system. I believe that from there, I can get others to follow.

Your point on the other items is a good one, but most of them are already being done. This can be an idea for expansion once I establish my business as a business.

In response to your suggestion to school vs administration: I'm in a bit of a dilemma on which way I should go. If I visit the administration, they're the bosses of the people who run the schools. I pitch the idea to them, and they see the potential for $$ for the district, they implement it in all of the schools. However, if I go to the head of the individual schools, they may tell me it is not really up to them, and I would need to talk to the guys downtown. But, to counter my own argument, if I get 2 or 3 principals to go to the school board with me because they all like the idea, the school board would be that much more likely to accept my proposal. I'm going to have to continue to think on the idea.
 

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