help please!!

[julianna27]

Hey all. Just wanted some advice really. I am thinking of designing environmentally friendly sanitary towlels. I do not think there is anything out there that i can think of, that are currently in the shops. But now i dont know what to do. How to follow this up. Any help/support would be great thanks. I have never ever done business before. Thank you very much.

 

[Simply Business]

Hello Julianna27,

Any product that is environmentally friendly is always going to be welcomed. One of the first things that you should do is sit down and write a business plan. The more detail you can put into it the better as the process of writing it will throw up aspects you may not of considered - manufacturing, suppliers, distribution etc. You can find lots of useful tips on writing a business plan on http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home

Any shops, chemist's or supermarkets that you aim to get contracts with will want you to have product liability (PL) in place before they will stock your product. PL protects you, the supermarket and the customer if the product causes an injury in some way.

If you have any queries or questions regarding business insurance please feel free to get in touch via http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/social/online-customer-support
Kind Regards

Tim

 

[BobBuilder]

I am thinking of designing environmentally friendly sanitary towlels.

Are they likely to be more environmentally friendly than

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/about-the-mooncup.html

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Or maybe the OP could use Google? These people are on the first page.
http://www.eco-essentials.co.uk/index.php?cPath=29

 

[julianna27]

thanks for your replies, really appreciate them.

i have contacted business link a few weeks ago prior to joining the forum. so i have done a business plan. i have also contacted manufacturers , but China. now you are probably thinking why on earth have i contacted them. but i only did that because whenever i see items, they always say "made in china" so i thought ok then....

so i have contacted them, they have got back to me with numbers....

so now i am stuck. i dont know what direction to go to

hence i am here.

i am devising sanitary towels for girls aged 12 and beyond. so i want it to be girly and fun. also environmentally friendly, because girls are learning about the environment etc, so i thought i should put it in the towels.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Shipping from China won't do too much for your "green credentials" will it?

 

[williamson_liz]

I think aiming them at 12 plus is a good idea as the mooncup probably won't be a favourite amongst this age group! I think I'm right in saying that health food stores sell environmentally friendly sanitary towlels, might be worth a look!

 

[DLH Marketing]

There was a TV programme this week that showed someone offering something similar by way of a sponge. It showed them pitching the idea to Boots who were pretty critical. This is a very competitive market to break into and you need to be absolutely sure that you have customer base who will buy the product. You may want to consider selling via the internet at first and then you will be able to approach retailers with real sales figures.

 

[julianna27]

hi all,

selling them on the internet first seems like a good idea, just to test the waters a little bit. i am just not sure what to do next. should i contact the manufacturers and give them the go ahead? who are the best internet companies that would sell these items?

as for shipping from china, you are right it is not environmentally friendly, but if i can get uk manufacturers locally to make them, that would be great.

 

[thebiznizdotcom]

Who are you looking to supply these goods too?
Before you do anything you would be advised to see where, how, if there buying the products already and how you will offer them something different. Many people think they will get a product, sell it to a national sit back and watch the money roll in. Unfortunately that rarely happens so start small. Keep pounding away to try and get in with the smaller shops and perhaps one day one of the bigger boys might spot you.
Whatever you do though your going to need a business plan that was correctly pointed out by another post. To get an idea of how to complete a business plan register with thebizniz.com (its free) go under videos and under the Educational Part you will see a video explaining how to complete a business plan.

Good Luck

 

[julianna27]

Thanks very much for the advice.

any suggestions on where i can test my ideas on people to see if this works or not?

also I was thinking of selling this to ebay first. But what if nobody hears of my item in ebay? is it all down to the marketing side?

 

[td2011]

This could be a great project though sounds like a difficult one as you have to fight brands that have been around for decades and have the money to experiment with marketing.
I hope you are successful in this as it's an issue that needs more attention.

 

[julianna27]

Well the hardest thing is the makerting as you said. I was speaking to a friend and she suggested having a focus group and finding out what women want? Is the environment important to them etc. Also investigating price. Again receiving that information from focus groups.

 

[td2011]

Yes a focus group would be a good way of gathering info for your marketing. I'm sure if it were brought to peoples attention the damaging effects that sanitary products have on the environment most would be willing to make a change or at least trial an alternative. Costs as you mentioned and also health issues as well as environmental can all be discussed.