New method of soap dispension for restrooms

Overthrow

Hey there,
While abroad I came across a really good method of soap dispension. After thinking about it a bit, I've come to the conclusion that it's cheaper as regards amount of soap used, less work for staff in the amount of times it's to be changed, secure in that it won't end up on the floor and also looks really nice.

I've never seen it anywhere in Ireland and so I was toying with the idea of setting up a little company and selling them here.

I'm wondering though, what barriers I'd face in doing so? I presume most bars, hotels, coffee shops would have contracts with suppliers and getting them to order from a single company for a single product would be seen as a lot of hassle?

Also, once the larger companies see the product, there's nothing stopping them from supplying their own to all their clients and effectively making me redundant?

Any tips would be great because I can imagine a lot of places would want to use it.

Thanks v.much

enviro

Contact the manufacturer of the product and see if you can get the exclusive distribution rights for Ireland, plus the UK if available. Would that appeal to you? Would you have the resources to do this?

Regarding the usage of the dispensers that are currently installed around the country. You would need to see if, in the opinion of the hotels ect..., there is a problem with them. If so, is it a big enough problem to justify them investing in changing the current dispensers to the new product that you would be offering them. If yes, then great you have a good opportunity, especially as you would be the first to the market.

Maybe you could offer an inclusive package with installation included. If you don't have the expertise to fit them or the size of the job at hand is too big (thinking of nationwide here) you could get a network of fitters to install them for you. Plenty of trades peoples looking for work in these times. You could do it on a commission model with payments per installation.

If you don't like the idea of direct distribution, you could try to sell them to the existing providers of similar equipment here in Ireland and the UK. Although your margin would be less, your costs should be lower as well. It could work out more profitable this way, depending on the number of units you would be moving.

Overthrow

Thanks for the reply.

I don't have any type of distribution network to utilise, so I'd be starting from scratch in that regard if I was to go down that route.

I'm confident I could demonstrate how the product would save establishments money in the long run. The installation costs and materials costs would be very low, so only a small initial investment would be required. And as I said before the ongoing materials costs would be lower than what most places are spending now from what I've seen.

As for selling to existing suppliers, the product in question is actually quite low-tech, and as such would be quite easily reproduced by a competitor. Although you could say this about a lot of restroom supplies, but I presume there's a world of competitiveness there I know nothing about.

uck51js9zml2yt

if a dispenser and soap is required. you need to rent the dispenser over a fixed period and sell the soap as a consumeable.

MOH

Maybe you need to look at patenting the soap dispensing process?