A few weeks ago I was wandering through a shopping centre, when my attention was grabbed by the price tag on a mobile phone. It was over £20,000. I have no idea who pays such a large amount for a soon to be obsolete item (people who haven’t worked very hard for the money, I’d imagine), but it does show there’s a market for an upgraded version of just about anything.
Atlanta Watercloset realised this when they launched their business, which aims to provide ‘exceptionally clean’ portable restrooms (toilets) for outdoor events. If you’ve been to such an event, you’ll know that the competition provide the bare basics, but little more. Atlanta Watecloset offer toilets with fresh water sinks, interior lighting, mirrors, coat-hooks, shelves and branded loo roll. The environment around the restrooms can be specially prepared with privacy shields, flowers and pathway lighting. The service is particularly popular at weddings, where nothing can be allowed to spoil the special day.
Whatever the product, some people will always be attracted to an upgrade – a premium offering over and above what’s provided by the standard product. If you find yourself competing fiercely with everyone else in your market, now could be a good time to look at whether there’s a market for an enhanced version of what you do at a premium price.
Quote Of The Day
“Aim higher in case you fall short.”
Suzanne Collins
Alternative Quote Of The Day
“I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn’t find any.”
Tommy Cooper
Second Hand Profits
Thanks to the likes of eBay, buying second hand or used goods has never been as popular (or easy), as it is today. A lot of mainstream retailers are catching on to this now. You’ve been able to buy used books on Amazon for a long time now, but even primarily off-line businesses are getting in on the act. My favourite retailer, Ikea, have now set up a system to facilitate customers disposing of their second-hand furniture.
At first glance this seems counter-intuitive, but there is a logic to it. Having the option to buy used (and cheaper) second hand furniture will draw more people to the company website, as well as improving customer goodwill. And of course, sometimes a customer needs to dispose of an old piece of furniture before they’re able to buy a new one.
Is there someway you could facilitate your customers disposing of the products they no longer need or want, and if there is, would it help or hinder your business? It’s a question worth asking.
Today’s National Day
NATIONAL GREASY FOODS DAY!
PUBLISHERS NOTICE