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Posted by Asako Tsumagari on 09 Sep 2007, (24) Comments — Home & Garden |
Plain 'ol egg -- average opportunity
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Startup Concept Summary
I’ve had it! I do not want to buy anymore paint! I have already tried three shades of green paint on my living room wall, and have spent $8 for each 32oz can, for a total of $24. And I still can not find the right shade that works in the room. And I searched high and low for smaller paint samplers at my nearest Home Depot store, but none were to be found. Only Behr sells 8 oz. samples, but online for $7, and they add a whopping shipping cost of $8 on top! With only the paper strips printed in shades of “Serengeti Green”, “Zen Mist” and “Apple Green”, there’s not much hope for really finding the right color match.
Hence, I introduce the new business concept of Wall Paint Sampler Set , which allows you to try out different paints on your wall to find:
Background of Wall Paint Sampler Set Concept
I tried out “every” sample color strip and sticker on my wall. But when I applied the real paint, it looked different. I then tried out all the software features on the Behr and Glidden manufacturer websites. However, I soon learned that any color looks good on a PC screen, but that doesn’t mean it’ll look good on my wall. Look at the picture of what is going on in my place. 
Now it is getting wet in Washington State. I guess I will live like this until next Spring.
It seems this is a common problem. I found so many blog sites talking about the challenge of color coordination. There are a number of service providers who claim they can help you select the right colors, but I can’t afford to hire them. Every time I go to Home Depot, other customers ask me questions with multiple color strips in hand, “Which shade of blue do you think works best?” I dunno.
I think the reason why Behr and Home Depot do not offer samples is because they do not want the trouble of packing so many small cans. But I do not think we need samples for every color. Even a sample set of 8 variations within one color theme (e.g. green) would help me see what works and what does not, e.g. lighter v.s. darker, more yellow v.s. more blue. I am happy to pay $20-30 for such a set, because I am already wasting so much money and time, going back and forth to the store.
Strategy and Tips for This Startup Idea - Wall Paint Sampler
1) Product repackaging
Basically, this idea is all about product repackaging. You purchase paint in a 1 gallon bucket or bigger, and then repackage it into small 4 oz. metal tin cans. And then, you bundled 8 of the 4 oz. cans with different color variations into a single package.
2) Marketing
Posting a web site is quite appropriate for this idea, with particular focus on search engine optimization. Google ads are also a good option. You should also market to every one of a long list of blog sites, home color consultant sites and paint store sites.
And of course, the ultimate goal is to have your sampler sets carried by Home Dept or Lowe’s.
3) Potential challenge of this startup concept
You probably need to become a reseller of Behr, Gidden, or Sherwin-Williams to be able to sell your sampler sets with their brand names. If you can not mention their brand names, then, the sample sets would not sell. You need to propose this idea to them, and propose yourself to be the distributor of this sampler set product lines.
Would this kill the potential for you to pursue this idea? It may not. In many cases, big corporations do not pursue these peripheral ideas that do not bring tens of millions of dollars to them. It creates overhead and complexities to the corporate hierarchies. But for you, you would be happy with a few million dollars in revenues, wouldn’t you? If you take care of all the logistical troubles, they may allow you to pursue this idea. They may want you to be an exclusive repackager to their brand only. This would be just fine. The economics work well even with just one brand.
Potential Financial Rewards
Cost side: $11 per set
Price side: $24 per set
If you could sell 50,000 online, you can make $1.2 million in revenues.
Going to retailers may make your numbers look less attractive, because retailers would ask for a slice off your margin. Let’s assume the retail purchase price is $16, and there are 3,500 Home Depot or Lowe’s. Every time I got to Home Depot, I bump into at least 2-3 people having troubles choosing paint color. So let’s say 1 store can sell 200 sampler sets per store per year. That gives you 700,000 units * $16 = $9.8 million revenues. The hope is at that point, with a volume discount on paint as well as metal tin cans, your margin is significantly better with $5-6 cost per set.
If you could minimize costs like fulfillment, marketing, sales, and inventory management, you can probably make decent money.
Who Should Pursue This Startup Idea?
People who are in the paint business or home remodeling business, for sure. Some knowledge of chemical product packaging would be useful.
Please give me a call if you will start this business, I will be your first customer.
Comments for "Wall Paint Sampler Set"
09 Sep 2007 at 08:46 AM
The idea is a great one but I have a real trouble seeing its implementation, Having only 4 sets of color with 8 variation each doesn’t give enough range of possibilities and this is really what the problem. As you absolutely need to try the paint in the house to be sure considering the light that it works you can ‘t approach a color only you need to find the right one. And by this method it stays quite approximative.
What may be another idea is to sell to the public Pantone set with bigger color visual than today done with the painting companies in some shades. This is what we use when doing colors on packaging ,then we try to match at the printing. they have all this kind of things at Home depot when you ask for color, but usually you can’t bring it at home and the color is really small .
Thna the Home depot or other could give you a matching samples of 4 variations around that one in small quantities there may be an idea here
09 Sep 2007 at 02:16 PM
Thank you for the advice, Clotilde! I agree it is important to find the right one, but I could not figure out how to solve the issue of so many shades.
Big public Pantone set. I should have thought of that one. I am going to Home Depot and see if they have a big one!!
09 Sep 2007 at 02:33 PM
You’re right on in saying there’s a strong consumer need. I’m just not comfortable with how this could be implemented profitably.
I think Clotilde has a good point. Also I can’t see many ways to protect yourself from competition or being wiped out by your own supplier, should the supplier one day decide to go all out themselves. After all, as you said, Behr does already have their own samplers for sale online.
So this business model survives only thin margins and large volume. Large volume suggests potentially high overhead and inventory.
09 Sep 2007 at 08:01 PM
Hi Asako - this idea would be really useful. I have the same trouble as you choosing paint and I hope you manage to find a decent shade.
I think the biggest problem with this idea thought, would be the manufacturer noticing you were making huge sales and pulling the plug on you to do it themselves.
09 Sep 2007 at 11:30 PM
Oh, the wonderful, “what color to choose? question.
I love to paint, and like you Asako, have spent more money than I want to admit on the wrong color shade. With a kazillion colors of white, alone, finding the right shade, for a particular application, is difficult. Different lighting, different times of the day, direction the room faces, etc., all affects how a paint color looks.
I’ve seen the small samples at Fred Meyer too (don’t know what brand it is), but I think the price was a factor for me. Seems like they wanted like $4.00 or $5.00 for a very small “packet”. I couldn’t bring myself to spend that, when I can get a gallon for less than $20.00.
I like your idea, and if the price was right, I would consider purchasing a “variety of colors”. The small tins that don’t work, would be great to use when faux painting, or for craft projects.
Speaking of that, it does make me wonder, how is it I can buy a small bottle of craft paint for under $1.00, but interior paint in a small packet, is over #3.00. Hmmmmm.
Could the paint be packaged in the small plastic bottles, and sold for a cheaper price? If you could sell it for a lower price, the manufacturers may not be a threat. After all, they’re getting paint sales because of your ingenious idea. Volume, is what would make you money. And you know how us women are, we would “take one in each color"-kinda like buying that favorite tank top. 8)
10 Sep 2007 at 11:19 AM
The small low cost plastic bottle, that is a good idea. We would like people to pick up samples as if they are picking up these free color strip papers, and pay good money.
If we have a termed contract with a manufacturer in advance, that would help the issue of competitive defense. It is difficult to get such a contract, but never hurt to try so.
16 Sep 2007 at 05:48 PM
Some follow-up story since then. We tried two more colors which still did not work, so we will go back to the original very light green.... In the meantime, we did find that Ralph Lauren does sell samplers. Well, that is high end paint.
14 Jul 2009 at 07:41 PM
There is a company that developed a process for pouching paint in 2 oz packets for the purpose of sampling (introduced it to Ralph Lauren). They built equipment for manufacturing, and have a patent pending for the process. Owner moved out of the country to pursue another business, so this is manufacturing waiting to happen for the right entrepreneur to fill this clear need in the paint industry. Anybody with manufacturing talent interested?
04 Aug 2009 at 12:34 PM
The idea is a great.Well first you need to buy some white primer to go over that pink so it doesn’t bleed into the blue and give you purple walls.Then you should be fine.After the white primer drys add the blue.Usually its the otherway around, but anyway. Just use painters tape and a plumb level to get an architecturally straight line, it will be just fine.
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04 Aug 2009 at 02:04 PM
A warm but very neutral white that resembled the natural unbleached calico cottons of India and which is neutral enough to work with all traditional and historic colours.
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31 Oct 2009 at 12:32 PM
This idea is all about product repackaging. You purchase paint in a 1 gallon bucket or bigger, and then repackage it into small 4 oz. metal tin cans. And then, you bundled 8 of the 4 oz. cans with different color variations into a single package.
04 Nov 2009 at 01:01 AM
How do I clean the exterior of my home before painting?
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04 Jan 2010 at 04:38 AM
I would not advise it. Exterior paint contains a midewcide and even though it is porch it is still subject to the environment and rain and humidity. You can never predict what the direction the rain will come from. Invest in a good exterior paint for it to last longer and you won’t have to do alot of maintenance. Paint is not just for asthetics, , good looks… It protects the wood from the elements
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01 Mar 2010 at 10:15 PM
The inexpensive sampler set contains five tubes of Pre-Tested oil colors plus a guide to oil painting and color. print colors will match the screen colors when I print - I’m using a digital printer or a desktop HP printer. I work… very difficult to calibrate enough to get a good match