Oneula,
Solid advice, I think you are spot on with most of that, except the product value proposition - the durability+performance characteristic is new isn’t it?
Like you say the market and funds sought are maybe too small - grants are the way to go and with a carbon neutral product Sunova are well placed in that regard.
A big issue for them is how to sell a niche product to a widely dispersed market without their margins being eaten up by distribution costs.
A big issue for them is how to sell a niche product to a widely dispersed market without their margins being eaten up by distribution costs.
bottomline
you can’t
you have to rely on the niche, the 20% 10% or whoever covers that niche
it’s really a small time concentrated service
you cannot go global with that type of approach.
the bigger market isn’t so interested in longevity as they are in image and expense
the niches exist in performance, convenience and green but its a much much smaller market although more capital rich than the 80%.
in retail markup is king
I will guarrantee you that the only reason the retailers are going after FW is to pull clients into their stores to sell the “other stuff” not the boards themselves, other than bill who’s in a position to fix these if there’s a problem? That’s a major issue that will hound this new tech proposition.
And the problem with “buzz marketing” is that its some what of a short term proposition at best.
Bert knew this better than anyone (he’s alot better businessman that anyone gave him credit for especially being the inventor) but in order to have legs you have to have infrastucture first because you need to deliver on orders immediately once the you start to use “buzz” as a marketing ploy. This is something FW forgot to listen to Bert about when they decide to become a marketing product first. Randy got the infrastructure built first to support the buzz so product was easily available to support the big ads.
If you want to be niche you have to stay small or backyard and develop a core lifestyle funding client base
So if you build a surfboard factory you have other things on your mind…maybe that’s changing an industry but one man an industry does not make.
you either are a lamborgini/bentley or you are a honda/toyota different market segments different production techniques and sales techniques that’s all pretty basic stuff.
again sorry
this isn’t anything of interest to the 80%…
Hey Oneula, pretty good info you’re giving. Thanks.
Major Buzz kill = Bert leaving the house.
Hey just had a call from a dude that was rinsed from Firewire SurfBoards down the road at Burleigh hes realy dred,said the whole place got rinsed realyy howling .Hole place was on verge of going down.
Anyone herd anything good or bad?
im 8 minutes down the road and its barely moist here and a light seabreeze…
I’m sorry to say I sent all my details to Sunova in early Dec 2007 for a custom board but never got a reply other than a quick email to say they’ll be in touch so I bought a Firewire Flexfire as I got sick of waiting. I eventually bought a Futura & a Quadflex as the first board was so good.
you should have waited.I did and it is on the way.balsa bottom corcell deck. can’t wait to ride it!
Hey surfercross,
I hope the board is everything you hoped for, I hear the product is really good.
I just thought after two months there would have been some type of contact.
Email them again!They just got there shop finally up and goin so production should be coming soon.I think mine will be here by april.