Idea Napkin No. 1
1. Who am I?
I would say my best talent is my ability to learn things quickly and appreciate a wide variety of subjects. I also enjoy taking the principles I learn from one subject and using them to enhance my understanding of another seemingly unrelated subject. The business I would like to create is a 3-D Print Cafe, which would basically be a more artistic, design and engineering-focused version of Kinkos where people can come to use our printers to print out 3-D designs/models they created themselves, templates they found online, or our own custom-designed models and templates. This type of business would allow me to further explore my interest in design and engineering while following my entrepreneurial spirit.
2. The Unmet Needs:
This will solve the needs of customers who are interested in design and engineering, especially as it relates to creating 3-D models of tools, fashion accessories, prosthetics, decor, and much more. The amount of objects that can be created through the use of 3-D printing is limitless. Having a print cafe for this purpose will give these people access to professional level equipment without the need to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars. I also would like to create an environment that promotes learning in the areas related to 3-D printing, particularly design and engineering, so I would like to have many books, magazines and other forms of resources related to these topics to stimulate those people's creativity and learning. I am also envisioning it as an actual cafe where people can get coffee and snacks and stay there all day studying and designing.
3. The Demographic:
The main demographic for this type of place would be people of any age who are interested in engineering and 3-D design. One specific segment of this market that I would target would be engineering and design students, therefore I would advertise in the design and engineering buildings of local colleges and universities as well as the related clubs and organizations of those institutions. I would also try to speak with the professors in these fields, if possible, to explain the vision I have in mind for the cafe. If the professors like the idea, then perhaps they will recommend the cafe to their students as a study spot/group project location, etc. A location in the UCF area would be perfect because UCF is already the larges school in the nation, plus there are several community and state colleges in the area including Valencia, Seminole State, Full Sail, etc.
4. The Value:
This establishment would be valuable to customers because they will have access to professional level equipment that can cost thousands of dollars, but they can simply use it on a pay-per-use basis. Besides the equipment, the environment will be beneficial as well because it will help stimulate the learning process for people studying design or engineering. This learning environment would be accomplished by having relevant books and magazines that the customers can freely read. We would also have computers set up that would not only have the relevant software programs but would also have an extensive list of bookmarks containing online resources that can be used to learn design and engineering skills as well as free templates with which the customers can create their own models. Here's one link referencing 30 different sites with free 3-D templates:
https://all3dp.com/best-sites-free-stl-files-3d-printing/
5. What Separates Us?
Our core competencies would be knowledge related to engineering and 3-D design. It will also be differentiated largely by the environment of the cafe as well as the top-notch equipment. Regarding the environment, since it will be a cafe that is focused on design and engineering specifically, this will obviously attract people with similar interests and goals, therefore these people are much more likely to work together spontaneously or purposefully, creating the synergistic effect that most often results from cooperating with others towards a common goal. This is contrasted with the typical cafe where people go to study or do work but hardly ever spontaneously commingle.
I believe these five elements work together very well and each of them builds off of the others. I've been fascinated with the idea of 3-D printing since it first came out, and I am sure that people interested in design and engineering will find it interesting and useful as well. I believe the combination of professional resources and my ability to promote a learning environment will be very beneficial to customers. The areas in which the business would make its profit would be through the pay-per-use aspect of the various equipment, the sales of typical cafe food and beverages, and the hourly renting of our computers that already have the necessary software installed such as CAD design, etc. As with all businesses, the location would be a crucial factor in determining the success of the business.
Dear Damien,
ReplyDeleteWOW! Great post! I really enjoy your idea because offering a place for people to use equipment that is helpful to their learning for a low cost that is easily acceptable sounds very helpful! I know an engineer who bought a 3-D printer for dirt cheap and fixed it up to work perfectly and he would always create items, gadgets, and little figures because he thought it was so interesting! He used it for a job within a hospital too...that may be another place you could look into being near (also talking with doctors/engineers who use it within this specific environment). Additionally you could use a marketing slogan that deals with, you become who you surround yourself with...because it is true! The more students are surrounded by other students that use 3-D printers the more they can learn and enhance their value within their network.
Hey Damien,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. Your idea is very thorough and you clearly put in a lot of thought in it. 3-D printing has always fascinated me, and I wish to get more involved with it in the near future. But as you explained, printing can be extremely expensive. I really like how you've even thought out the setting of the store. Including instructional books in your set-up not only adds value to your company, but you're helping many teach themselves the technology versus having someone do it for you.
Hey Damien,
ReplyDeleteEven though I'm not an engineering student, Iv'e always wanted to 3D print something. I would definitely make a trip to your cafe. I really know nothing about this subject so these might not actually be issues, but here are a few questions to consider. How much would it cost to have enough printers to support your customer base? You might need a lot of funding to start up. At this point, doesn't 3D printing even trivial objects take quite some time let alone something like a prosthetic, which I heard takes hours. You might run into the problem of only a few people getting to print something a day, and long wait lines. Despite these things (if they're even things.. like I said I'm not familiar with the process) I think your idea is very cool, different, and would further bring our society into a new age of technology.