Greetings,

Although our company is mainly in the business of providing ingredients to manufacturers of natural soaps, salves and lotions, we have picked up a few retail ready products. Our experience distributing within the healthfood stores has taught us that even the best product requires eye catching packaging and a people oriented sales staff. Purchasing managers are never comfortable with the process of introducing new products. This is especially true in markets that are already very competitive. Shelf space tends to go to the distributor providing the incentives, not necessarily the best product. Having said that it sounds like your friend has done the ground work but lacks the confidence to take the plunge. This is an age old problem. We are in the process of introducing an old ayurvedic pain remedy manufactured in India. It is a wonderful formulation with a long history of providing relief but our situation is no different than your friend's. All the best.

www.natures-apothecary.com

www.pureandsimpleways.com

Yes-there are ways to get new products into consumers ahnds without being on retail shelves. In fact,a case in point can be seen on www.lavanyaskincare.com. The founder developed a new line of skin care products but could not get them into stores due to lack of availabel shelf space and existing "brand preferences."

We formulated a guerilla marketin plan that allowd for the online distribution of the products without brick and mortar presence and once she had established a solid following, a number of retail distributors were "suddenly interested". It aloomst like trying to get a recording contract-the bands that are most successful have already sodl 20,000 CDs at their concerts, so teh labels are happy to "take a chance on them."

The start-up marketing is what I do and I would be willing to take a look at your friend's products.

Since your friend is a trained chemist, I am sure he knows he must supply the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) for his chemical mixture. Not all chemicals that are used in the home are safe when mixed. My wife and I have had practical experiences, too, with some common home cleaners causing our valuable PUGs to have miscarriages when exposed to them while they are pregnant. It is the right of all consumers to demand the MSDS for all chemicals brought into the home, however, it is very difficult to get the MSDS unless one does an extensive on-line research for these safety sheet. Often one needs to know the chemical name and spell it exactly right.

My friend has developed the appropriate MSDS sheets and has reviewed them with the small business people. They can be provided with the product or on the website.

It has never happen in the history that a single handed person has formed huge business WITHOUT PASSING TIME. Unless he know how to harness other's mind for common benefits he cannot become a BIG entrepreneur. Your friend must have trust in his associate, if he is not a sigle person. He is the person to manufactur somthing - MAIN PERSON. But he need manufacturing unit for he need a financer or resource provider. Then he need his product to publishised and he need a marketing specialist. Then he need retailer to sell in the shop. Most important his product should be advertized and be known to masses. If individual person got interest in his product, he would have no time to supply single buyer. If he has no money to hire people, then he should be very choosy to select business parterns upto the level of retailers. Alone, he can servived with his little income but cannot achieve BIG. Allow more people to get benefits from your achivement, your business would florish. Never be selfish. Millions are earned with little labor but lot of brain.

Send me and e-mail, maybe we can talk. kirk@thepowergreen.com.