• Home
  • about
    • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Advisory Council
  • The Magazine
    • Latest Issue
    • Where To Get It
    • Subscribe
    • Past Issues
  • Topics
    • All
    • The Editor’s Desk
    • News
    • CEOs & Leaders
    • Corporate Wellness
    • En Espanol
    • Entrepreneur
    • Global
    • Growth
    • HR
    • Kids
    • Law
    • Marketing
    • Politics
    • Sales
    • Small Biz
    • Social Media
    • Speed Pitch
    • Technology
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Blog


Tweet

SPEED PITCH: Kozy Sleeves

Posted by Business Black Box on 07 Jan 2010 / 4 Comments

On the heels of “cozy” products hitting the shelves, local entrepreneur Sandra Cannon wants her product to hit the market with a bang. Does her Kozy Sleeves product have the potential to warm the hearts of investors and buyers alike?

How They Tell It:

I’m Sandra Cannon, the founder of Kozy Sleeves—fleece arm warmers that allow you to stay warm and comfortable wherever you are without having to lug around a bulky jacket or cumbersome blanket. The design of the sleeve allows your fingers to be free to perform a multitude of activities while staying warm. Kozy Sleeves are one size fits all, machine washable, 100% fleece, soft and light, but also functional and practical. Kozy Sleeves are for personal comfort at every level when you’re at home, reading in bed, knitting, or watching movies. This lifestyle-enhancing gear is also great for work or play, indoors or outdoors, and Kozy Sleeves are easily portable for car and plane travel.

The Kozy Sleeves website has been up for a few weeks now and for the next phase my goal is to focus in on specific demographics where this product is wanted and, in fact, needed, including active seniors, the medical industry, physically limited individuals and athletes.

Kozy Sleeves can provide comfort, warmth and ease for seniors and others with poor circulation. Kozy Sleeves are great for hospitalized surgery patients; the arm warmers are specifically designed not to hinder intravenous medication. Kozy Sleeves are also beneficial for athletes during a game to keep their arm muscles warm and loose, and after to help soothe sore and aching muscles; the wide sleeve design allows perfect space for hot and cold therapy products.
This is not a seasonal novelty item; this is a good tool for flexible living environments.

______________________________________________________________________________

What the Experts Say…

I’m going to assume that you have an ability to do small runs of product and that sales to-date have been primarily from word of mouth and possibly a number of on-line buyers. There are a number of other “Kozy”-named apparel products offered, so trademark infringement might be an issue. It would be worthwhile to obtain a professional point of view in regard to your freedom to operate your business using the Kozy Sleeves name.

Getting a large volume of product into place to satisfy rapid, high-growth demand will change the dynamics of the business from where you are today. A first large order in the wide spectrum of colors you currently have on your site will be expensive (minimum quantities will be high) and you will need to have sufficient cash on hand on at the front of the order to get started, more than likely from an Asian manufacturer. Timing is key as well, both in terms of the ramp time needed to have product on hand and also in terms of actually generating a cash flow from sales.

A few similar “wrap” products have hit the infomercial market very successfully during the last few years. If you can build sufficiently convincing market research or early sales success that would assist in getting the attention of a credible promoter in that area you might be able to attract enough interest and funding to get you positioned to make that happen. The same is true for getting onto one of several TV-based home shopping venue. However, if you can get it started, insure you have solid professional legal and financial assistance, and a willingness to work harder and longer than you have in life to this point, you might just be the next one to set a sales high water mark with an interesting early product and be prepared to grow a great company.

Greg Hillman
Zone Management
SC Launch

______________________________________________________________________________

Kozy Sleeves is an interesting idea. But, many questions come to mind…Why would I need Kozy Sleeves? Is this the newest fashion craze like Crocs or Snuggies? Will my kids ask me for Kozy Sleeves for Christmas? Maybe this idea is ahead of it’s time and in three to give years we will see Kozy Sleeves info-mercials and people sitting next to us at the football game are wearing only sleeves, but in my opinion, it doesn’t appear, at this time, to be a feasible idea.

The first thing that came to mind when I heard about this idea was “leg warmers for your arms”. Why buy this product when I can easily get a light jacket or a heavier long sleeve shirt? What’s the practical use of this product?
My suggestion would be to narrow your target market because I don’t think your target is the fully active person. I think this product might be good for those with limited mobility or those with poor circulation.

Create a focus group of athletes, seniors, teenagers and business people. Let them test the product for a day and get their feedback. This will give you ideas on feasibility, price, quality and your narrowed target market.

John Clement
Director of Marketing
Redemption Marketplace Alliance

______________________________________________________________________________

Now You Weigh In…

We want to hear from you. Give us your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Post your comments below.


4 Comments for SPEED PITCH: Kozy Sleeves


Upstate
2 yearss ago


Great product idea! Good luck to you!

(Reply)

chase internet banking
2 yearss ago


Strange this post is totaly unrelated to what I was searching google for, but it was listed on the first page. I guess your doing something right if Google likes you enough to put you on the first page of a non related search. :)

(Reply)

Bank online with Chase
2 yearss ago


@Markus I get your drift on where you were going there. I often think of my past and use it as a means to analyze where I am and where I want to get to. Where I struggel is balancing it all out. How do you guys balance things out?

(Reply)

sniper games
2 yearss ago


When are you going to post again? You really entertain me!

(Reply)



Leave A Reply





  Cancel Reply

  • Choose A Topic

    • Black Box TV
    • Business Black Box
    • Capital Impact Audio
    • CEOs & Leaders
    • CEOs & Leaders
    • Corporate Wellness
    • Entrepreneur
    • Events
    • Find A Topic
    • Fly On the Wall
    • Global
    • GreerCCC
    • Growth
    • HR
    • Kids
    • Launch Greenville
    • Law
    • Marketing
    • Meet Steve
    • News
    • Politics
    • Reader Submissions
    • Sales
    • Small Biz
    • Social Media
    • Speed Pitch
    • Technology
    • Testimonials
    • The Editor's Desk
    • Trail Blazers
    • Video: CEOs
    • Video: City Spotlight
    • Video: Events
    • Video:General
    • Video:Technology
    • You Weigh In…



Copyright © 2012 Business Black Box. All Rights Reserved.

  • Sequoyah National Golf Club
  • Greenville Drive
  • Courtyard Marriott