Making An "Otaku" Idea Into An Entrepreneurial Project

"Guess how old I am?" Cao Xiaogang, general manager of the Wuhan Er home science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. sold a pass when he began to talk with reporters. "About 40 years old." "I am 51 this year. I didn't see it." he laughed with pride.

The reporter was really surprised. Cao Xiaogang looked young and passionate about his career.

In 2009, under his efforts, the Wuhan Er Jia Technology Development Co., Ltd. was formally established, and began to develop and operate the unique indoor lifting multiple rods.

A decoration creates "otaku" creativity

In 2004, Cao Xiaogang had to install an indoor clothes hanger for decoration at home.

But there are only two poles of clothes hangers in the market. The space is too small to dry some clothes, and the big quilt, sheets and so on can not be seen.

Cao Xiaogang ran a lot of markets and did not find clothes hangers that pleased him.

Since there is no market, then do it yourself.

Because I am engaged in

When relatives and friends visited Cao Xiaogang's house, they liked the five pole clothes hangers of his family and asked where to buy them.

When he learned that Cao Xiaogang himself did it, he also wanted to ask Cao Xiaogang to do it.

"All my friends want me to do one for them, which shows that the market has a demand for this and has great prospects for development."

Cao Xiaogang sniffed business opportunities and decided to make five pole clothes hangers into products and start his own business.

So Cao Xiaogang began to study deeply and improve the products continuously.

At the end of 2008, Cao Xiaogang successfully obtained the national patent certificate of indoor lifting multi pole clothes hanger, and was registered in 2009.

In Cao Xiaogang's view, although this hanger is exquisite, practical, cost-effective, but it is relatively simple to manufacture. The material is aluminum and titanium alloy which are common in the market, the price is not expensive, the price is only 10%~15% of the conventional hangers.

In 2010, the products have been listed in Castle Peak, Wuchang and other places. After that, customers are satisfied with the performance and after-sales service of hangers.

Cao Xiaogang stressed that their clothes hangers are very considerate in after-sale service, not only for door-to-door delivery, but also for package installation. They will be exchanged, refunded and repaired for life.

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Commodity listing is not as easy as originally thought.

Shortly after the listing, there were individual customers who could not move flexibly for a period of time.

After receiving the customer's response, Cao Xiaogang changed the customer to a new one and began to look for design problems.

After a series of experiments and studies, Cao Xiaogang found that the design of the positioning device of the hanger was unreasonable, resulting in imperfect functions.

Since the original linkage rod itself is a clothes drying rod, it needs positioning and loading, and it will be deformed after long term use, so that the lifting function of the hanger will be greatly reduced.

If the problem is discovered, it must be solved at once.

So Cao Xiaogang decided to suspend production of hangers and began to study the improvement of positioning devices.

He repeatedly tested in his own factory and constantly improved the design plan.

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Cao Xiaogang made thousands of experiments before and after, and after a while, the new lifting hanger was developed.

The new positioning device does not need to be connected to the clothes drying rod. There are two free hooks, specialized positioning grooves.

Today, this positioning device has also won the national patent.

Cao Xiaogang jokingly said, "one of my products has two national patents, which are rare in general handicrafts, and almost none."

Claiming to be a giant horse and waiting patiently for Bole

Although the product is on the market, Cao Xiaogang's company is in a state of loss.

He said that the company's loss is not a product quality reason, nor is it a bad market prospect. Rather, its own funds are too few, so there are few physical stores, goods can not be sold, consumers do not know much about the products, and the staff are limited. In addition, because there are only shops in Qingshan and Wuchang, while other customers in other areas of Wuhan are buying, the company has to deliver goods to the door, which virtually increases the cost.

Cao Xiaogang said that since the end of July 2010, the sales of the products were 50 thousand, and sales reached 60 thousand this year, and the peak season for sales is after May. Sales have increased by about 200% in recent years, and sales are expected to reach 200 thousand this year.

He is very optimistic about the market of clothes hangers. He thinks ordinary clothes hangers can not satisfy the demands of the public at all. His indoor lifting multi pole clothes hanger will gradually enter thousands of households.

"I am waiting for a chance to wait for Bole to meet my giant horse."

Cao Xiaogang said that as long as someone gave him 10 million investment, half a year, he would expand the plant, update equipment, mass production, increase sales outlets.

Forming a manufacturing and selling complete industrial chain will completely open the market of Wuhan.

When the market in Wuhan is ready, it will extend its products to the whole province and the whole country.

At the end of the interview, Cao Xiaogang said that he would go to Castle Peak to send a coat hanger to the customer. Although he is still losing money, he will continue to do it. He firmly believes that his product has a bright future.

Mentor comments

Characteristic is the foundation, publicity is very important.

Ding Deze, tutor of Wuhan's national entrepreneurship tutor, believes that Cao Xiaogang's products are very distinctive, but this is only a basic condition.

"There are many kinds and brands of clothes hangers on the market, and Cao Xiaogang's product advantage is not obvious.

It's not that his products are really bad, but that they are not targeted to publicize their own characteristics.

Ding Deze suggested that, like the development of clothes dryer, Cao Xiaogang should carefully study a set of publicity programs to impress investors. After obtaining investment, part of the funds will be used to invest in publicity, and brands and stoma monuments should go hand in hand.