GreenBox School Supply Kit

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Index

Cover Page…….…………………………………………………………………………………….1Index…………………………………………………………………………………………………….2Mission Statement………………………………………………………..……………………..3Meet the Team………………………………………………………………..…………………..4Executive Summary………………………….……………………………………………….5-6Marketing Study…………………………………………………………………………….7-10Online Survey Questions and Responses…………………………………….…11-12QFD…………………………………………….……………………………………………………..13QFD Analysis………………………….……………………………………………………..14-16Product Description……………………………………………………………………………17Technical Study/Material Research…………………………………………………….18Cost Analysis……………………………………………………………………..………………19Product Design………………………………………………………..……………………20-22Group Minutes………………………………………………………….………………….23-26Original and Revised Name/Logo……………………………….………………………27Final Action Plan.....................................................................................28Emails…………………………………………………………………….…………………….29-32

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Company Name:

GreenBox

Mission Statement :

To increase company profitability while incorporating green technology.

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Meet the Team

Andrew SharkeySupervisor/Communications

Pavel TzonkovTechnical/Design

Michael HilcheyDesign/Advertising

Thomas SandersPublic Relations/Marketing

Andrew WarrenResearch/Public Relations

Rizwan MerchantAccountant/Research

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Executive Summary

Each year, one of the events most kids dread to is going back to school. Summer is over and everyone has to get back to work. One component of returning to school is back to school shopping, which both kids and parents dislike. All the shopping, running up and down aisles looking for folders, pens, pencils, etc. If only someone could simplify this process. That is where GreenBox comes in. GreenBox has developed a brand new school supply kit, which includes supplies such as paper and pens, but will also include a USB flash drive. The package itself serves as a bag, eliminating the need for individual packages for items such as pens and paper. Not only do we simplify back to school shopping for the consumer, but we also help reduce cost and waste on the production side as well.

The target market for our product is high school and college students. These consumer populations should benefit greatly from a cheap, convenient solution to school shopping. College students are constantly looking for an inexpensive and fast solution to their daily tasks. No student wants to have to spend 1-2 hours shopping for supplies when he or she has Chemistry homework due the next day in addition to tons of reading. In addition, textbooks are so expensive as is, spending money for supplies is usually limited. High school students are in a similar situation in that shopping for school supplies is not a high priority, and neither parents nor students want to spend too much on supplies.

You may ask yourself; why not market the product to younger students as well? The main reason for this is the differences in their school supply needs. College and high school students typically use similar supplies. The supplies they purchase are usually pertinent to classes through all four years. Younger students are in a different situation: middle school students, and especially elementary school students, will get a list of necessary supplies from their teacher; these lists vary from teacher to teacher and from class to class. Included on these supply lists are colored pencils, markers, even crayons, supplies rarely used by older students. Trying to develop a product with so many variations leads into the development of a customizable kit. Our team decided that, from a business perspective, customization would drive up costs, so we opted to focus on older students, as this would allow us to keep the product simple, in turn allowing for a lower price for the consumer, as well as lower production costs for our company. With our target market determined, GreenBox was ready to take the project to the next step.

In order to steer the project in the right direction, GreenBox conducted a survey in order to see what students want from a school supply kit/package. This survey was distributed online to college and high school students. In addition, a focus group was organized to get personal responses from target consumers concerning which features they consider most important in a school supply package.

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Initially, the company’s goal was to create a “green” package that included almost all of the supplies a student would need. However, after surveying our market, we determined that students were not concerned about a product being green, but rather on how much green (money) they will save.

Despite wanting an inexpensive product, students wanted the product to look modern, which led us to develop our product in a new direction. Though we continued to put some focus on creating a green package, the direction of the project changed. Cost reduction became a main concern, since the majority of the students said cost would make or break the sale for them. Certain supplies like a calculator and white-out were removed based on feedback from our surveys. Furthermore, materials for the package were changed in order to save on cost: originally, PLA polymer was to be used in order to keep with a green image. However, based on survey results, our team decided to use PET since it is not only recyclable, but cheap as well. Ultimately, due to our survey analysis, our design for this project took a 180 degree turn in the right direction.

To conclude, GreenBox’s School Supply Kit is the next step in school shopping. GreenBox is confident that, as a result of thorough research and analysis of survey and focus group data, our project will be a success in today’s market.

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Marketing StudyIn order to find out how to best market our school supply kit to the high school/college-

age demographic, we conducted a survey and a focus group. Both the survey and the focus group provided valuable information about exactly what our target consumers want from a school supply kit.

Our survey was distributed online to 55 people in our target demographic. The survey proved to be extremely valuable as a source of information about which specific supplies our target market wanted: pens were slightly more important than pencils, mechanical pencils were preferred over wooden pencils, and three-ring binders were chosen over pocket folders. The survey also indicated that our target market had very little interest in the more arts-and-crafts-oriented supplies, which proved to be a major factor in our decision to cut supplies of this nature, such as glue and scissors. Respondents also indicated significant interest in the inclusion of a USB flash drive for data storage, a product not commonly seen in school supply kits that we decided would be useful to students, as schools are becoming increasingly technologically integrated. One of the most significant findings of the survey was that almost 75% of respondents said that a product being recyclable would not make them more apt to purchase said product, and that most would be willing to pay very little to a moderate sum of extra money for a more environmentally-friendly product. This caused a major shift in the development of our school supply kit, as our original plan was to develop a 'green' school supply kit.

Our focus group also provided a wealth of useful information that we used in developing our product for the market. While our survey focused largely on the contents of the kit itself, the focus group discussed a much broader range of features. Our five focus group participants helped us determine that PET plastic was the material most suited to our kit. Our original plan was to use a biodegradable PLA polymer, but there was a strong consensus that price would be an overwhelming factor in any student's decision to purchase a product such as ours. Just as well, environmental friendliness would always take a back seat to inexpensiveness; this made the decision to switch from the more expensive PLA to the cheaper PET extremely easy. Our focus group also helped us pinpoint aspects of our product that would allow us to increase its appeal to college- and high school-age students. Our focus group provided suggestions that allowed us to cut expensive supplies that would not differentiate our product, such as calculators and whiteout, from the kit. Customization was another contentious aspect of our product that our focus group helped us solve. Allowing for full customization would have required online sales, which our focus group members said would decrease sales drastically, as they said most students would simply go to a department store for school supplies. This, combined with claims that full customization would drive up product costs and thus make it less practical for students, led us to choose limited customization: a range of case colors as well as some region-specific cases with school logos became our model of choice. Finally, our focus group was able to provide us with ideas for small, but useful, tweaks that our team had never considered. Participants appreciated the organizational aspect of our package as far as textbooks and papers were concerned, but also suggested specialized compartments for accessories common to college- and high school-age students - iPods, cell phones, sunglasses, etc.

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Ultimately, GreenBox's marketing research proved to be a fruitful exercise. Our focus group and online survey provided excellent insights into cost-cutting measures and methods of increasing our product's appeal to our target market, making them invaluable resources throughout the course of this project.

Focus Group Questionnaire#1) What material would you prefer for the package? - Hard Plastic (PLA, PET)

- Cloth

#2) What supplies do students really use...- Pencils (Mechanical)- Pens- Flash Drive- Paper- Backpack- Calculator- Erasers- Divider Tab- Whiteout- Stapler

# 3) Would you prefer a backpack or just a kit/binder?

#4) Discuss what type of graphics students might want.

#5) What price range are you as a student willing pay for kits? How much do you spend now?

#6) Is customization something that what entice you to buy a product such as a school kit?

#7) What storage aspects would you like to see on a binder/ bag (i.e. 3 ring binder, pocket folders)?

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Focus Group: Notes and Observations

List of Participants1. Male, gray shirt2. Male, blue sweater3. Male, dark blue polo 4. Female, braided hair5. Female, glasses

[Materials]#2: preferred plastic, easily cleaned, said cloth is old-fashioned#3: said cloth was more flexible and therefore easier to store#2: concerned with material's effect on how securely the case can be sealed#4: magnet clasp/seal is bad, zipper or elastic opening best

[Customization and Graphics]#2: prefers customizable graphics#1: suggested marketing graphic customization for different schools, such as a Gator logo for UF students#4 and 5: suggested graphics to broaden the age range to which the product might appeal#1: said that most college-age students would not bother to put extra work into customizing themselves#2: concerned by added cost of graphics, suggests this may turn away potential customers

[General Consensus - Online Marketing]: too much of a hassle and too costly; would prefer to buy product at a retail chain such as Wal-Mart

[USB and Miscellaneous Technological Elements]#4: liked USB idea#3: 'maybe’ on USB - unsure why, possibly too costly?#3 and 4: calculator is unneeded#1: suggested specialized calculators for science, finance, etc., but that generic 4-function calculators would be an unneeded extra cost#3: iPod/cell phone holder#3: eraser unneeded#4 and 5: liked eraser#2: suggested pencil-style eraser, others liked this idea

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[Divider tabs, miscellaneous others]#2: need for divider tabs depends on the size of the overall product - might make it too thick#4: white-out is useful, but not a distinguishing feature#3: recycling/environmental friendliness unimportant#2: would buy an environmentally-friendly product over another if the cost difference is not excessive#1: suggested that college student budgets generally prohibit spending extra money on green products#2 and 5: said pockets were important for temporary, easily accessible storage for important papers#3: opaque casing for privacy#2: said a catchy name might differentiate the product

[Closing thoughts]#3: concerned with quality of supplies, but suggested that college students on a budget may not discriminate[General Consensus - Price]: Price would be the most important factor in purchasing the product#4: suggested specialized products#3: suggested miscellaneous storage compartments for sunglasses, etc.#3: liked the idea of a detachable strap/sling

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Online Survey Questions and Responses1. Would you be more apt to buy a product if it were recyclable?

Yes: 74.5%No: 25.5%

2. How important is a USB/flash drive in a school starter kit? 1. 3.6% (not important)2. 5.5%3. 14.5%4. 30.9%5. 45.5% (very important)

3. How important is the compact size and weight of the product for you? 1. 0.0% (not important)2. 5.5%3. 12.7%4. 40.0%5. 41.8% (very important)

4. Which supplies would you most like to see?

-Pencils: 81.1% -Pens: 92.5%

-Ruler: 35.8%-Paper: 73.6%-Calculator: 64.2%-Scissors: 34.0%-Glue: 18.9% -Divider tabs: 43.4%-Eraser: 49.1%-Stapler: 45.3%-White-out: 39.6%-2GB Flash drive: 81.1%-Pencil sharpener: 30.2%-Bag: 64.2%

5. How important is cool graphics/design in your purchase of a school supply kit? 1. 13.0% (not important)

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2. 18.5%3. 31.5%4. 20.4%5. 16.7% (very important)

6. How much more would you be willing to spend for a school supply kit made with recycled materials?

-None: 7.3%-Very little ($0.01 - $0.50) : 9.1%-Moderate ($0.51-$1.50) : 34.5%-More($1.51-$3.00) : 30.9%-Much More($3.01+) : 18.2%

7. Is having customizable options important in the purchase of a school supply package? -Yes: 70.4%-No: 29.6%

8. Do you prefer mechanical or wood pencils? -Mechanical: 72.7%-Wood: 10.9%-Both: 16.4%

9. Do you prefer the use of pocket folders or 3 ring binders? -Pocket Folders: 14.8%-3-Ring Binders: 44.4%-Both: 40.7%

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QFD Analysis

The QFD analysis was a very resourceful tool used in the development of our product/package. It allowed us to organize our market research and focus group results in order to determine what aspects needed to be improved from our original design. In addition, it helped determine which aspects of our package were most important, what technical aspects need to be changed and how they will affect each other, and how our product compared to other competitors on the market.

To begin, after the completion of our market and focus group research we were able to determine which “what” factors were the most important in our product. We found that consumers were most concerned with the price, durability, and the USB accessory in our kit. Since our target market was focused on college students and teenagers, it was no surprise that price and computer accessories were amongst the most important to students. Surprisingly, whether our product was recyclable or not was the least important in our research. Most students we asked for would not pay a bit more for a recycled product. In addition, students were not concerned with the brand names of the supplies. If generic names were used to keep price down, they were all for it. Other “WHATs” that concerned consumers but not as drastically, was the appearance of the package and how easily it was opened, organized, and carried.

In order to tailor to the needs of our consumers, our team developed “HOWs” to deal with the “WHATs” that students were most concerned with. Our HOWs included weight, size of bag, type of material, amount of supplies, impact resistance, customizable, security of openings, handle location, brand name supplies, Handle/strap, and designs. Price being the number one importance of our consumers, the type of material, amount of supplies, customizable and brand name supplies were the most relevant HOWs that will affect the price our product. As far as durability is concerned, the weight, type of material, and impact resistance are the factors that will determine our products durability. As far as how easily the package can be carried is effected most by the weight, size of bag, and handle location. Each WHAT had at least a couple of HOWs that helped steer our product in the proper direction.

These HOWs also helped in configuring the aspects that consumers were not so concerned about. We needed to consider things such as type of material and weight of the product when looking at recyclability. Since consumers were not so concerned with a recyclable product were able to choose different materials that might make our cost

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cheaper. To add, since our consumers were not so concerned with quality components we did not have to include brand name supplies, can increase the amount of supplies we have, and the type of material used can be somewhat cheaper since price is the most important to students. In our graphical representation of the QFD analysis the interaction between each WHAT and HOW was rated to see which HOWs were the most important to focus on based on the importance of the WHAT’s.

When developing our final product and package, when focusing on certain HOWs a tradeoff had to be made with other HOWs. For instance, if you increase the size of the bag the weight of the package will increase, the security of the opening must be better, and you will have less impact resistance. However, you can also increase the amount of supplies you have and might have to change the type of material used. There were tradeoffs made almost every time when manipulating one or more HOWs. Here, we will focus on some of the more important tradeoffs. For a complete list, please reference the QFD graphic. Since consumers wanted a cheaper product, we focused on the type of material, amount of supplies, and brand name supplies. If we change the type of material, our cost will go down but we effect our products impact resistance, the weight of our product, and possibly the designs we can include. Since consumers were not concerned with quality products, we don’t include brand name supplies that in turn allow us to increase the amount of supplies we can have. As can be seen, by changing one HOW several tradeoffs are made in other aspects. Again, a complete list of how each HOW interacts with one another can be found at the top of our QFD graphic represented by the pyramid with blue pluses and red minuses.

Lastly, the QFD allowed us to compare our package and product to other competitors on the market. Our top two competitors in school supply kits were The Green Office. Our team determined how each competitor currently dealt with the HOWs of our product. For instance, type of material both competitors were using a corrugated box as their package and one competitor allowed for customization while the other did not. Corrugated boxes were easily punctured, hard to carry, and did not really fit with consumer needs of a cool appearance. Allowing consumers to customize their product adds significant cost to the product. By examining each aspect of our competitors, our team was able to decide what and how to change aspects in our design. In addition, the program allowed us to determine which HOWs to improve based on how they compared to our competitors and how important these aspects were to our consumers. Ultimately, the factors that we changed to try and improve from our competitors were the size of the bag, the type of material used, and the type of security openings. These

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three items will help make our product more environmentally friendly, more secure, and easier to carry.

To conclude, based on our QFD analysis, our design for our product and package was changed in many aspects. Originally, we had a binder that contained supplies you can customize in store. It was sealed with a zipper, fit in a book bag, and was made from PLA. After our research and QFD analysis, our final product is very different. Our package is now an entire bag. It can fit a laptop, books, and a binder. Fewer supplies are included with unwanted items eliminated. Features such as an iPod holder and sunglass case were added. In addition, the package was now made from PET and is no longer customizable in stores. With these changes made, our product is not only tailored to our consumers needs, but differentiates us from our competitors and allows our sales to outperform the competition.

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Product Description

• Product will be a Shoulder Bag with handle and removable shoulder strap.

• Bag will be made of hard, flexible plastic (HDPE) with unconventional shape to maximize comfort, style, and storage space.

• Product will have secure locking mechanisms for each of 2 openings.

o Opening 1 will include binder, paper, divider folder, as well as

provide storage for laptop and textbooks.

o Opening 2 will include 3 pens, 2 pencils, eraser, 2GB flash

drive w/ carabiner as well as provide storage for calculator, iPod, cell phone, and sunglasses.

• On shelf, product will be secured by a single zip tie to deter petty theft of supplies.

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• Product will be provided in shrink-wrap (shrink-bag) to protect against water during shipping as well as secure paper label with Barcode, internal photo, and product description.

Product intends to reduce amount of excess supplies and packaging materials by obtaining a modest amount of each supply before they are packaged by the supplier/manufacturer. In our bag, these supplies are each placed in their designated location before the bag is sealed by zip tie and shrink-wrap, thereby eliminating the need for individual packages.

Technical Study

Material Research

Our product’s outer casing will mainly be composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a variety of durable plastic. This sleek material is recyclable while, at the same time, has a high tensile strength. It is used for a variety of containers due to its ability to resist many different solvents. It is cheaper and more appropriate than polylactic acid (PLA) material, which is advertised as a compostable “plastic”, but in reality is slow in its composting process and, therefore, not worth the extra money. HDPE also withstands higher temperatures, about 120 ºC, and is harder than lower-density polyethylene.

The inside of the case will utilize a cotton/polyester mix cloth. This synthesized fabric contains the elasticity and texture of cotton, but also the strength and all-around durability provided by polyester.

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The product will be secured in a casing consisting of shrink wrap. Shrink wrap is comprised of a polymer plastic film, and shrinks when heat is applied. It has low density and low intermolecular strength, but strong enough to keep the product completely secure. The low strength will make it convenient for the buyer to remove the plastic in order to use the product.

Zip ties will also be used in order to secure the product. Zip ties are comprised of nylon tape, a very sturdy material that will withstand a great deal of pressure. The gear track imprinted on the zip tie will allow the tie to adjust to the size of the product being secured. The zip tie is so secure, it will most likely have to be cut off from the product using scissors.

In order to secure the pens, pencils, and calculator in the product, a strip of elastomer will be used. This elastic polymer is known for its ability to deform well at ambient temperatures. Its adjustability, coupled with its high intermolecular strength, will be ideal for securing these items within the product.

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Group Minutes

1/21/09

• Discussed possible products we would want to work with

• Exchanged contact info

1/24/09

• Rizwan and Andrew S. researched possible products at Super Walmart

1/26/09

• Worked on Logo

• Developed team mission statement

1/28/09

• Redesigned logo

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• Discussed product to work with

o Vitamin water bottle

o Cereal

1/30/09

• Discussed further product ideas

o Kashi products

o Electronics

o Fresh Foods

o Clothing

o Medicine

o Liquids

2/2/09

• Further discussed final product ideas to determine what we will work with

2/4/09

• Determined final product to work with… bread

• Discussed possible package changes

2/6/09

• Presented idea to JP and TA’s

• Discussed feedback and possible product change

2/11/09

• Discussed new product ideas

o Laundry Detergent

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o Laptops

o School Supply Kits

• Created pros and cons of each product

2/13/09

• Settled on our final product….. School Supply Kit

• Began to discuss possible packaging changes

2/16/09

• Began discussing WHAT’s of our package

• Determined our target market

2/18/09

• Created action plan for group

2/20/09

• Delegated tasks to every team member

• Setup meeting time for the weekend

• Discussed further WHATs for package

2/23/09

• Discussed WHATs

• Began setting up survey and questions

• Discussed competitor products

2/25/09

• Finalized Survey Question

• Finalized Competitors

• Discussed HOW’s

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• Worked on possible focus group questions

2/27/09

• Discussed further HOW’s

• Finalized Survey

• Discussed Focus Group

3/2/09

• Discussed possible cost issues

• Developed further questions for Focus Group

3/4/09

• Analyzed survey results

• Setup meeting time to discuss focus group

3/5/09

• Pavel, Andrew S., Andrew W., and Thomas met outside to discuss focus group

• Setup location and time for focus group

• Finalized questions to be asked at focus group

• Delegated responsibilities for focus group

3/16/09

• Discussed design concepts for package

• Possible handle/strap concept discussed

3/18/09

• Went over procedure for focus group

• Discussed important ideas/questions to include in focus group discussion

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3/19/09

• Andrew W., Thomas, and Pavel ran focus group

3/20/09

• Discussed focus group results

• Brainstorm new design for package to be consistent with consumer wants

3/27/09

• Reviewed finished QFD

• Discussed final design of package

3/30/09

• Reviewed team member drawings of final packaging design

• Settled on final design of package/product

4/1/09

• Began working on cost analysis

• Began to draw/design final product on Rhino

4/3/09

• Settled on final dimensions of package

• Finalized what supplies will be included in kit

4/6/09

• Worked on cost analysis

4/8/09

• Calculated total cost of all materials and supplies of our product

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4/13/15

• Worked on executive summary

• Went over final design of package in Rhino. Made small changes

4/15/0

• Worked on letter head design for company

• Discussed final details of project as far as what still needs to be finished

4/17/09

• Reviewed Technical Study, Final Designs, and Team portfolio design.

• Discussed sales pitch idea and advertisement for class presentation

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Here's the (tentative/flexible) game plan:

(Pavel, Thomas, Andrew, and Myself previously worked on the focus group.)

By Friday 03/27:-Rizwan- currently working on, and will provide prices/costs for our product/package-Everyone- work on individual QFD's. these will be overviewed, agreed upon, and combined to form a "master" QFD-Everyone- start technical product/package drawings(on paper)

By Monday 03/30:-Pavel and Michael- work on final technical model of our product/package on paper-Everyone- overview technical drawings of entire group-Andrew, Thomas, Myself- start working on pitch ideas/ commercial ideas/ etc...

By Friday 04/03:-Pavel and Michael- start final technical model of our product/package on computer-Rizwan- supplier side Cost Analysis complete(start the production side)

By Monday 04/06:-Everyone- work on pitch/presentation-Rizwan, Pavel, Andrew, Thomas- final cost analysis complete

By Wednesday 04/08-Pavel and Michael-continue work on final technical model-Rizwan, Andrew, Thomas, Myself-continue presentation

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By Friday 04/10-Everyone Complete-help others catch up if necessary-Practice presentation----04/13 -Turn in Report with prototype04/20 –Be prepared to give presentation

Sender: weslxa@gmail.com Add to address book

To: "SHARKEY,ANDREW F" <asharkey@ufl.edu>

CC:

Date: Sat Feb 28 12:13:13 EST 2009

Subject: Re: Pkg information

Looks fine, go ahead and start distributing. Remember, it's due Wednesday.------Original Message------From: SHARKEY,ANDREW FTo: weslxa@gmail.comTo: trubaser@ufl.eduTo: rizwan92@ufl.eduTo: hilcheym@ufl.eduTo: boomer24@ufl.eduTo: andrewtwarren@ufl.eduSent: Feb 28, 2009 12:07 PMSubject: Pkg information

Sry if this is late. Studying for an exam that my grade in the class and my job actually depends on me doing well on this, so i'm extremely busy. Here's what i have.

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Here's the new and revised link:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DJ7L3Ikn8ccDMhFijxYKDQ_3d_3d

(Wes-comments were extremely helpful. Thanks. I disagreed with comment on question 2 about the Flash drive, I think this question is mostly just to determine whether to have a computer component. However, I definitely agree that it should have been more specific on the (later) question, so i narrowed it down to a 2 Gig Flash Drive. I think this should be sufficient, I never really need more than 2 Gigs for 20 college hours, 3 jobs, and personal use. I also disagree slightly with question 6, but took your advice anyway and added a price range to each of the answer choices. As far as to address you recyclable comment: Our goal is to make our product's package and components ReUsable, but also out of as environmentally friendly components as possible)

WHATS:(I still need to fine tune these WHATS and HOWS, but after my exam monday. no time now)RecyclableEasy to carryDurabilityLightweightComputer accessoriesOrganizational abilityQuality componentsCool AppearanceEasy to open/access

HOWS:Size of BagAmount of Supplies includedBrand Name/Generic SuppliesNumber of pensHandle/strap comfortWeightImpact ResistanceNumber of ways to customizeObject Quantity/Size RatioDesigns

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Security of openingsType of materialHandle Location

Competitors:(Group-these are the most agreed upon my responses. Although NSSEA was close with school kidz)The Green OfficeSchool Kidz

WES-let me know if you need anything else. and thanks again for all your help!g2g study as my job depends on it--SHARKEY,ANDREW F

Sender: "MERCHANT,RIZWAN A" <rizwan92@ufl.edu> Add to address book

To: "SHARKEY,ANDREW F" <asharkey@ufl.edu>

CC:

Date: Wed Apr 01 01:31:59 EDT 2009

Subject:

Re: old email

1. Mechanical Pencil Comfort Grip Metal Clip .7mm Blue : .25$ and it sells for 1.55$ brand : IntegraPack of 5 would cost less than 1.00 $2. uni-ball Power Tank RT Retr Ball Pen 2 pack: 3.37 $ . unit price $5.813. Sanford Magic Rub Drafting Film/Tracing Paper Art Eraser: $ .24 unit price: $.58

I think we decided we weren't going to have 3 ring binder . and as for the usb prices are concerned manager stated its a 30% mark up so the cost would be to us 30% less than the selling price. and the whole sale prices we only get if we get them delivered and if we are licensed business.

On Wed Mar 25 20:51:38 EDT 2009, "SHARKEY,ANDREW F" <asharkey@ufl.edu> wrote:

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Alright so here's some of the notes I got down about what we want with our package, and some questions at the end for us to think about? we can go over this monday in class

Our package should be CHEAP!!!if we can "go green" w/o increasing the price by more than about a $1.50, then do it. otherwise cheapness is good.We need a cool name for the package!Cool Graphics/designsAs compact as possible, no too much extra of anything that is unneeded or unusedpossible zipper(over magnets,etc...)

Included in our package:Laptop bag w/ removable sling2 GB USB driveMechanical PencilsPensPaperEraser3 Ring binderDivider tabs?Pocket folder?Whiteout (useful but unneeded feature)?

Additional storage compartments:extra pocket(s) for quick access to important/temporary papersSunglassesLaptopiPodCalculatorphone

Additional Packaging???:[[I'm worried not about theft of our supplies. but that when someone buys a package to find they are missing the internal supplies/USB drive/etc... they won't want to buy from us because our packages are un-secure? So i feel we need something additional so people at the store will be less tempted to just open up the bag and take stuff out.]]Our best idea so far is just a plastic bag/sleeve over the bag/binder/or just supplies, rather than adding a lock for protection. We could also add a sticker or something to the front of our product that would show a list of everything that is included, a picture

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of what it looks like inside with all of our supplies in their proper spot, as well as our COOL name.

Questions to think about:What would be a cool name for our product?What kind of graphics/designs should be included w/o increasing budget significantly?How many pens/pencils/paper?Should we include Eraser/divider tabs/pocket folder/white-out?what type of eraser?(block eraser, stick/pencil eraser, etc...)How could we distinguish petty theft of our supplies from each package?(plastic wrap/lock/other)Anything additional to be added to this email and our list???

I believe our product will be successful if it is CHEAP, PRACTICAL, and COOL! This is what will distinguish us among college students.--SHARKEY,ANDREW F

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