Convenient, Cost-Effective...
- Location: City
- Originated: September 24, 2011
- Updated: October 3, 2011
- Status: Open to Everyone (Join)
Project Score
Originator
Followers
Easy Print
Problem Solved:
Easy Print provides a flexible, cost-effective printing solution for students through an internet based printing system similar to the CCI printing system at UNC. Instead of using an intranet system, Easy Print operates over the internet via a website platform where users upload a document and print to one of the many print kiosks located in residence halls, private universities and high schools, and key locations throughout the city. Users will pay using an online billing system. Easy Print is selling convenience at a lower cost.
The target market for this business is college students. The target university alone has more than 250,000 students and the total city population is 12.9 million people. None of the universities in this market use a centralized wireless printing system like in the United States. Easy Print focuses on private high school and universities by strategically placing printing kiosks in their libraries and common areas, private residence halls where students from many different universities live together from all over South America, and the hundreds of thousands of students living in this city.
Easy Print benefits all parties involved – educational institutions and residents halls as well as their paying students. Educational Institutions and residents gain a free service that they can offer their students and include in their marketing mix while gaining a leg up on their competition as well as promoting their educational mission. Students enjoy an inexpensive, convenient printing solution that facilitates their educational experience. Currently, students have to travel to print stores, where they hand a USB drive to a worker who has to manually print the document. The entire process is completely inefficient and costly.
This is not a product -- it is a scalable business model. Growth potential for this business is incredibly large and can be expanded to any university environment needing a convenient, inexpensive printing solution. This city provides a perfect starting-point for a business model that can be expanded across South America.
*The actual location isn't disclosed for privacy reasons
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Resources Needed
I have a partner willing to start this business with me, but I also need someone with an IT background who is familiar with websites and wireless printing solutions. I also need to create the online printing interface by either licensing a current system such as the UNC CCI interface. Team members should have a general foundation in Spanish.
I also need funding - approximately $100,000 to get this started. I currently have access to about $33,000 from friends, family and personal saving.
Current Resources
As a Robertson Scholar, I lived in the target city this past summer learning about their culture and economic system. If I have a team willing to take on this project, I can travel back during Summer 2012 to get this started.
Originators
Alec
Followers
Jeremy Drawas
Nathan Wieler: good idea. useful to consumers. this seems like the type of idea you'd need to raise A LOT of capital to execute effectively. margins would be low, especially at first. you'd really need to build a strong brand and you'd have a ton of marketing, sales, and service work with this business. i've often wished something like this existed, not necessarily on college campuses but anywhere i'm traveling and don't have access to a printer. its the type of idea a lot of people, and companies have likely thought of so execution would be key here, and again, a lot of capital to try and be successful with this.
10-03-2011 @ 12:08 AM EDT · Comment
Jeff Snell: Largest challenge I see is exclusivity within the target market area and low margins.
09-29-2011 @ 10:36 AM EDT · Comment
Jeremy Drawas is now following Easy Print.
09-25-2011 @ 9:07 PM EDT
Alec created a project called Easy Print.
09-24-2011 @ 1:09 PM EDT