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Marketing/packaging

Chonkski

Member
Hello, I could use some help..

I'm very interested in starting my own line of products, (tinctures, carts of EJUICE, edibles, bho and rso etc)

What's the best way to go about doing this is ca
 
Oh so all you need is just an entire business plan?


Wait right here. It'll take me a few weeks of research to get to the point to write a business plan, to get then to the point to fund it and then find a municipality where they won't hang me for operating with a misleading license.


Be right back... for real. I'll do all this work for you, for absolutely free, because thats what I'm here for.

just wait. seriously, ok? Right here, don't go anywhere.

(standard Litmus test for all new ICmag business applicant. Time spent looking and digesting said dialogue has a direct correlation with business acumen. The bounce rate will say it all.)
 
C

CaliGabe

Oh you mean something like what I've attached? I stripped any info that may ruffle some feathers. I wrote this teaser to help a friend and passing it out freely in hopes that it helps peeps in their efforts in some way shape or form. Making it public domain instead of trying to capitalize it in some way, shape or form.
 
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Take everything you've put in image development and shift it to building expenses.

If you're planning on starting a serious manufacturing company you'll need that again for production equipment (moulds, infusion equipment, etc).

There's no budget for licensing in there. Who's your OSHA officer? I can tell you right now your security budget is undershot and your additional safety measures budget isn't even there. Expect building inspectors to require a ventilated room like what they use for bodyshops for the CO2 extraction, for starters. If one of those machines fail they can kill the operator. Safety inspectors take issue with that sort of thing.

I also see no budget for inventory. Are you planning on growing your own illegally and trying to wash it through some legal route? If not, add another $50k for startup inventory. If so good luck but I think you're a friggin idiot. I'm really hoping that's not your plan.

Nice thoughts man but just for what you're suggesting your budget's probably at least 1/3 of what you'd need. You have a lot more research to do. Good luck.

As to the OP: What steady said. If you want a professional job and you're not equipped to do it yourself you need to hire an experienced professional. Hacks are everywhere and the internet gives them an opportunity to stand on a soapbox without even the accountability of getting beat up if what they preach screws someone over.
 
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CaliGabe

Expect building inspectors to require a ventilated room like what they use for bodyshops for the CO2 extraction, for starters.
For a CO2 facility? Really? All those VOC's from a CO2 operation? Require a ventilated room under what guidelines/regulations? Eh? In Cali is there anything like what you're talking about? Can you provide a link(s)?

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Nice thoughts man but just for what you're suggesting your budget's probably at least 1/3 of what you'd need.[/FONT]
No it's probably right on for a 5 liter system for phase 1. Phase 2 a whole nother story.
 
Depends on the area but the fire department would be the ones to stamp that part of your paperwork. I stopped asking in my area when they started talking about blast shields.

The point is that whatever you do they're going to force you to get an engineer to design and wet stamp the whole work area from the ground up. The general consensus in the wider community is that potheads with no special training or certification are going to have to have redundancies on top of redundancies for their specialized, potentially dangerous equipment. There'll be special tank, equipment, and operations safety measures you'll be required to take and you're going to have to pay out the ass to even figure out what those special measures are.

CO2 can still kill you. It's a pressurized gas that can flood a room and nearly instantly suffocate you depending on the space and amount of gas, and the FD's not equipped to decide which processing equipment needs what safety measures. They're going to tell you to go whole hog, get an engineer to put his neck on the line for you in their place, or get out of town. This is politics and the FD's necks REALLY ARE on the line if they let some Darwin award winner process without every possible precaution in place. They could care less what we have to say about the issue.

As an aside, I've worked around CO2 tanks for years at paintball fields. I've never been allowed to touch a CO2 tank over 20 ounces inside of a business. Some dad out in the woods is one thing but businesses could have their licenses immediately pulled if anyone besides the owner or approved employees fucked with the big tanks. Only takes one overfill to blow a reg and shoot a small tank through the operator and the wall behind him. There are dozens of horror stories in the paintball community of people getting meat stripped off their bones from tank cracks (which can happen even with pressurized air - any pressurized gas tank). We had to keep the big tanks chained to the main supports for the building (and about a dozen other measures) and after seeing one blow once out in a field I'm not sure those would have done much. I myself nearly died in the pro shop from CO2 tank malfunctions twice in six years. Both times the owner was operating the tanks - something he'd done twenty times a day since been pimpin.

A good rule of thumb working around anything with CO2 is if you hear hissing, don't look for the noise. Just immediately drop what you're working on and run for the door. Don't breathe in until you get clear if possible. You can go back and fix whatever you were working on later as long as you're alive to do it. On a small scale mistakes with the equipment probably won't kill you, but with commercial equipment they probably will without a lot of expensive precautions. These units run on high pressures with large volumes of liquid that turns into a freezing, unbreatheable gas. No inspector is going to accept "I'm really careful" as an answer to "What are your qualifications to operate this machinery?"
 
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Oh you mean something like what I've attached? I stripped any info that may ruffle some feathers. I wrote this teaser to help a friend and passing it out freely in hopes that it helps peeps in their efforts in some way shape or form. Making it public domain instead of trying to capitalize it in some way, shape or form.


Sorry for sounding so sarcastic earlier. I can't tell you how many times people ask me the same question in real life. It gets tiring.




As a writer of many different business plans, few of my own and many for others, I can tell you that the work you have done is incomplete.


It reads more like something out of an intro to business class.

Where are the numbers? Its like 5 pages of how you think the business environment has shifted and how this could work now.

Guess what. Anyone with cash doesn't care about that. They need to see numbers. Saying it'll cost a quarter million because you itemized a few basic items means nothing.

And you should capitalize on it. Its called work. Don't get suckered into thinking that everything you do you have to pass onto someone else. Especially business. This is your lively hood, your bread and butter. Be proud of what you do.
 
yeeeah... I read the first page and the itemized expense list and that was about it. Big difference between research proposals and business plans.

If you want a template for a real business plan I suggest contacting your local SBA office. They'll have big introductory packets and offer classes regularly at reasonable prices. It's federally funded so there certainly will be an office in a major city near you. Learn to love the cash flow sheet.

And no, I can't provide links. This is my job. I'll point you in the direction where I found what I needed but I'm not going to go get it and bring it back to you. I save that service for the people who pay me. This isn't college. There are limits to how far I'm willing to share my bread and butter as steady put it.
 
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RonSmooth

Member
Veteran
You're going to need well designed & professional looking promotional material. I might be able to help in that regard. You can PM me if interested.

To really succeed, you have to make it happen. If you truly believe in your product, it will work. You have to be 100% committed and proactive every hour of every day.

If you don't go after it aggressively, someone else will.

Oh yeah. Cash. You'll need lots of cash.
 

Chonkski

Member
Thanks a lot, I have actually been doing this for about two years now and would like to expand.. I know there are several routes in doing so and I thought I could get some experienced advice.. Not pompous sarcasm and "troll/shutdown attempts" from a bunch of goodie goodies.

Thanks to those of you who actually thought this could be a good topic, I appreciate ya.
 
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CaliGabe

Chonkski you're in a highly competitive market. Yes4Prop215 fairly recently posted that 80% of survey respondents in CO, soon after recreational went into play, were more interested in price than quality. So basically herb and herb products in Cali are more like a commodity. If you want to look at capitalizing on the current situation simply do your market research...who in your target market stands out and why? Simply reverse engineer and do them one better. Take advantage of all the work they've done. That might work for awhile then you gotta guesstimate where the market will be in a few years. If you guess right then YaY! Gotta take into consideration where the momentum is going.

Right now developing a food co-op funded by grants, thank you taxpayers :biggrin:, and going for more grant money in the next few weeks. Totally different animal than anything I've done before yet BRANDING still key. If you had 50 posts would link you to the logo I just did. Now I gotta develop the website and related promotional materials. The shit you need to do never ends.
 

Chonkski

Member
Thank you much, I think I have been making the right decisions I just need to keep headed I. The same direction
 

Chonkski

Member
Chonkski you're in a highly competitive market. Yes4Prop215 fairly recently posted that 80% of survey respondents in CO, soon after recreational went into play, were more interested in price than quality. So basically herb and herb products in Cali are more like a commodity. If you want to look at capitalizing on the current situation simply do your market research...who in your target market stands out and why? Simply reverse engineer and do them one better. Take advantage of all the work they've done. That might work for awhile then you gotta guesstimate where the market will be in a few years. If you guess right then YaY! Gotta take into consideration where the momentum is going.

Right now developing a food co-op funded by grants, thank you taxpayers :biggrin:, and going for more grant money in the next few weeks. Totally different animal than anything I've done before yet BRANDING still key. If you had 50 posts would link you to the logo I just did. Now I gotta develop the website and related promotional materials. The shit you need to do never ends.

Finally got 50 posts caligabe! Would love to network
 
C

CaliGabe

Finally got 50 posts caligabe! Would love to network
Well send a fookin PM instead of posting. Looks like I might be dealing with a Cali op along these lines so would be a competitor. That's business. Wish I could help yet looks like not. Good luck!
 
Chonski,

It all starts from an idea. Take all advice with a grain of salt. People won't always have the best intentions. Make sure you have a unique idea and lastly DO NOT be underfunded.

Business plans are primarily for investors, ime.
 
Business plans are for legal businesses. Every legal business. Don't care if it's a coffee stand. Even if you're self funded, doing one greatly increases the chances of your business succeeding. Like I said months ago, if anyone wants to learn more then contact your local SBA office (Small Business Administration) and take the class on business plans. That's one of the least difficult parts of making a pot business.

The Department of Justice started raiding people who were illegally blowing oil for medical uses in WA shortly after this thread died. Bunch of people went to prison for trying to do what this guy was already doing and trying to do more. It's illegal in WA unless you do everything exactly right - medical or recreational. I sugar coated and explained it a lot more than any of the dozen plus regulating agencies he'll need the approval of would have done for him.

This is why SteadyDets was flabbergasted at OPs question. The process takes months and a lot of money unless you're willing to lie through your teeth and risk huge fines, getting your business license pulled, and maybe going to prison.
 
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