We started this exciting project, $20 Boss program, at Innovate[ED] in term 3. This allowed us to build our own business with a loan of $20 each when our pitch is approved. I’m currently working with Sunishka Verma, and Sienna Garvey on our business Clip&Tuck.
$20 Boss has given us the opportunity to connect ideas, skills, and passions together. I tried thinking of problems that many people faced around me. I then noticed how many students and teachers were carrying around loose paper and textbooks, while students bustled around the lockers between periods. I looked to my desk, there my folder which I stuffed my own books, stationary, and booklets was placed. It hit me. What if we made this clip on folder that attaches onto our laptop bags (can stand alone as a bag itself) that everyone uses in the College, better if we incorporate in recycled materials. Luckily I was part of the Sustainability Club where we learned how to use our Precious Plastic machines (the shredder and injection machine).
Our process so far has revolved around the design thinking process by first having our two main ideas with the one I’ve mentioned above and a laptop bag handle clip to latch onto our desks instead of them littering the floor, a hazard for people to trip over. We then pitched both ideas to our peers and received feedback from them with responses such as not quite understanding how both products would work (we didn’t have any drawings or prototypes at the time), however their preferences leaned more towards the clip on folder. This influenced our decision on which among the two ideas we would choose.
After we developed our target profile/market identifying two main groups of people; highschool students who prefer using paper and physical textbooks and young office workers (age 20-30) who may carry many files and documents. We then empathised on their price budget, interests, what they look for in bags/laptop accessories, and which platform they would spend their time on.
We then prepared our pitch to receive our loan covering areas like the mission statement, details of our product including a prototype design, target audience, market plan (first marketing on Instagram and a YouTube channel/blog with the latter for educating others about recycling and upcycling then directing our audience to our product), pricing, and current goals. The pitch was a success! We thank Ms Strentz for listening in to our pitch and Mr Green for giving the green light to go ahead.
Our main problems we’re facing at the moment is how we’re going to design the living hinge, making the plastic into thin but study sheets, sourcing our plastic, and time constraints of prototyping and making the product by week three of next term for the Runway market (student pop-up shop). We’re also currently working through other details of marketing, long-term goals, delivery, and came to the solution that we might have a pre-order system if we’re unable to make the market day.