Business Proposal: Digital Shoe Catalog Platform (DRAFT)
Business Name: ShoePrint Solutions
By Alan Miklofsky
Overview:
ShoePrint Solutions is an idea for a digital platform designed to streamline the process of accessing, managing, and printing shoe catalogs and line sheets for retailers. This service caters to the needs of both shoe vendors and retailers by providing a centralized, secure, and efficient system for distributing and printing product information.
The technology already exists, the idea needs to be implented with some support from vendors first.
Key Features:
Centralized Digital Catalogs:
Vendors upload their catalogs and line sheets to the ShoePrint Solutions platform.
Retailers access these digital catalogs via a secure online portal.
Controlled Access and Security:
Vendors control who can access their catalogs and at what level (full catalog, specific pages, pricing information).
Retailers register on the platform and get approved by vendors to view and print specific catalogs.
Customizable Printing Options:
Retailers can choose to print in color or black and white.
They can select specific vendors and pages to print, reducing waste and costs.
Print on demand at local print shops or office printers.
PDF Format for Versatility:
All catalogs and line sheets are available in PDF format, ensuring compatibility with various devices and printers.
PDFs are markable on iPads and other tablets, allowing for easy note-taking and markups during buyer meetings.
Cost Reduction and Incentives:
Significant reduction in printing and mailing costs for vendors.
Faster and more efficient access to the latest product information for retailers.
Retailers receive a credit towards printing costs if they place orders, incentivizing use of the platform.
Vendor Collaboration and Growth:
Initially established by a consortium of key vendors in the shoe industry.
Additional vendors can join the platform for a fee, ensuring continual growth and updated offerings.
Implementation Plan:
Platform Development:
Develop a secure, user-friendly web and mobile platform.
Implement robust access control and digital rights management (DRM) features.
Vendor Onboarding:
Start with founding vendors to upload initial catalogs.
Create a marketing plan to attract additional vendors, highlighting cost savings and access to a broad retailer base.
Retailer Registration and Training:
Launch a campaign to register retailers on the platform.
Provide training materials and support to help retailers navigate the platform and maximize its benefits.
Print Shop Partnerships:
Partner with local and national print shops to offer discounted rates for platform users.
Integrate with print shop systems for seamless order processing.
Incentive Program:
Develop a system to track retailer orders and provide printing credits accordingly.
Offer promotional discounts for early adopters and bulk users.
Feedback and Iteration:
Collect feedback from vendors and retailers to continuously improve the platform.
Regularly update the system with new features and security enhancements.
Revenue Model:
Subscription Fees:
Vendors pay a subscription fee to upload and manage their catalogs on the platform.
Tiered pricing based on the number of catalogs and features used.
Transaction Fees:
Small fee for each printing transaction processed through the platform.
Advertising and Promotions:
Option for vendors to promote their catalogs or specific products within the platform for an additional fee.
Printing Partnerships:
Revenue-sharing agreements with partner print shops.
Advantages to Stakeholders:
Vendors:
Reduced printing and mailing costs.
Controlled distribution of product information.
Quicker updates to product lines and pricing.
Retailers:
Immediate access to the latest catalogs.
Cost savings on printing.
Ability to customize printouts to their needs.
Credits and incentives to retailers (to offset printing costs) is provided by cooperating vendors (who save money with this service).
ShoePrint Solutions aims to revolutionize the way the shoe industry handles product catalogs, providing a modern, efficient, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods.
ShoePrint.biz (www.shoeprint.biz) is already up and running and could be a platform to launch this idea at. That site already contains a service to design and print direct mail postcards for retailers and vendors at an economical rate. FYI- ShoePrint.biz is currently operated by a former employee of Alan Miklofsky.
Edit to the above…
Possible Features, Advantages and Benefits of ShoePrint Solutions:
By Alan Miklofsky
Vendors print hundreds, if not thousands, of line sheets and catalogs a year that fill up file cabinets, waste bins, shredders and landfills and when the retailer needs or wants to find that calalog it is often buried on his desk underneath a pile of less critical items but covering up a vendor’s invoice that is now overdue. Catalogs and line sheets are necessary and needed elements of all business but especially so in the shoe business where color and other critical details can make the difference between a winner and a loser. Line sheets rarely show the critical details and can rarely be enlarged. Online platforms, however, offer the ability to zoom in and see the details within a 600dpi image. While electronic images are the way to go, they will never replace the values of a hand-held printout of those items that the retailer needs in order to make an informed decision. A platform that can deliver both electronic and printed vendor provided information (and update the same) would be a valuable solution.
Imagine these scenarios as part of ShoePrint Solutions
1) As a store owner, you received your catalogs from a few vendors before the show (maybe the reps were in your office), and you marked it up. You are the store owner and have your own code system and your buyers have their own systems but you want to know their rating on a style without letting the rep know yet (in case your want to discuss internally first). The catalog solution system I am proposing herein allows you to keep confidential those codes and/or (depending on access the retailer controls) share with the rep. Those codes would all be accessible within the electronic catalog on the platform and printable (optional) partially or all together.
2) As a retailer, you visit the booth but you forgot the vendor's catalog and previously marked up shoes you are most interested in. You also forgot your laptop or tablet in your hotel room, however, armed with your login name or email address, your rep can access your marked up catalog on the platform and now you can augment his catalog from the rep's devise in the booth.
3) A vendor rep has selected items that he thinks will work for your store. He inputs his code (his initials might be his code) next to each style (or style/color) in this catalog. He also puts in a comment, “Must Have” “Back this Up twice”.
4) When the retailer prints out the catalog (or line sheet), he can also print the rep’s codes, print the rep’s comments, delete any of or all of the rep’s comments and replace or augment the catalog with the retailer’s codes and comments.
5) The retailer can choose to print only the pages (possibly only the styles) of the vendor’s catalog that is worth printing.
6)Why waste paper on printing the parts of the catalog the retailer isn’t interested in? the retailer can always go back to the platform and view the entire catalog.
7) Let’s say that the vendor drops a style on an already marked style by a retailer. Wouldn’t it be nice if the retailer got an immediate email altering him, “Dear Mr Retailer: A style your marked in _____________ catalog has received an update you might be interested in. Please access this link to take you directly to the item and the update.”
8) Now that you don't have to lug back on the airline all of the catalogs you used to carry around at the show, you can now save the money you used to spend to fly your third buyer to the show just to carry your paperwork!
Copyright Notice
© 2024 ShoePrint Solutions and/or Alan Miklofsky. All rights reserved.
This document and the ideas contained herein are the intellectual property of ShoePrint Solutions and/or Alan Miklofsky. Unauthorized use or reproduction of this material or any part thereof is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of ShoePrint Solutions and Alan Miklofsky.