Seeking Investment
The Laddersafe

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The Development Plan:

 

I am presently working with a specialist prototyping and manufacturing company to move the project forward towards a launch, hopefully in a relatively short time.

As the product is simple in design (with only 3 working parts) we may start production using 3D printing to build up a basic stock, then we will be creating “Injection Moulds” for mass production at low “per unit” cost.

As well as the Laddersafe itself, there will be a range of related products available.

 

The marketing plan:

 

There will be two versions of the basic product, one aimed at the DIY market and one at the Professional market. – Both markets will, at least mainly be “Business to Business”, sales but we may move into online marketing (Amazon etc) at an appropriate time.

Sales will initially concentrate on the UK, on national, regional and local Builders and DIY Merchants, which can provide an easily accessible, huge and potentially lucrative market.

 

Example:

 

• Travis Perkins (Builders Merchants) own around 550 stores across the UK

• I would initially contact their head office and offer to supply them, free of charge, with some (around 20) “sample” units to test for themselves.

• If they liked the product and wanted to test it for sales interest in a few of their stores, we would probably supply at least 10 units to each store (paid for this time), along with us probably setting up, free of charge a simple visual marketing display, including a video of the Laddersafe in use.

• If they then wish us to supply all of their stores, we would probably start by sending at least 1 “Trade box” of 10 units per box, to each store. – That would be a total order of 5500 units for this single sale.

• We would set a retail price of between £160 and £200 (inc VAT) per unit. Depending on how manufacturing the costs work out.

• Within that cost we would be looking for £40 to £50 net profit per unit.

• If that is how the process unfolds, that one order would therefore create a £220,000 to £275,000 net profit for the Laddersafe company

• If the product becomes popular, that order could be expected to be repeated around every couple of months, from each outlet.

 

We would repeat this method of marketing by (over time) contacting and offering the product on a similar basis to all UK Builders Merchants, large and small, together with all UK DIY related stores (again, large and small).

Once the UK market is set up and running smoothly, there is no reason why we cannot launch the product into other companies and countries across Europe, and eventually worldwide.

 

Advertising:

 

The Laddersafe is a unique product. There is nothing like it presently available anywhere.

From the very positive reaction it has when I even mention the basics of what it is, and what it will be able to do to people I speak to, I have the strong feeling that the best way to market the product will (initially at least) be “face to face”.

 

If we have salespeople travelling around the UK in vans, in which they can carry lightweight ladders, and a number of sample Laddersafe units, they will be able to simply present “visual and practical” demonstrations of the product in use, allowing the potential purchaser to personally test it at their own premises.

The fact that once the unit is set up with the ladder attached, anyone can simply climb the ladder without needing to lean it against a wall, will be a stunning way to impress any potential buyer!

This approach to the selling of the product can be coupled with other methods at any time, possibly when we start to market the product abroad.

 

Testing and proof of concept:

 

June 2025: As mentioned above, I have been working for a number of months, with a UK based “Advanced Manufacturing” organisation, who are very keen on the project and who would like to remain involved with it for the foreseeable future (until the sales numbers get to where they cannot supply the product in the quantities we need).

They have obtained a Government grant to carry out the initial “Test of Concept” design works, which have now confirmed that the product “works” in exactly the way I expected it to.

The company is now working on “fine tuning” the design, after which I hope that they may gain access to further Government grant funding, which would enable them to be involved with the project for the next phase of development (possibly designing and creating Injection moulds to allow for bulk production). They may also manufacture the first few thousand components in order to allow us to start marketing the product asap.

 

An additional bonus to the recent news that my concept for the product “works” in the way, and just as well as I expected, is that there will only be 3 different components to be created for the product. This will help to keep the initial set up costs relatively low.

The components will be hand assembled to form the finished units using simple fixing bolts, and then bench tested and packed, ready for shipping. All of that work will be carried out on simple work benches in our factory.

 

Manufacturing:

 

We will obviously need to rent factory and office space for this project. My first thoughts are to base the manufacturing in Birkenhead, a town that is only minutes from Liverpool, and has a close link to the M53, which then connects with the M6 and M62 within about half an hour at motorway speeds.

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The factory will need to be equipped with up to 100 basic “assembly benches” (around 7ft (2.1m) x 4ft (1.2m). Each bench will be self-contained, with it own stock of parts and hand tools, that will allow one person to assemble each laddersafe unit in around 5 minutes. It will then be given a test (30 seconds to fold it out to check that it operates smoothly), and it will then be packed either into a bag or box, ready for shipping.

As each unit will be hand assembled, and also due to the potential for rapid growth in orders, we will need to make sure that the factory floor space will be large enough to take up extra manufacturing benches if necessary (at 10 minutes to assemble each unit, 100 benches would provide 600 “ready to ship” units per hour, or somewhere around 5000 units / day). – Equating to 25,000 units per standard 5 day working week (which at £40 / unit net profit, would create a potential profit of up to £1,000,000 per week).

(Note: these figures seem very optimistic without backup facts, but the business plan and cashflow (which have the backup facts) shows us making a net profit of around £1,000,000 / month at month 24).

 

I presently plan to deliver the products to UK customers ourselves, in large vans, direct to Builders Merchants and DIY store’s retail units, and I would envisage an average order being at least one box of 10 units per drop. – We would plan deliveries to maximise the numbers of “drops” that can be made in 8 hours, by having different small delivery areas being served each day (possibly with the van driver staying in motels overnight one or two nights a week, to keep fuel costs down).

 

About the inventor:

 

Barry Sutcliffe has a long history working within the “UK Engineering Industry", having spent 40 years as a Construction Site Engineer / Manager / Project Manager, working on small and large projects, including being responsible for all on site engineering works whilst constructing new hospitals, schools, city centre shopping malls, multi storey car-parks, factories, refurbishing council house estates (including, on one project, working out a way for 200 Council House tenants and their families to remain in occupation whilst the old timber panel fronts and backs were taken off their houses and replaced with new timber frame and brick construction facades.

 

After around 20 years working on small and large commercial development and refurb projects, Barry left this sector to set up on his own, working on new, high end, design and build homes for individual clients. Barry would design the homes (along with the clients), apply for and obtain the Planning and Building Regulations approvals, then organise and supervise the builds to completion. – This activity led to him being invited by the UK Government, onto their “Self Build Committee" (led by Grant Shapps MP), where his experience was used to help create a new nationwide drive to increase the numbers of Self Build developments across the UK, supported by the “Grand Designs” tv programme.

 

Barry has written two self-build related books: “151 Things Every Self Builder Should Know", and "Self Build Simplified" (both presently being updated, but usually available on "Amazon Books")

 

Conclusion:

 

During the development process for this product, I have obviously spoken to (under NDA protection) and dealt with many people.

Almost every one of the males I have spoken to since I started working on this project (men love things they can climb!!), make the exact same comment: “I need one of those”. – That fact suggests that a good proportion of the “end user” sales interest could come from male DIY’ers, Self Builders sector).

 

If you (the reader), uses a ladder, you will most likely be fully aware of how unsafe you feel when using them especially as your feet get up past your own height above the floor. This is the general feeling that anyone could be likely to experience if they are using ladders without having received training on how to do so safely.

 

Note: When setting the Laddersafe up, one of the actions to be carried out is to tighten the base of the ladder into the vertical housing at the centre of the Laddersafe unit (see previous image above). – As part of the tightening apparatus, there is a fixed plate set at 75% to the horizontal (which is the correct angle at which to set all ladders when in use). – This one feature of the product, on its own, will significantly reduce the likelihood of ladder accidents, as many ladder users are not aware of the correct angle at which to set the ladder for safe use.

 

Lead time to starting trading:

 

Due to it’s simplicity, the lead in time for the product should be short, possibly between 3 to 6 months from funding being made available.

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If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact me at:   anthony.sutcliffe1@btinternet.com

 

(Linkedin / Facebook / Whats App contacts will follow soon)