SLEEVEDCABLES.COM
Sleevedcables.com was an exercise in managing a successful e-commerce business. I found an unsatisfied niche in the enthusiast pc market, and was able to sustain a profitable business model that fulfilled the gap.
Skills Developed: Creating and maintaining sustainable business model, communicating/contracting with various manufacturing partners, e-commerce/marketing
Target Demographic: The enthusiast pc market has exploded in the past several years, with many users interested in making their computers unique. The system's cables are usually one of the first things to be modified, but most aftermarket options are expensive and confusing, leaving a unfulfilled void in the market.
Solution: That's where sleevedcables comes in. I learned the process of creating/manufacturing custom cables, I worked with a supplier to provide full color and pattern customization at a price that undercut the competition. You order your cables through a simple system, and I ship the product out within several business days.
Working with Suppliers:
This business venture allowed me to gain valuable skills in networking and contracting with real world suppliers. I worked/sampled with several suppliers on Alibaba and Taobao to find the best products.
Sales Platform
In order to tap into the enthusiast market, instead of creating my sales platform from scratch, I used the extremely popular /r/hardwareswap marketplace where thousands of dollars worth of computer-related goods are sold everyday. I received great community feedback, and an considerable amount of attention more than I was expecting.
Success
I did several product runs, where I bought materials from factories and then assembled them into final products to sell. For each run, I made back my upfront expenses and was profiting within a few weeks, thanks to the attention I received on hardwareswap (from repeat customers, and word of mouth). Additionally, I was able to streamline the process and offload more of the tedious assembly work my manufacturing partners. In my most recent run, I made 30-40% profit over running costs in a few weeks after first receiving materials. Even several months after my last run of cables, I get a continuous stream of messages from potential customers, pointing to the sustainably of the business.
What's Next?
I plan to revive the business, this time with a modified approach, taking into account what I have learned from past experiences. I'll move away from reddit and to my own e-commerce platform through shopify. This will allow me to grow out of the confines of reddit and appeal to a wider audience, and thus a larger potential profit.
