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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation came to life when…
I had a nasty accident breaking my back and was stuck in the hospital for about five months. Initially they were not sure if I would ever be able to walk again; as a plumber, that would mean the end of my career in a trade that I loved. Everyday I watched the medical staff with a bendable ‘demo spine’ which they twisted and turned in all directions. I then had a genuine ‘light bulb’ moment and spent much of my recovery designing a flexible, extendable and reusable silicone nozzle that solved a problem that tradesmen have when applying silicone.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Provide tradespeople with a fast, effective and easy way to apply their silicone and sealants. It quickens the time it takes to apply the sealant and cuts down on the wastage of sealant, both reducing costs.
It does this by…
Being FLEXIBLE, featuring ball joints that pivot to all angles; EXTENDABLE, adding additional ball joints gets you extra length and gets you into all those hard-to-reach places; REUSABLE, internally smooth for effortless transfer of sealant and easy clean removal.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Previous options where only every the ridged, short and straight nozzle, which meant a time-consuming and product-wasting process. There was not an option that was bendable, let alone flexible for 360 degrees in many places. Other nozzles have always been single-use and disposable, ending up in filling bins and thus landfill.
The benefits to the customer/end-user include…
A product that you can angle around or extend without having to take it of the sealant cartridge, which was always so messy. You are now able to get jobs done quicker with a much better finish.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Melting ridged nozzles with heat, taping them together, cutting them up. They were a Frankenstein that was messy and always leaked. Previously only the most experienced were able to get a professional finish on jobs that really could be done by learners. It also meant getting into awkward positions that often left you in pain or sometimes injured.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
Short stumpy nozzles or nozzles that bent at the base like an elbow that had limited range of movement.
5. TARGET MARKET
This innovation is made for…
Tradespeople who are working with silicone or sealant in their daily jobs. This includes much of the over one million people working in the building and construction industries such as plumbers, glass and window installers, tilers, pool and spa installers, who go through millions of tubes each month.
We are also useful for Home-Handy men and DIYers that are maintaining or increasing the value of their home. The always increasing billion-dollar market has companies such as Mitre 10, Masters and Bunning’s now stocking more and more products so that people can get those professional results into their home.
6. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
Selected suppliers of plumbing and trade tools. We are currently rolling out through one of Australia’s largest plumbing suppliers. Our nozzles are also available directly from via our website bentoversiliconenozzles.com.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Promoting to targeting industry onsite, through associations and industry magazines. Word of mouth and industry recommendation is a strong motivator for our market; so is the fact that we are Australian. We currently have feature articles in the largest construction magazines, have been reviewed and written about by industry leaders and featured as part of Australia’s World Plumbing Day celebrations.
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FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
