The following 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. More about the SMART 100.
This innovation initially came to life when…
Following the 1998 major hail storm in Sydney (during which our car was extensively damaged), my wife and I were in Narooma one weekend. We heard that a severe storm was approaching the South Coast, and that it may contain hail. Having found that there was no undercover parking available in Narooma on a Saturday afternoon, I tried to find cardboard boxes to protect our car. Luckily it only rained, but it then became obvious to me that a portable shelter would have been ideal. Thus in 2003, Steve Anderson and I started on our project.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Provide protection against sun, rain, birds, sap, and hail, for all car owners, once they leave home (or as additional cover at home), whether it’s for a few days, weeks, or even months at a time. Protects your car — wherever you are.
It does this by…
Being able to be used on any hard, level, and flat surface, using the weight of the car to provide stability. It has 4 water bags and both ends of the cover are retractable, for drive-in access. It comes in a bag the size of a golf bag, weighs only 20 kgs, and can be erected in 10 to 12 minutes.
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Most ‘portable’ carports or gazebos need pegs and guy ropes, and thus cannot be used on concrete or bitumen surfaces. Some weigh up to 47 kgs or more. Most do not have any aluminium content. Tents with aluminium can cost from $745.00 up. Car covers can scratch the duco, and do not allow air to circulate under them, causing condensation.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
It provides easily erected undercover parking wherever they are. It can be erected in 10 to 12 minutes, comes in a carry bag the size of a golf bag that weighs only 20 kgs, and is made of rust-free strong aluminium and nylon.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Nothing. In one hundred years of motoring nobody has offered the 12,100,000 Australian motorists a way of protecting one of their most valuable assets, their car, whenever they are away from home. Car covers do not provide the same level of protection and therefore there has been no solution to offering personal undercover parking except for the occasional car park, etc.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
Products that appear to be the ‘Transportable Carports’. Major differences from the Carportable:
1. They are made of steel and can weigh over 47 kgs.
2. They all use pegs and guy ropes to hold the carport in place, and provide stability.
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
The many car owners who, on seeing the Carportable, tell me “Oh, I’ve got a garage”, but as there is nothing available in the market to offer them protection once they are away from home, this represents a totally new, untapped market. In addition to this, there are a significant proportion of car owners who do not have undercover parking at home. This is due to none being available, particularly in rental properties; too many cars, and only 1 garage; the garage is being used, as a storage area; or their Council refuses to let them build a carport.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
The web site of www.carportable.com.au
Our marketing strategy is to…
Secure a distribution agreement with a major auto accessory retailer (or wholesaler) that covers Australia and NZ. With patents already approved in Australia, NZ, USA and China (and pending in Canada, Europe and Japan), our aim is to negotiate similar agreements with these areas. Our income will be derived from the patent licence fee from each country.
SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
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To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.
Start-ups to enter 2012 Telstra Australian Business Awards
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