Selling medical supplies to Fund SCI Research

[Jeff]

Some time in 2002 I plan to start selling a half dozen or so products. There are sites like Worldnet that give you the space and let you use the software for no charge. Later, if business does well, I could expand.

The problem with CanDo was that they had huge overhead. What I'm talking about would have almost none. It wouldn't be one-stop shopping. It would sell only the most common items to those wanting to support research.

What about profit? Don't need any. It'll be a hobby and funding research will be rewarding enough.

~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/wavey.gif ~

[Jeff]

Felps, I think jeff means he will sell the products with a low margin to gain market share, and give the proceeds to sci research, minus his labor and operating costs. My impression after knowing him these past years.

Thanks, RDF, for the vote of confidence.

I'm planning on doing all I can. I think all profits will be claimed on my tax return, minus donations in the same amount as a tax credit. This is because being a 501C3 is expensive in terms of legal fees and I can't offer a tax deduction to customers, at least not at first.

I'm planning this as a hobby to employ my wife as a volunteer and give myself web experience, also as a volunteer.

It might go nowhere but it might go everywhere. Only one way to find out.

~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/wavey.gif ~

[Sue Pendleton]

Jeff, Can you find out what Florida Medicaid pays for regular straight catheters? I have heard they pay outrages prices for those and KJ or surgilube. Can't get more basic than those. Most people can file a seperate return to their insurance company once they pay for the items so there is some coverage but if you can beat Medicaid even in one state you wil have a major money maker. How big is your garage and is your place zoned for a home business? I'll order from you. Mine just jumped from $50 to $75 for 50 individual wrapped caths that I order through my local pharmacy.

Sue

[Wise Young]

Jeff, as you may know, this was the original idea behind Spinewire and Cando... They were supposed to provide 10% of the profit from sales of medical supplies for research to be chosen by consumers. Once the venture capitalists got involved and the business turned out to be more difficult than expected, they bailed out. At its most successful, I think that Cando had about 6000 registered members. This was after three years. I spent quite a lot effort trying to convince Cando that even if they were able to get 1000 people to buy their medical supplies from the site, that would be a profitable business. In addition to medical supplies, you should also consider the pharmaceutical supplies. Many people with spinal cord injury buy as much as $5000 or more of prescription drugs. Under the leadership of Mark Pinney, Cando set up a catalog of over 20,000 items and a database-driven web site that is capable of handling significant traffic. But, the venture capitalists who funded the company were too impatient and the dot com panic did not help. So, Cando failed.

Wise.

[cheesecake]

Wise, I know that Mark had tremendous vision and hope. I met with both Mark and Sam as the push for Spinewire began to help assist in community outreach. It remains a good idea Jeff, but patience as well as an understanding of the SCI community are imperative. I am certain it WAS NOT Mark who chose the wheelchair umbrella! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

[rbyrd49100]

I would much rather order a few items from a member of CareCure in the business. Especially knowing that some portion will be going directly into the SCI Project. I don't believe it could be classified as being part of the establishment, but competing against it.

Russ Byrd

[Felps]

on this topic??????

[Jeff]

I think all the pieces will come together within a few months. By starting with a limited amount of product I can keep all the inventory in a spare bedroom. At least twenty of each item. I'm not sure about zoning but home based businesses run in homes, right? I don't plan on serving local drive up or walk up traffic.

CRPF has a grant program for self-perpetuating businesses that benefit the community. I believe it's for non-profits but I'll certainly explore it. I'd love some help getting my initial inventory plus a few months of commercial DSL service. It costs $200+/mo to run a business on DSL vs. the $45 they charge a web-surfing individual.

All in all ... I think I can limit my exposure, have fun, learn a lot, employ my wife, enjoy having a business of my own, gain web experience, and most of all support research. A few grand will get the thing going and shipping a dozen or so packages a day could easily be handled by one pretty Filipina. If my neighbors complain about a daily UPS truck I'll fire back about how their dog poops all over the common areas. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif


The site? Well...IBM's Websphere, VisualAge, DB2 and other products can be used license-free on small web sites. The only limit is the number of files used on the site. Other than that, each is the real thing. I had cable internet for eight months in the Philippines, downloaded them all, and loved it. In the end I didn't bother putting even putting it on my resumé. No one wants anything but real world experience. My wife is incredibly bright but she speaks English as a second language and I don't think her Industrial Eng/Time Mgmt education will go that far anyway. So....we'll do our own thing for a while [in my spare time]. I love every minute I can be with her and a joint-project will be a lot of fun.

~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/wavey.gif ~