African Entrepreneurship Records

  Chapter 4 Everything is difficult at the beginning

   October 4, 1863.

  After months of long waiting, Ernst finally saw the finished product. After finding a relationship and using the banknote ability, Ernst found a metallurgical expert in an arsenal in Berlin, and the blade problem was solved.

   I have to say that the experts are reliable. With years of experience and rich knowledge added, Ernst made a request, and the experts immediately had an idea to solve the problem.

  Finally, with a mature plan, Ernst successfully launched the first-generation T-shaver blade smelting machine through product patents and sketches in a factory in Berlin that specializes in customizing industrial equipment.

   This also caused Ernst's small treasury to shrink rapidly, but fortunately, it has now achieved results.

  Having the corresponding machinery and equipment is only the first step. If you want to produce on a large scale, a set of equipment is not enough, but how to solve the problem of funds?

  At this time, I have to talk about the benefits of being a second-generation noble. As a top-notch second-generation noble, of course, I justly reached out to "borrow money" from my old father.

  Prince Constantine was of course also concerned about the living conditions of his son in Berlin, but one ordinary afternoon he received a letter asking for help from Berlin, which made him dumbfounded.

  For Constantine, this amount of money is not a small amount, but it is still enough to pay for his son’s first business. As a big German landowner, relying on rent collection is a very profitable job.

  This is also the first investment in industry. For Constantine, cultivating children's autonomy is better than anything else. Only by letting him make decisions by himself can he become a good successor in the future. As for failure, it is just the cost of trial and error.

   It is much better to exercise Ernst's ability while he is not old, than to leave behind his wealth.

  For an aristocrat, experience and experience are the best wealth, and the only way to become a qualified aristocrat is to be beaten by the society.

  Prince Constantine's straightforward atmosphere greatly accelerated Ernst's industrial production process.

  Through the status of nobility, the relevant procedures went smoothly. No one dared to embarrass the son of a prince, who was also the prince of the Hohenzollern family.

   Well-informed nobles know that the son of the old Prince Constantine is running a factory. Of course, most people are not very optimistic.

  Although there are aristocrats who have joined the industry these days, the top aristocrats still seldom end up in person. Hands-on geeks like Ernst barely see it.

  After renting the factory building, workers and other corresponding facilities in place, Ernst's factory opened.

  The operation of the machinery requires a large number of workers to operate. People come and go in the factory, so be careful about the running status of the machine at all times. Furnaces and steam crawlers required a lot of energy, and black chimneys rose from the ground.

  Black mist hangs over the sky of Berlin, and waste water is discharged directly into the rivers in the suburbs, which is the norm in early industrial countries.

  Of course, this is the result of the joint efforts of many factories, among which Ernst's small factory is inconspicuous.

  With the running of the track, the molten iron is shaped, cooled, and sent to the workers along the steel wheel for final shaping.

  Subsequently, workers use machinery to cut these sheets, which are collected by workers in the next process, and finally packed with oiled paper.

  This is the production process for blades, and there is also a line developed separately for handles.

  Everything adopts streamlined operation, which greatly saves the waste caused by intermediate links and improves production efficiency.

  At this moment, Ernst is holding the finished razor produced by himself. In order to test the practicality, Ernst decided to try it out "personally".

   "Peter, sit down and don't move." Ernst ordered.

  Pete sat nervously on the chair, not daring to move, as if waiting for the coming of great terror.

   Ernst performed the knife himself. First, he lathered the soap with soap and applied it to the victim's face. Ernst swung the handle of the knife from side to side, and his beard slipped to the ground with the scraping of the blade.

  Peter, as the first victim, enjoys the boss's service nervously. Although the new razor focuses on safety and convenience, who knows that this kind of fate is in the hands of others.

   Fortunately, everything went well. When the last knife fell, Ernst handed the towel to Pete to wipe his chin clean.

   "How do you feel?" Ernst asked curiously.

   "Boss, there is absolutely no problem with the quality control of the product alone, but whether it can be sold at a good price is uncertain."

  Pete is not very optimistic about the market prospects. After all, such novelty is difficult for people to accept in a short time.

  And there are actually similar products on the market, but the principle is different. As for why the boss insists on developing this new type of razor that removes uncertainty, Pete thinks that the boss may be just playing for fun, after all, young people.

   Ernst did not explain the reason, as long as his subordinates produced the finished product, in fact, this kind of old-fashioned razor in the previous life was too successful.

  Even in the era of smart home appliances, some people still use this purely mechanized old-fashioned T-shaped razor, and the classics are copied directly.

  As the inventor of this kind of razor, Gillette was born in sales, and invented this kind of care product that does not need to be sharpened, is relatively safe, and low in price through life experience.

   Moreover, the profit model of this razor is also very novel. Unlike traditional straight-handled razors, the blade and blade are integrated, and the blade cannot be replaced at will, so it is difficult to discard.

The blades of Gillette razors are very cheap, and they can be thrown away when they are blunt, which saves the effort of sharpening the blades and saves time. Shaver safe.

   Of course, there is still a long way to go to promote this new type of razor. The first problem to be solved is how to deliver the handle to the public.

  This is a big problem. It takes time for the public to accept this new thing. Only when they really have such a knife in their hands can the sales of blades be increased in the future.

  Ernst decided to use three ways to promote the new razor, the first is to promote the salesperson door-to-door, the second is to find dealers, and the third is to increase advertising investment.

  The first type is the most conventional one. The salesperson can explain the advantages of the new razor, directly hit the customer's pain point, and the transaction rate is also high.

  The second type is more troublesome, because the products of the company are not yet well-known, and dealers may not like them.

  So advertising has become a necessary auxiliary means. As for the content of the advertisement, Ernst already has a general idea.

  It is to put up a poster. This poster should not be too small, it must be large, and it is best to occupy a place on one wall.

   Only in this way can the usage and advantages of the new razor be popularized.

   Then we have to compare, find a male model, it must be handsome. Make two contrasting images, one with an old-fashioned razor directly across the face, to cause trauma. And next to it is the refreshment of a new razor.

   Put the words “safer” on the first line, then highlight the durability of the product (the handle can be reused), and finally save time and effort (the blade can be replaced, and it’s not expensive.)

  …

  After a two-month promotion process, the "Gillette" razor was freshly released. That's right, Ernst even plagiarized his name and stopped acting.

  As Ernst thought, the sales of "Gillette" razors were not booming. Fortunately, after two months of marketing and advertising, Berliners already know about this product.

  As for the families who have used it, many of them have become old customers. After all, the metal knife handle can be used for decades. It is estimated that there is no problem.

   At present, the quality of the product still needs to be guaranteed, and there are not many things left. Ernst has already appointed Pete as the acting factory director, and he will take time to inspect it.

  As for the profitable funds, they will be used to increase advertising promotion, from Berlin to other cities, and finally to the entire German region. The current production line can fully meet the product supply of the entire German region.

   When Ernst's products cover the entire German region, Ernst will make the next step. At that time, Ernst may increase production efforts and formulate plans for the entire continent or even the Americas and other regions.

  May also invest in some new industries, the premise of all this is the big sale of razors.

  All of this will take time. Ernst currently has no time and money to do unnecessary things. He can only consider the next step after the razor becomes profitable.

  (end of this chapter)