Re: selling stoves

["elk" <elk@wananchi.com>]

Paul;

Your question on stoves marketing is indeed of central import to this list.

In my experience, there's absolutely no substitute for visiting the intended
marketplace and gaining experience with applying the stove en situ.

The second step for a Nor-Am or European product would normally be to
investigate local fabrication- as Paul Haite has done with Pyromid Stoves in
South Africa. The obvious complications arise if you are working for-profit
at this point- how to control quality, compete with the quick-to-copy
informal sector (which may spoil a good name image and marketing investment
with substandard/incomplete products), and invigilate royalties.

Many a non-profit stove dissemination project has failed to succeed even
though the product seems to fit the requirement in all aspects. A for-profit
project is even more tricky. There are good sales prospects in targeting aid
agencies and focusing on famine, flood, earthquake, deforested and conflict
areas, but first you MUST prove the stove within representative target
populations. Aid agencies are wary of 'good ideas' now- having been stung
trying to give away maize to millet-eaters etc..........

The crux- your choice if you need finance- to go NGO and give away your
technology in exchange for free travel & a philosophical glow or seek
venture capital and tie up partnerships & profit-shares. Obviously there is
a broad grey area in between, but in most instances development grants etc.
are not available without a track record showing some form of commercial
viability. This takes time, money, effort, travel.......... most of all-
patience.

Good luck, and keep us here on the stoves list as informed as a for-profit
lurker can, O.K.? You are not alone.

elk



--------------------------
Elsen L. Karstad
elk@wananchi.com
www.chardust.com
Nairobi Kenya



----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul DeBruicker" <pdebruic@mgmt.purdue.edu>
To: <stoves@crest.org>
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 12:30 AM
Subject: selling stoves


> Hi List,
>
> I've been a "lurker" on this list for some time, so thank you for sharing
> your ideas and effort. One concept that I would like to hear a little bit
> more about, that is rarely discussed, is how do you get a prototype stove
> from a lab in Denver, or Oregon, or wherever into the hands of people who
> would actually benefit from your development work? It seems that without a
> workable dissemination plan, the design stage is just an academic
exercise.
>    I would be surprised to learn that there are large groups of people
with
> piles of cash just waiting for a stove to back. Presumably it would be
> necessary to have a design that could be profitably (at least no profit/
> no loss) commercialized at a scale that provides incentives for both
> adoption and dissemination.  Further, it seems to me that once you have a
> "winning" design the work has just begun because of the almost complete
> lack of dissemination infrastructure. I have read that to be accepted, the
> stove has to be designed with the end users assistance, with the ability
> to use locally available materials, and ease of construction/maintenance
> so that the local community can take part in the economic benefits.  So it
> appears that an entire decentralized construction and distribution network
> would need to be created at an affordable cost, with allowances for local
> design changes that would suit the needs of the regional customer base.
> How do you close the gap between the designers and users so that the
> benefits of the stoves are actually realized?
>
> If this topic would be better addressed to a different forum please let me
> know and I will take it there.  Thanks for any insight.
>
> Sincerely,
> Paul DeBruicker
>
>
> -
> Stoves List Archives and Website:
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>
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>
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>
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>


-
Stoves List Archives and Website:
http://www.crest.org/discussion/stoves/200202/
http://crest.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/ (Under construction)
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Stoves.html (Original)

Stoves List Moderators:
Ron Larson, ronallarson@qwest.net
Alex English, english@adan.kingston.net
Elsen L. Karstad, elk@wananchi.com www.chardust.com

List-Post: <mailto:stoves@crest.org>
List-Help: <mailto:stoves-help@crest.org>
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Sponsor the Stoves List: http://www.crest.org/discuss3.html
-
Other Biomass Stoves Events and Information:
http://www.bioenergy2002.org
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1010424940_7.html Bioenergy
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1011975339_7.html Gasification
http://www.crest.org/articles/static/1/1011975672_7.html Carbon

For information about CHAMBERS STOVES
http://www.ikweb.com/enuff/public_html/Chamber.htm