Quick Fix
This story appears in the May 1998 issue of Startups. Subscribe »
It's happened to almost every driver, whether on a leisurely road trip or a daily commute: A passing truck hurls bits of gravel at your windshield, and before you know it, a tiny nick becomes a foot-long crack. But a source of annoyance for drivers is a source of income for The Glass Mechanix licensees, who repair cracked windshields at a price that's easy on the pocketbook.
Equipped with repair supplies manufactured by The Glass Mechanix, you can make repairs for car dealers, car rental agencies, truck companies and fleet accounts. "Even when economic times are hard, this type of business is going to do well because people are always looking to save money," says Lex Confessore, general manager of The Glass Mechanix.
Start-up costs range from $1,200 for a windshield and plate-glass kit to $3,700 for the deluxe system, which includes supplies for windshield, plate glass, headlight, taillight, cloth and velour repair, and scratch removal. Licensees receive an instructional video and manual; the deluxe system also includes a three-day training course in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, including airfare and hotel accommodations.
For more information, call (800) 826-8523.
It's A Stick-Up
By Laura Tiffany
The perennially popular photo booth takes a new twist with Sticker Station. Sticker Station goes one step further than the traditional instant photo booth by printing the photos on ministicker sheets.
For about $3, the electronic kiosk takes a customer's photograph, integrates it with the customer's choice of background and prints 16 ministickers in 60 seconds. The sticker backgrounds can be rotated and can reflect the location by incorporating local landmarks. The kiosk can also be custom-designed to suit the location.
Machines cost $7,500; stickers cost 85 cents per sheet. Licensed by American Photo Booths/Interactive Kiosk Systems Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia, contracts include a territory, technical training and support.
For more information, call (703) 519-5656 or visit http://www.stickerstation.com
The Natural
By Keasha Dumas
With the growing popularity of alternative health options, many people are considering natural ways to meet their daily health needs. Oxyfresh Worldwide Inc. caters to those needs with natural nutrition, weight management, children's care, oral health and pet care products.
You can become an independent distributor of Oxyfresh's products with the purchase of a $39 Enrollment Kit. Once enrolled, you may select one of three Fast Start Orders or carry no inventory at all. Fast Start Orders cost from $500 to $2,000 and can be customized by adding different items to the base products. You can even create a unique starter kit by combining individual Oxyfresh products. The company's automatic order program allows you to keep a steady supply of your best sellers by having your pre-authorized monthly order paid for by an automatic credit-card charge or bank draft.
Worried about making large purchases before you know which products will sell? "[Distributors] can use our retail direct program so they don't even have to carry any inventory," explains Craig Roggow, COO for Oxyfresh. "We'll do it all for them. We'll ship [products] to customers and send [distributors] a monthly check with the royalties from those purchases."
For more information, call (800) 333-7374 or (509) 924-4999.
