A
New Water Store Book is NOW AVAILABLE.
Information on this "do it your self" book can be found
HERE.
We
welcome your interest in Aqua Technology and the possibility of working
with you in developing your own full-service water store. The objective
of this joint effort would be that of structuring a business enterprise
that would dominate a significant portion of the retail(and possibly
wholesale) water marketplace in your area.
**********
Aqua
Technology built it's first full-service water store in 1983, it's second
in 1985 and since then we have several dozen others for investors located
throughout the United States.
We recently completed a building program for an investor in the San
Francisco Bay Area. In the current situation, we assisted this investor
with everything from subcontracted electrical work to in-window vending
machines to equipment procurement and hookup to logo and store decorations
and advertising flyer designs.
When
this particular store is complete, it will belong to the investor and
their family. We will be available to provide on-line consultation as
the store opens and begins operations. Should the owner so choose, they
could also purchase several types of first-line water purification equipment
which area available from Aqua Technology.
The
owner can be trained in our flagship water store in San Jose, CA. This
training will span everything from technical know-how on the bulk water
production equipment and it's maintenance, to how to deal with water
and equipment customers and so forth. When the store opens, the new
owner(s) will be prepared to deal with their store, the equipment and
customers in a confident, timely and profitable manner.
A
team of skilled technicians are available for installation of any water
production equipment purchased from us as well as on-site training of
your personnel in your store.
From
the technology, concepts and operating principles developed in these
first two Aqua Technology water stores, literally hundreds of additional
water stores have been placed in operation nationwide by entrepreneurs
who recognize the potential of the growing water marketplace.
Our
nationally-printed articles on these topics which appeared in the major
water journals served as an impetus for this rapid expansion starting
as early as 1986.
We
constantly consult with individuals on a statewide, national and occasionally
international basis on this topic and regarding their water stores.
It
is fair to say that a great portion of the most profitable water stores
currently operating in California are those which were built by Aqua
Technology or built by individuals trained in the technology, concepts
and operating principles developed by Aqua Technology.
Unfortunately,
there have been some casualties in the water store business. In May,
1990, the Watermark Corporation filed for Chapter 11 and 7 after losing
nearly $20 million dollars in an 18 month dash to develop water stores
located just a few short blocks from many of our stores and those of
individuals who were trained by us.
Watermark
failed, not due to the lack of money, but due to their lack of business
acumen in the water marketplace, their inferior technology and their
poor choices and merchandising of products and a faulty business plan.
Each
competitively located store owned by Aqua Technology, those built for
investors, and those of our former employees and salespersons located
is still operative, and going strong---long after the Watermark debacle.
The
message we are sending to you is basically this:
"we
know what makes the water marketplace operate, we understand the strategic
position of the water store in the overall marketplace, we know what
types of technology will dominate in both the short and long term
in a strongly competitive environment, and we know how to make these
stores profitable".
Aqua
Technology is not interested in developing a franchise arrangement for
our stores. We are, however, interested in an arrangement whereby we
provide selective technologies, turnkey water production capabilities
and possibly a consultative or advisory position which would permit
the transfer of this key technology and know-how to individuals or a
group of individuals who are capable of financing and constructing a
market-dominating operation.
The
consultative arrangement would involve several key program elements:
(1)
a build-to-print design for the bulk water production capabilities of
the stores;
(2)
a carefully screened list of products and vendors(with alternates) which
would provide the investors with the marketplace leverage of a multi-faceted
equipment-based profit center.
Before
proceeding, allow me to insert an observation which we have found to
constitute the basic difference between financial success and failure
in most water stores:
"...the
vast majority of profits realized by a properly structured water store
are derived from equipment-oriented sales activities, not bulk water
sales."
If
there were one item which I could identify with water stores which are
currently in "trouble" in the US, it would be the fact that
they have trouble seeing beyond the sales of individual bottles of bulk
water. They have become, in effect, an "expensive, indoor vending
machine", no more, no less.
(3)
a turnkey water production and dispensing operation which meets the
highest water purity standards obtainable outside of laboratory conditions,
designed on a modular basis with growth and expansion capability commensurate
with individual store business plans and a design capable of being easily
approved by State Health Services;
(4)
a wide-range of programmatic support to include consumer-educational
materials derived from public media, private research, computer-generated
graphics, text and other desk-top publishing products directly applicable
to the water store;
(5)
optional owner/manager training at one of our water stores
(6)
follow-up technical, marketing, and administrative support following
the opening and initial operation of the individual store(s); and
(7)
optionally, an initial(and perhaps ongoing) strategic business modeling
and planning activity designed to keep the new water store in the drivers
seat with respect to his/her community as well as existing and new competition
that may arise in the future. This aspect of the consulting program
is defined in more detail in Water
Store Strategic Planning and Modeling.
There
are many ways to make a lot of mistakes quickly, easily and at great
expense in this type of business. Aqua Technology's assets include the
ability to get to the right answers, the first time, in the shortest
period of time, with the least expense. We know where "all the
bodies are buried" out in the marketplace, so to speak. To avoid
these undesirable situations, products, vendors and other operational
facets is integral to our support.
Should
these foregoing data be of interest to your group, I recommend that
you provide me with some specific programmatic aspects wherein you believe
that you could use our help. We will then provide you with a more specific
technical and cost package which would serve as the basis of a contracted
effort with your group.
However,
for your initial planning purposes, you can expect an outlay of between
$60,000 and $120.000 for a turn-key water store, the variance depending
to a large extent on the types of water processing technology, inventory
and leasehold improvements desired or necessary.
Should
you desire to expand the basic water store concept into one which is
capable of bottling and delivery operations, those expenses would of
course be additional, the amount depending on the scope of equipment
rentals, delivery areas, delivery vehicle types, collocation of bottling/retail
sales facilities and other factors which we could assist you with.
Our
consultation fees, exclusive of any profits derived from equipment designs,
sales, etc. could range between $1950 and $3,500, depending on the scope
of your program. Training programs for multiple store locations and
other expenses such as travel to site would be in addition to the base
fee.
>
Perhaps
a dozen times a week, customers, businessmen, investors and even just
the curious will ask us how to go about building a water store. After
all, it looks so easy--just sit back and watch hundreds of customers
line up to fill up jugs of distilled water; chat casually with customers
about buying a home water purifier---it looks so easy, or is it?
The
reasons for building a water store are certainly valid ones, regardless
of how easy or hard it may be to make them financially successful.
Whereas
a half dozen years ago. you couldn't get anyone to give you 30 seconds
to discuss drinking water, with increased pollution and contamination
problems. you can't get people to stop talking about drinking water.
This
turnabout has brought hundreds of new water "purifier" manufacturers
into the marketplace, dozens of bottled water companies and thousands
of house-to-house salespersons touting every conceivable type of home
water ''purifier''.
From
all of this mass hysteria and confusion over new water purification
products and concern about drinking water has emerged a few very important
facts:
1.
Virtually everyone is concerned about the
quality of drinking water their family is being subjected to at the kitchen tap.
And one out of three Californian's(one of 15 nationally) are voting
their displeasure by purchasing bottled water or some type of point-of-use
home water purifier
2.
People are beginning to get very tired and upset about spending over
a dollar a gallon for delivered bottled water,
which the newspapers, TV and radio contend daily is probably no better
than tap water.
On
the other hand, the water store offers them fresh, steam distilled or
reverse osmosis drinking water at a fraction of the price, normally
an order of magnitude cleaner water, in their own bottle(not someone
else's), and as much as they want, and when they want it.
3.
People are also getting tired of being
high pressured by the three-piece suited,
fast talking door-to-door salesman with his magic test kit and flip
charts---selling some super duper water purification system which does
everything but cook your meals---but requires a minimum of a second
mortgage on their house to afford.
People
are tired of that line---and they are slowly but surely finding that
these systems are no better or no worse than those they can get in a
water store for several thousand dollars less.
They
also like the choice you get in a water store---no one is shoving one
specific system down their throat. This is a retail store, (not a high-pressure
sales pitch in the family's living room) and the customer has definite
choices in performance and choices in price and convenience.
4.
The water store concept is tried and tested.
It's performance in the retail marketplace has been proven nationwide.
It's performance, admittedly, has been better here in the West where
the population is more tuned in to making themselves feel better with
better nutrition, better and more exercise, etc. Water fits into that
nutritional regimen very nicely.
5.
The water store is a place where you can establish a strong equity position for
yourself and your family. The unstable, indefinite and ill-defined ups
and downs of high technology industry has demonstrated to forward thinking
businessmen that there are better places to spend their days than working
for someone else.
In
the workplace, someone else seems to get all the credit when things
go right---while the hard worker seems to get all the blame when things
go wrong and is victimized by "downsizing" of the workforce
due to problems not of his own creation.
6.
The major technical breakthroughs
required to conduct business in a retail water store have been completed. True,
there will be enhancements in technology as time goes on---but the key
building blocks are there---tested and re-tested, and you don't have
to go through all kinds of research and development to enter this new
and profitable business market.
7.
The water store can be profitable---in
fact, it can be extremely profitable, if you follow certain guidelines
in selecting good retail equipment, a good store location, operating
guidelines and marketing strategies. It is fair to say that if your
profit goals are $100,000 per year or more that you should consider
a water store. True, there will be hard work, but I am not aware of
many small businesses today which can provide that type of profit base
a properly built and run water store can provide for a family.
*****
In
summary, there are these reasons---and perhaps another half dozen reasons
which all say that this is the time to consider such an investment.
You must remember, however, that the demand for such stores is not on
a par with a 7-11 store or a Burger King(YET!).
Therefore,
metropolitan areas suitable for a water store are in fairly short supply---and
you must avoid a condition where an area is "overbuilt". The
early "water bird" will get the worm and be able to stage
his business without intrusion or disruption from competition(which
will certainly arrive once they see the success of the new water store).
WHY
SELECT AOUA TECHNOLOGY TO HELP YOU BUILD YOUR WATER STORE?
When
a member of you family is sick or injured, you naturally take him/her
to the family doctor at the hospital or clinic. You certainly wouldn't
take the ill person to some fly-by-niter or inexperienced person who
dispenses pills and information out of the back of their garage or from
the trunk of their car.
This
above analogy may seem silly---but, seriously, now, here you are, in
the process of considering to spend upwards of $50,000 on a new business
endeavor---where would you seek help?
Would
you seek it from a professional who has operated and built successful
water stores for himself and others---or from someone who just talks
a lot and shows a lot of enthusiasm?
Would
you choose someone who has a wealth of published information that will
help you get your business going right off the bat---or would you do
business with someone who doesn't care enough about the business of
water to even write articles to major media about better health, water
topics, etc.?
It
all adds up to one very important point---EXPERIENCE! Enthusiasm is
no substitute for experience when you have a lot of bucks riding on
your new business.
There
are a few moderately successful water stores in California, Arizona,
Nevada, Florida and a few other locations and some of their owners now
believe that they have all the experience necessary to start you up
in your business. It is easy to find them---and it is easy to fall for
the quick talk and "flash" that goes with this type of individual.
Just
having a storefront and a few people coming through the door to buy
drinking water is not enough for you to hang your hat on when you want
to sign up with someone to help build a water store.
It
is easy to find "store builders" who can give you a real good
story about training, technical information, operations, etc. However,
it is much harder to find a store builder who has the real facts and
who will commit this information to paper for you.
Give
us a call at 1-800-478-7342 if you decide you want to obtain our assistance
with respect to water store equipment, consultation or both.
Or,
if you decide you want to go it on your own, consider our new Water
Store Book, available NOW.
