Solar Group 1

David Zacher, Cassie Maurer, Peter Simon

Intro:
We chose to develop our service based upon existing models and products. Our approach does not reinvent the wheel, it does however add speed, stability, and practicality to existing models used around the world.

We chose a four pronged approach along the lines of creating a brand, developing the product, using existing distribution models, and expanding the venture through franchise.

Brand:
A brand is a promise. our promises are: 1. this solar cooker will save you time, and 2. This solar cooker will not burn your house down. We have determined that although other promises or objectives merit inclusion, by keeping the message of our venture simple, we can build the brand to later include other promises such as reducing indoor air pollution, or heating a home.

Marketing:
The marketing portion of our solution includes considerations of how to best reach populations with very little available time to experiment and modify their lives. We have also considered how to best communicate our brand within the focuses of practicality of the product offered as well as remaining true to the social constraints of our user group.

Product:
Our product seeks to incorporate solar cooking into the routine of the home, as well as to save time and energy that would previously be spent cooking with biomass. We have also considered how to best design a solar cooker that will not burn your house down.

Distribution:
our distribution model builds upon existing modes where uncommon recourses can reach users that live outside of cities or regional towns. We would use our franchise network to connect smaller regional towns to the cities or manufacturing center headquarters.

Franchise:
The most important part of our system or solution is our proposed franchise network, where we will train "sales people" from the cities to spread and sell the technology to the potential users. Those sales people will then have the opportunity to expand the franchise to other entrepreneurial people that they meet along the way.

Why we are not giving this technology away for free:

1/ People discard free items, when you price a piece of technology then people ascribe more value to that product than they would if it is community owned or donated by a random NGO.
2/ By creating value through price, we are opening opportunities to experiment with new or innovative business models that may potentially sustain the enterprise.
3/ Franchise creates local economies where we may enable the empowerment of our user groups. Our franchise may eventually serve as a model for increased development by our user groups.