The American Dream is Still Alive: $2Mil in Year Two White Labeling iCoat Products
In 2021 America remains one of the best countries in the world to go from rags to riches, opportunity abounds for those willing to grasp the opportunity and visualize their future. If you put in the hard work and are supported with sound business planning, best practices, data analysis, and digital marketing, having the right products and doing the work to sell those goods can still make you rich.
Amazon has helped catapult a million companies to success with a business model where if you can promote and sell the same items better than your competitors you will win. Making money while you sleep sure feels good as orders are placed online 24/7. Most of these companies aren’t just lucky, they have a plan and they execute it. They leverage local experience and amplify it nationally and internationally.
When Steve Jones was at a local craft fair in his home state of Pennsylvania in fall 2017 he noticed booths selling beautiful tables, charcuterie boards, candle holders, coasters, river tables, and more. Not being much of an artist but appreciating beautiful things he got to talking with the couple selling these items. At first, it was hard because of the constant stream of customers interrupting their conversation. Steve watched as the inventory dwindled during the morning and the cash rolled in. Finally, a break in the action, the couple told Steve they made these items in their workshop in Lancaster, PA, he noticed the commonality was the epoxy and color.
Remembering a book he read entitled “The Business of America” Steve recounted the story of Levi Strauss who made his millions during the California Gold Rush, not selling gold but selling shovels. “There must be a thousand artisans making these pieces of art and I am going to become the one doing the best job selling them the epoxy,” he told himself. You see it doesn’t always take an invention, patent, or copyright to make you rich, it can be done by buying and selling existing items that people want. Candles, soda pop, golf balls, cleaning products to name but a few. So, why wouldn’t every manufacturer just do it themselves? Because it is not part of their business model and most companies have channel partners who sell their wares for a profit. It is the story of American business.
In 2018 Steve discovered iCoat Products at the World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. The show covers the construction industry including, decorative concrete and epoxy coatings, iCoat’s specialty. Steve quickly found out that he was not the first to white label products from iCoat, in fact, they had been doing this with various lines for the last 25 years. iCoat is a unique story, a military chemist developed products and handcrafted them over the years before handing them down to his son and the family business. It is no wonder their products have a superior standard and the results prove it. The deal was done.
Steve connected with a contact who helped him shape a business plan that kept him on track and he invested a little into marketing and advertising. He started receiving shipments and finding outlets to sell his white-labeled epoxy, state fairs, craft shows, local classes. He expanded to online sales with Facebook, Instagram, eBay, Craigslist, and a plethora of other outlets too. His first year he did $700k in sales and by his second year, he crested $2,000,000 in sales. Not bad for a man who only a few years earlier was at a crossroads in what to do with his life.
This is the American Dream personified and as this epoxy resin industry continues to grow with so much opportunity still to be grasped, year 3 in Steve’s tale is a story yet to be completed. Stay tuned.
The American Dream is Still Alive: $2Mil in Year Two White Labeling iCoat Products