Coleman Made His $1,000 with Polish

 

Coleman Made His $1,000 with Polish 

    SOME years ago, George Coleman came upon a formula for making metal polish. It sounded simple, so he decided to get the ingredients and mix up some. This first polish was in liquid form, and reasonably successful, but when he tried to sell it he discovered that it wasn’t exactly what prospects required. Then he searched for a new formula. After a great deal of experimenting, he developed a formula of his own that was practical for use as an all-purpose metal and glassware polish, and has made hundreds of dollars as a result. “While I found a widespread demand for a high-grade metal polish,” said Coleman, “I had difficulty selling enough to make a worth-while profit. I knew practically nothing about selling or advertising in the beginning, and it took a little while for me to learn. For instance, the containers I used had no labels, and my product had no name. I sold a gallon jug to a large Chicago hotel one day, and they asked me the name of the polish explaining it was necessary to name the brand in their records. That stumped me. ‘I haven’t called it any special name,’ I said, ‘but, use it. If it’s good, you’ll want more.’ The man laughed. ‘I’ll call it Use It, then.’ About two weeks later, I got a phone call at my home for five gallons of Use It. That’s how I came to give the polish that name. When I went around, I told my prospective customers to use Use It, and sales began to increase. The polish did its work well, but there was a good deal of competition. However, as I picked up additional business steadily and was holding what I had, it wasn’t long before I was making real money. “I could have done better had I given the polish a trade name and made up a week or a ten-day supply at one time. But being cautious I made up only as much polish daily as was needed to fill orders. Furthermore, I should have had some circulars printed but I did not think it was necessary to give directions to the purchaser. I have since found I was wrong. “To sell readily, a metal polish must have certain features and these should be explained to the buyer. This explanation should be followed by instructions about applying the polish to glass and metal surfaces, and the effect demonstrated. Be sure that your formula does not contain poisonous or inflammable agents. While the danger from fire is not great, big users of polish will not have an inflammable or poisonous polish on the premises as they don’t want any more occupational hazards than are necessary. You can make up just as good nonpoisonous and noninflammable polish as you can a combustible and poisonous polish and the cost is less. I would suggest to anyone starting in the polish manufacturing business that he make innumerable tests of the product. Find out whether it is simple or difficult to apply. Make it as simple as possible to apply to secure the best results. If your metal polish is safe to handle, easy to apply, and polishes all metal surfaces including brass, copper and chromium perfectly, you will have a wide sale for it. But it will be in greater demand if it can be used to bring sparkling luster to mirrors, chinaware and porcelain.” There are a number of formulas for making a good polish, meeting the above specifications. The demand by clubs, hotels, taverns, hospitals, restaurants, office buildings, factories, garages, steamship lines, railroads and for home use is regular and steady. The polish may be made up at small expense, and attractively packaged. The cost including packaging is about six cents for an eight-ounce size, which retails for twenty-five cents. Sold in bulk to large users, such polish may be priced at from a dollar to three dollars a gallon. For one who likes to make up formulas, there is no better way to get the “first thousand” than through making and selling polish.