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Why didn't I think of doing this...

T

tec699

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A worker carefully weighs and cleans a small plastic container that a customer has just dropped off at Ken Wong's 1,400-square-foot downtown store, Cartridge World. After figuring out how empty the cartridge is, the worker inserts a syringe and squirts, filling the casing with jet-black ink. The entire job takes just a few minutes.

"Now we just have to test out this ink cartridge and we're done," says Mr. Wong, who charges customers $15 for a refilled cartridge, compared with the $30 it would cost to buy a new one. Mr. Wong says the store, open just six months, already is grossing $25,000 a month. "It's so easy," he says.

Mr. Wong, 54 years old, is one of a growing number of small businessmen posing a potentially large threat to tech behemoths such as Hewlett-Packard Co., Lexmark International Inc., Canon Inc. and Seiko Epson Corp. He and other entrepreneurs, franchisees of a handful of upstart retailers, are aiming to open ink-jet cartridge filling stations on main streets and in shopping malls, offering consumers a convenient service and a cheaper alternative to buying new cartridges every few months.
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Wow.. so simple. It only takes one idea to make you rich I guess.
 
That's basiclly just like those refill kits you can order online I guess. Glad someone is making some money doing that though.
 
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
That's basiclly just like those refill kits you can order online I guess. Glad someone is making some money doing that though.
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Yea. I was just thinking about this issue when I had to buy Epson ink the other day. It's so god damn expensive and I wish we had a business like the one that is in the article. I bet they would make a killing in my small district.
 
I have trioed a few refill kits and they did not work as well as the cartriges.

Now I have a laser so ink isn't an issue


The only problem I see with this "bussiness" is 25K gross really is not that much. What are the cost they are incurring?

This could be used to easily suppliment a already there repair shop but I am thinking that these guys will be gone in less than a year if this is the sole income for this bussiness.
 
Originally posted by: tec699
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
That's basiclly just like those refill kits you can order online I guess. Glad someone is making some money doing that though.
Click to expand...

Yea. I was just thinking about this issue when I had to buy Epson ink the other day. It's so god damn expensive and I wish we had a business like the one that is in the article. I bet they would make a killing in my small district.
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Yet another reason I don't own a printer. 😉
 
whats stopping you from opening such a business? just cause one person has the idea in one city in one state, doesn't mean no other stores in other cities in other states are allowed doing the same 🙂

 
Originally posted by: tm37
I have trioed a few refill kits and they did not work as well as the cartriges.

Now I have a laser so ink isn't an issue


The only problem I see with this "bussiness" is 25K gross really is not that much. What are the cost they are incurring?

This could be used to easily suppliment a already there repair shop but I am thinking that these guys will be gone in less than a year if this is the sole income for this bussiness.
Click to expand...

Agreed. We don't know what his economic costs are so we can't say for sure. But I figure this guy has had to do a ton of local advertising in order to gain any real customers. That's got to be awfully costly right there.
 
What sucker would pay $15 for a cartridge refill when you can buy generics for a few bucks apiece?
 
Originally posted by: vegetation
Originally posted by: tm37
I have trioed a few refill kits and they did not work as well as the cartriges.

Now I have a laser so ink isn't an issue


The only problem I see with this "bussiness" is 25K gross really is not that much. What are the cost they are incurring?

This could be used to easily suppliment a already there repair shop but I am thinking that these guys will be gone in less than a year if this is the sole income for this bussiness.
Click to expand...

Agreed. We don't know what his economic costs are so we can't say for sure. But I figure this guy has had to do a ton of local advertising in order to gain any real customers. That's got to be awfully costly right there.
Click to expand...

He has to:

1) Buy ink - probably significantly less than $25k/month.
2) Rent a storefront - probably $2500/month or so.
3) Learn to operate ink injection syringe - can't be that hard.
 
Originally posted by: amdfanboy
Don't worry, they will install chips so you can't refill them.
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Oh like epson did/does on thier R200/300 series?
Easily by-passable. There is a simple program used to "reset" the carts bac to 100% full.

To buy the 6 replacement carts for a R200 ($99 MSRP) it costs $70+ How on earth is that legit?
 
Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
I predict that there will be unrefillable-by-design mainstream in the market within 2 years.
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And it will be unadvertised, but included with every new $29 full color photo quality printer that just seems "so cheap!"
 
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: vegetation
Originally posted by: tm37
I have trioed a few refill kits and they did not work as well as the cartriges.

Now I have a laser so ink isn't an issue


The only problem I see with this "bussiness" is 25K gross really is not that much. What are the cost they are incurring?

This could be used to easily suppliment a already there repair shop but I am thinking that these guys will be gone in less than a year if this is the sole income for this bussiness.
Click to expand...

Agreed. We don't know what his economic costs are so we can't say for sure. But I figure this guy has had to do a ton of local advertising in order to gain any real customers. That's got to be awfully costly right there.
Click to expand...

He has to:

1) Buy ink - probably significantly less than $25k/month.
2) Rent a storefront - probably $2500/month or so.
3) Learn to operate ink injection syringe - can't be that hard.
Click to expand...

He also has liabity insurance, taxes does he have an employees? If you have employees in the state of CA take their salary and double it that is the cost.

electricy.

25K gross can be a little or a lot. Hell the company I work for grosses about 10 million and only showed a 2%profit last year.
 
Originally posted by: amdfanboy
Don't worry, they will install chips so you can't refill them.
Click to expand...
Lekmark already tried that, the 3rd party manufacturers had to 'crack' the chip (reverse engineer it) and that violated the DMCA.

They lost.
 
Originally posted by: DanTMWTMP
i heard they don't last as long and is not as great as the ink u'd get from the actual manufacturer?
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i bought one to refill an hp cartrdige

printed 10, maybe 15 pages...streaked for another 10....and nothing. i shake it, it sounds rather full of ink, but something is wrong.

my parents get their cartridges for printers and copiers (toner, whatever it is) refilled by some office place, but notwhere near where i live, meh
 
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