Chapter 4: The Beginning Is Hard
October 4, 1863.
After several months of waiting, Ernst finally saw the finished product. After finding connections and using his money, Ernst found a metallurgical expert at a munitions factory in Berlin, and the blade problem was solved.
I have to say that the experts are reliable. With years of experience and rich knowledge, when Ernst made a request, the experts immediately had an idea to solve the problem.
Finally, Ernst took the mature plan and successfully launched the first generation of T-type razor blade smelting machine through product patents and sketches in a factory in Berlin that specializes in customizing industrial equipment.
This also caused Ernst's small treasury to shrink rapidly, but fortunately it has now produced results.
Having the corresponding mechanical equipment is only the first step. If you want to achieve large-scale production, one set of equipment is not enough, but how do you solve the funding problem?
At this point we have to talk about the benefits of being a second-generation rich. As a top-level second-generation rich, it is of course justified to ask the old father for "borrow money".
Prince Constantine was of course also concerned about the living conditions of his son who was far away in Berlin. As a result, one ordinary afternoon, he received a letter asking for help from Berlin, which made him laugh and cry.
For Constantine, this amount of money was not a small sum, but he could still afford it to support his son's first business venture. As a large German landowner, collecting rent was a very lucrative job.
This is also the first time that his family has invested in industry. For Constantine, cultivating children's autonomy is more important than anything else. Only by letting them do things and make decisions on their own can they become good successors in the future. As for failure, it is just the cost of trial and error.
It is much better to train Ernst's abilities now while he is still young and young than to leave behind a huge fortune.
For a nobleman, experience and knowledge are the best wealth, and only by going through the beatings of society can one become a qualified nobleman.
Prince Constantine's magnanimity and straightforwardness greatly accelerated Ernst's industrial production progress.
With his noble status, the relevant procedures were completed smoothly. No one dared to make things difficult for the son of a prince, especially a prince of the Hohenzollern family.
All well-informed nobles knew that Prince Constantine's son was running a factory, but of course most people were not optimistic.
Although some nobles were involved in industry these days, the top nobles rarely took part in it themselves. It was rare to see a genius like Ernst who did things himself.
After renting a factory building and putting workers and other corresponding facilities in place, Ernst's factory opened.
The operation of the machinery requires a large number of workers, and people come and go in the factory, always paying attention to the operating status of the machines. The furnaces and steam tracks require a lot of energy, and black chimneys rise from the ground.
Black fog shrouded the sky over Berlin, and wastewater was discharged directly into suburban rivers, as was the norm in early industrial countries.
Of course, this is the result of the joint efforts of many factories, and Ernst's small factory is inconspicuous among them.
As the tracks rotate, the molten iron is shaped, cooled, and sent along the steel wheels to the workers to finally take shape.
The workers then use machinery to cut the slices, which are collected by workers in the next process and finally packaged with oil paper.
This is the production process for blades. In addition, there is a separate production line developed for handles.
Everything is done in a streamlined manner, which greatly saves waste caused by intermediate links and improves production efficiency.
At this moment, Ernst was holding the finished razor produced by his own company. In order to test its practicality, Ernst decided to try it "personally".
"Pete, sit still and don't move," Ernst ordered.
Pete sat in the chair nervously, not daring to move, as if waiting for a great terror to come.
Ernst performed the operation himself. He first made foam with soap and applied it on the victim's face. Ernst swung the knife handle left and right, and his beard fell to the ground smoothly as the blade scratched it.
As the first victim, Pete nervously enjoyed the boss's service. Although the new razor is mainly designed to be safe and convenient, who knew how uneasy it would be to have his fate in the hands of others.
Fortunately, everything went well. When the last knife fell, Ernst handed the towel to Pete to wipe his chin.
"How does it feel?" Ernst asked curiously.
"Boss, there is absolutely no problem with the quality control of the product, but whether it can be sold at a good price is hard to say."
Pete is not optimistic about the market prospects. After all, it is difficult for people to accept such novel things in a short period of time.
There are similar products on the market, but the principles are different. As for why the boss insisted on developing this new type of razor that takes away uncertainty, Pete thinks the boss might just be playing around, after all, he is young.
Ernst never explained the reason. As long as his subordinates produced the finished product, it was actually because this old-fashioned razor from the previous life was too successful.
Even in the era of smart home appliances, there are still people using this purely mechanized old-fashioned T-shaped razor. This classic is just a direct copy.
Gillette, the inventor of this razor, was originally a salesman. Based on his life experience, he invented this razor-free, relatively safe, and inexpensive care product.
Moreover, the profit model of this razor is also very novel. Unlike traditional straight-handled razors, the blade and the handle are integrated, and the blade cannot be replaced at will, so it is difficult to discard.
The blades of Gillette razors are very cheap and can be thrown away when they become blunt, saving the effort of sharpening the blades and saving time. The cutting edge is clamped between the iron sheets, and it looks safer than the straight-handled razors that can be used to shave the neck.
Of course, there is still a long way to go to promote this new razor. The first problem to be solved is how to get the handle into the hands of the public.
This is a big problem. It takes time for the public to accept this new thing. Only when they really have such a knife in their hands can the sales of blades be increased in the future.
Ernst decided to use three methods to promote the new razor. The first was to have salesmen promote it door-to-door, the second was to find dealers, and the third was to increase advertising investment.
The first one is the most common one. The salesperson can explain the advantages of the new razor, directly hit the customer's pain points, and the transaction rate is also high.
The second one is more troublesome, because the company’s own products are not well-known yet and dealers may not look down on them.
Therefore, advertising becomes a necessary auxiliary means. As for the content of the advertisement, Ernst already has a general idea.
Just put up a poster. This poster cannot be too small, it must be big, and it would be best if it could occupy the entire wall.
Only in this way can we popularize the usage and advantages of new razors.
Then we need to compare them. We use a male model, who must be handsome. We create two comparison images. One uses an old-fashioned razor to directly cut the face, causing trauma. The other uses a new razor and looks refreshed.
Put the word "safer" in large letters on the first line, then highlight the durability of the product (reusable handle), and finally save time and effort (the blade can be replaced and is not expensive).
…
After two months of promotion, the "Gillette" razor was freshly released. Yes, Ernst even plagiarized the name and did not even bother to act in it.
Just as Ernst had expected, the sales of Gillette razors did not become a big hit. Fortunately, after two months of promotion and advertising, Berliners had already known about the product.
Many of the families that have used it have become regular customers. After all, the metal handle can be used for decades without any problems. The required cost is for a set of blades, which enables small profits but quick turnover.
At present, we still need to ensure product quality, and there is not much left to do. Ernst has appointed Pete as acting factory director, and he will take time to come and inspect.
The profit will be used to increase advertising and promotion from Berlin to other cities, and finally to the entire German region. The current production line can fully meet the product supply in the entire German region.
Ernst will make the next plan only when its products cover the entire German region. At that time, Ernst may increase production and formulate plans for the entire continent and even America and other regions.
Maybe we will invest in some new industries, but the premise of all this is the hot sales of razors.
All this takes time. Ernst currently has neither the time nor the money to do anything extra. He can only consider the next step after the razor becomes profitable.
(End of this chapter)
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