Contemporary Business 14th Edition by Louis Boone, David Kurtz

تمرين 25

Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan: To most people, the household cleaning industry would seem to be as dull as dishwater-but not childhood buddies Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan. Where others saw dreariness, the two entrepreneurs saw green-in both senses of the word. They believed they could create more eco-friendly soaps, dishwashing liquids, and laundry detergents than the big companies; package them more attractively; and make huge profits. With their Califonia-based company Method, they have achieved these goals.More than a decade ago, the budding entrepreneurs brainstormed about products they could reinvent that would challenge industry giants. What could evoke more drudgery than cleaning? Even the products were boring. They were made with harsh chemicals and packaged in dull plastic bottles. But they pulled in the profits for their manufacturers. So Lowry and Ryan's solution was simple: come up with nontoxic products and package them in cool-looking bottles and jars.Method wasn't an overnight success. The partners' economic timing was off-their first cleaning product hit the market just as the economy stumbled, and they ran through the $100,000 in savings they had put up as seed capital. They found themselves mixing batches of the cleaning brew in a bathtub and delivering orders in a pick-up truck. Then they maxed out their credit cards and couldn't pay their vendors. "We had to appeal to the inner entrepreneur in each of our vendors," recalls Lowry. "We had to sell them on the fact that Eric and I could do something that had never been done before."Slowly the cleaning tide began to turn, and a year later Method products were beginning to appear in about 800 stores-including Target. But this wasn't enough for Lowry and Ryan; they wanted to make a bold statement about nontoxic cleaners. To build visibility for their brand, they went to well-known product designer Karim Rashid, who liked the idea and came aboard Method as the company's chief creative officer. From there, the business took off. Because the company was so small, its innovations in product and design could reach the marketplace in weeks instead of months or years. Method now markets about 150 products ranging from hand soap to bathroom cleaners, and is always looking for the next new thing-as long as it is green. The firm's marketing slogan, "People against dirty," has caught on with consumers around the country. "Our challenge is getting consumers to rethink how they do laundry," says Ryan. As for a business idea, they have found their Method.
-You often hear the advice to "do what makes you happy." No one loves washing dishes or doing laundry. Why do you think Lowry and Ryan chose household cleaners as their business-what is there about the business that could make them happy?