[gilgidor]

Hello people of science!

I wanted to set up a small company providing prepared buffers for chemistry and biochemistry labs. (ex: EDTA 0.5M sterile solution, Tris-HCl buffer, etc) When I crunched the numbers, even if I sell way bellow the price of Sigma and LifeTechnologies, I can make good money (by buying chemicals in bulk). My plan is to sell local, in my city where there are a few universities.

My question is, would you buy some of the buffers from me if I come knocking on your lab door? And do you normally purchase any of those buffers or do you make everything in house?

Any advice suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Your fellow scientist, Gilgidor the third.

[curiouscat]

Would I trust you? How will you convince me that your buffers & other products are up to spec?

Depends on what business your clients are in. If it's a cost sensitive univ. lab for undergrads convincing might be easier than a swanky genomics lab where the $$ burnt because an experiment failed due to a crappy reagent outweighs whatever they will save by buying from you instead of Sigma.

Also, who will you buy from? How will you trust their quality? Will you buy the equipment needed for in house QC of your reagents? In reagent grade Chemicals it is often the impurity that sets the price. Is the commercial grade of the same impurity specs that you want to resell? Will you need to purify in house?

What kind of inventory will you hold? Have you factored in the Working Capital needed for inventory?

What's the minimum size your suppliers will sell you in? Drumloads? IBCs? ISO Containers?

Lots of things to consider.