PLUSTO CREATING TRADE
PLUSTO.com
An unmatched global network of efficient commercial and industrial connections to revolutionise world trade.
PLUSTO CREATING TRADE
‘Plusto will become the world’s largest commercial and industrial trading and auction website within the next 5 years.’ – Adriaan Gie, Founding Director, Plusto.com
This document demonstrates our vision and strategic focus: adding value to local and international economies by creating an efficient, reliable and trustworthy online trading platform, thereby eliminating the inefficiencies of traditional trading. It also provides the step-by-step plan for our launch into the world market, and details the strategic partnerships which we will create with industry leaders, country partners and shipping and logistics suppliers.
The Product
Although E-commerce is made up of Business-to-Business (B2B), Business-to-consumer (B2C) and Consumer-to-Business (C2B), it is becoming clearly evident that B2B holds the most potential. While the global B2C E-commerce is expected to grow from $164 billion in 2006 to $320 billion by 2010 (eMarketer, January 2007), B2B is forecast to grow from $1.2 trillion to $16 trillion. Little wonder that the focus world-over, is now on B2B E-commerce. Three different forms of B2B exchanges exist. The first category is buyer-controlled. It is a consortium of buyers who aggregate their purchases. The recently-formed consortium among DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors (to which Toyota recently joined) is an example. By this process the buyers are looking to efficiently manage the procurement process; lowering administration cost, and ensureing uniform pricing. The second category is seller-controlled. Here the sellers who cater to fragmented markets such as chemicals and auto components come together to create a common trading place for the buyers. While the sellers aggregate their market power, simplifiying the buyer’s search for alternative sources. The third category is third-party exchanges that are neither buyers nor sellers. They thrive purely on the fees generated by matching buyers and sellers. It is only in this instance that a free market can be established and user confidence can be built.
B2B
Plusto aims to consolidate the three business models, offering listing and auction services to all industries worldwide. These include all support services, value added services and the efficient transfer of appropriate information to users regarding product availability and inventory requirements.
Plusto is part of the B2B media platform industry which includes several kinds of businesses: 1. B2C auction sites that can facilitate B2B transactions (e.g. eBay , Tazbar ): eBay is the most successful auction site around, and has quickly become one of the fastest growing companies in the world. eBay focuses on B2C transactions, and consumer to consumer trading. It does not have a system in place for the efficient transfer of information regarding product availability and inventory requirements. 2. B2B listing sites (e.g. Alibaba, Global Sources): Alibaba and Global Sources are purely listing sites for businesses searching for products listed at fixed prices and looking to contact sellers directly. It has no auction element and does not have a system in place for product availability or facilities for information transfer. 3. B2B listing and auction sites specific to industry (e.g. Chemconnect): These are industry specific sites developed by people with the expertise in that specific industry. They supply added value services and because their audience is defined, they are able to efficeintly relay information regarding product availability and inventory requirements. 4. B2B auction sites that create exposure for live auctions (eg. Dovebid): The sites provide information on up-coming industry auctions, but the buying process is handled off-line. They do not have a system in place for product availability or facilities for information transfer. Plusto.com consolidates the four business models, offering listing and auction services to all industries worldwide, with all support services, value added services and the efficient transfer of appropriate information to users regarding relevant product availability and inventory requirements.
The Opportunity
Plusto’s unique system enables you to source and sell a huge variety of products from and to anywhere in the world. Recent developments in technology worldwide, new emerging markets, and the exponential growth in online connectivity in the developed and developing world, ensure that the time for an efficient online commercial and industrial marketplace is now.
Global Trade
Grow your business By providing small and medium sized businesses with the information they need to make an informed decision regarding importing and exporting, their market can expanded to reach the global community.
Don’t limit your company to conventional boundaries. Trade with the entire world at Plusto.com
Commodity Traders can use all the tools provided by Plusto to broaden their potential customer base and offer all the benefits of an efficient market place to their clients, all the while using their own brand in their dedicated online stores. Plusto is focused on providing network systems that facilitate the efficient distribution of stock between businesses and governments on an international level.
Global trading opportunities open doors for entrepreneurs to source products and sell them to an international market, or source products online for their domestic markets. So if you’re a small, medium or large business, Plusto will make it easier for you to make an informed decision about importing your supplies from abroad, and similarly will expose your products to a worldwide audience.
Trading a Diversity of Products & Services
Plusto facilitates the trading of everything from Abdominal Exercisers to Zirconium Alumina. Light weight valuable materials to heavy construction machinery can all be bought and sold on Plusto. You’ll find stock and services listed across 30 diverse industry categories, covering every possible commercial or industrial trade. Find items on Plusto by searching, browsing or using the Industry and Company specific pages. Plusto will tell you what’s in stock or what’s coming and when, from anywhere in the world, how much it costs, what colours or sizes or shapes or speeds or strengths or anything you would need to know, all at the touch of a button.
Buying and Selling
The variety of listing methods provide unique flexibility to sellers and buyers to market and source products locally as well as internationally.
Flexible selling options
Efficient ways to source products
Our transaction methods create the basis of a free marketplace, and with the correct security checks and verification processes, it’s a secure online trading environment for buyers and sellers. You can sell by:
PLUSStore allows you to
create your own online branded store within the Plusto environment.
Auction Style Listings (With or without Reserve or a Buy Now price)
Fixed price Listings Dutch Auctions (selling items to multiple sellers at the highest price)
Classified Ads
You can buy by: Requests for Quotes Reverse Dutch Auctions (Source products at the best price from multiple sellers)
Registration & Verification Registering with Plusto is FREE and users’ information is kept private on our secure servers. Multiple accounts can be registered when users are involved in multiple business types and wish to handle each of them separately. Physical and online verification processes ensure that account security is optimized and Plusto remains a safe place to trade. Plusto offers users the confidence and security of knowing that somebody will be there to answer questions and provide help at all times.
Logistics When a buyer bids for or buys an item, their shipping and logistics costs are estimated based on various product factors such as weight, dimensions, origin and destination. Customs calculators estimate the duties that buyers and sellers pay when trading internationally. So users can now make informed decisions on an international level, knowing the total landed cost of the products they are bidding on. Plusto members can use the services of our shipping and logistics partner, arrange their own shipping or find surplus transport by searching on Plusto.
One ticket covers your entire journey - no surprise extra charges
Features
Filters
Inputs & Outputs Industry Partnerships Filters allow users to easily find what they are looking for. Filter by Location: Filter listings by country, region or continent. You can also custom-filter a selction of countries of your choice. Filter by Listing Type: Find selected types of listings such as Auctions, Buy it Now, Fixed Price, Requests for Quotes and Classified Ads. Filter by Payment Methods: Because some payment methods offer more security than others, users can select to only show listings where the seller accepts certain methods of payments.
We have developed input and output tables for all types of businesses across all industries, including but not limited to farming, mining, manufacturing, wholesalers, retailers, service providers, agents/brokers, distributors, re-cyclers and transport and storage providers. There are already over 1 000 000 relationships established between company types and categories on both the input and the output sides. Our Industry Partners provide the basics, and over time the entire Plusto Community helps us to refine the system.
Plusto forms partnerships with industry entrepreneurs that can clearly see our vision and the opportunity that Plusto creates for them. It is their industry specific intelligence that allows us to provide companies all over the world with reliable and relevant product information. Industry Partners receive no beneficial treatment on the site – Plusto is a free market!
Plusto’s online Help includes information on just about everything relating to Plusto to enable users to find the help that they need. They can browse or search for Help items, to effectively get answers to any questions they have.
Help
Our unique Customer Support system is efficient and cost effective, guiding users to find their answers through online help. Alternatively their enquiry is directed to the appropriate division at Customer Support.
Customer Support
Plusto's Policies are rules that help to create a safe, fair and enjoyable trading environment for all Plusto members. All sellers and buyers agree to abide by our policies when they register.
Policies
Online Security
For a small fee Plusto buyers and sellers can become verified physically by a third-party company. Being PLUSVerified provides added confidence for users regarding the members they are transacting with.
Mechanisms are put in place to ensure that this system is not abused, ensuring that users of the system abide by policies and rules determined by the company.
Feedback System
Third Party Verification
Plusto provides relevant links to the official customs sites of over 120 countries to enable users to find all the relevant information relating to the importation and exportation of goods from and to various countries.
The Feedback area, is a public part of the site (available for all to see), where users can view or leave feedback – good, neutral or poor – for any other user that they are considering dealing with or have dealt with in the past. A user’s Feedback score is a reflection of their online reputation.
Legal Partners
Customs Information
As Plusto expands to various countries it forms relationships with legal experts in those countries, who provide the information necessary for the Plusto community to transact with users in that country.
Shipping Partners Plusto seeks to establish a relationship with a global shipping and logistics company that will become the provider of shipping and logistics services to Plusto’s users. Data provided by the shipping and logistics partner will be used to establish a universal shipping and customs calculator, which will enable users to make informed decisions about purchasing and selling products internationally.
Country Partners head up Plusto’s efforts in a specific country, and are responsible for establishing strategic partnerships and Industry partnerships. Plusto seeks to establish partnerships with entrepreneurs in countries around the world that are excited by what Plusto can achieve, are aligned with our principles, and have knowledge about business operations and marketing strategies within their respective countries.
CountryPartners
At the outset it was decided to establish a foundation, which shall own 1% of the equity in Plusto, the benefit of which shall pass to charitable or social developmental causes, to be decided on by the board of directors. The Foundation is a representation of the principles and culture of the company, and carries through from the Executive Team, Staff, Industry and Country Partners and even Plusto’s users.
The
PLUSFoundation has three sources of revenue:
Its pre-IPO stock will generate revenue to provide grants to numerous non-profit groups and social development causes. Plusto’s staff, including its executive, contributes towards the PLUSFoundation directly, and also creates teams which drive charitable causes and programs. Plusto’s staff and executives form the backbone of the PLUSFoundation and can recommend any non-profit organisation for funding. Plusto users are also able to contribute to the PLUSFoundation through PLUSGive, whereby a part of the proceeds of the sale of goods (10-100%), is donated by the user to a charity of their choice. In this circumstance, Plusto donates a matching percentage of its revenue earned from the transaction to the charity. All PLUSGive charities need to be approved by the PLUSFoundation.
Full Circle
Communication
The Brand
PLUSTO CREATING TRADE
Emotional Values which will guide and define the character, personality and behaviour of the brand: Savvy Progressive Bold Exciting
Brand Values Brand Essence A REVOLUTION IN GLOBAL TRADE
Rational Values which substantiate the brand’s perceived personality through the intrinsics of its product offering and the way it acts at all times: Efficient Informative Clear Trusted
DESIRED ATTITUDE TO BRAND ‘Plusto offers my business exciting prospects for the future, by enabling me to trade with the entire planet.’
Advertising
Idea Under Construction
Public Relations Launch
PR will authoritively launch and build the brand by strategically disseminating The Big Idea and its benefits to the world’s leading Business, Industrial, Technology and Trade publications. Both traditional and on-line.
Strategic Partnerships Through strategic partnerships with Business Development Agencies and governmental Trade & Industry departments, Plusto will generate authoritative referrals and ongoing reciprocal promotions.
Events
Advertising will entrench and defend the established brand values and sell the product benefits in effective yet creative activities, through traditional, on-line and interactive new-media communications. In keeping with the brand’s maverick and revolutionary character, a central part of the PR and launch phase advertising will be the creation of a news-worthy campaign of activity. Ads will be placed in the underground transportation systems of the world’s major cities. These ads will communicate the analogy of Plusto’s International Trading network, to these physical underground networks. PR would then make use of photographs of these ads in the various international contexts, to portray the brand’s bold, confident and exciting approach to everything it does, including its launch activity.
Plusto will have a prominant presence at major Trade and Technology Shows and will launch with high profile events to technology, commercial and industrial leaders.
Searchability
Plusto.com’s searchablity will be optimised for the world’s leading search engines.
To talk to Plusto, contact us @: www.plusto.com partners@plusto.com 0861PLUSTO (within South Africa) or Adriaan Gie on Mobile: +27 82 3316689
LONDON WITHOUT THE UNDERGROUND? NOW TRY TO IMAGINE THE WORLD WITHOUT PLUSTO.