ABusinessCalledWaterValet

Water Valet

 Proposal

 

Hello, I am DeVora McCoy and my company is Water Valet. We want to put countertop, bottleless water-cooler systems in every apartment in Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, North Carolina. We intend to quickly expand to the entire state.

 The purpose of this is two-fold; so apartment dwellers can have untapped, continuously filtered drinking water that doesn’t come from a plastic bottle. If the city water becomes contaminated, and that has happened in many cities across the United States, their drinking water will still be safe due to the filtration system.

The second reason is if we have less people purchasing bottled water, then we will have less plastic bottles in the trash, on the streets and clogging up our drains and sewer systems. Also fewer plastic bottles will end up in our lakes and oceans. So one of the main purposes and goals of this project is to leave a smaller carbon footprint when it comes to plastic bottles.

 

Organization Description

 

Upon Opening, the Water Valet will be composed of two drivers, a secretary, a possible salesperson and myself. 

 

Statement of Need

 

The Water Valet project helps to address the problem of too many plastic water bottles by giving apartment dwellers a solution: a countertop sized bottleless water cooler system that gives drinking water or hot water at the push of a button. Immediately, you have hot grits, oatmeal or noodles in the time it takes to push a button. Let's look at the problems of plastic bottles:

 

• Environmental Pollution: plastic bottles in landfills, oceans and sewers.
• Harm to Wildlife: if eaten can cause extreme illness and death
• Nanoplastics:tiny plastic particles in the water that causes immune system disruption
• Climate Change: the production of plastic bottles produces greenhouse gas emissions.
• Environmental injustice: Plastic bottles’s negative impact disproportionately affect marginalized communities 

Addressing these issues requires a collective effort to reduce plastic use, improve recycling practices and support policies aimed at mitigating plastic pollution. 

5-Year Goals and Objectives

 

I will measure the success of Water Valet by meeting all objectives and goals.

• The first goal is to rent office space, purchase trucks and hire staff.
• The 2nd goal is to have contracted and installed 50% of Greensboro by the first years’ end. 
• The 3rd goal is to have all of Greensboro contracted and installed and moving into High Point by the end of the second year.  
• The 4th goal is to have all of High Point and Winston Salem installed by the end of the third year. 
• The 5th goal is to look into the Charlotte and Raleigh Durham areas by the end of the fourth year. We will open offices in Charlotte and the Raleigh/Durham area. We will be completely self-sustaining at this time and have achieved our five-year plan.  
• The 6th goal is to spread to other cities in North Carolina  and possibly other states. 

Budget

 

The first year will be our hardest year because we will depend on grants, scholarships and loans until we can make a profit. This is a guesstimate budget.

• Office Rent -20k
• Purchase of 2 trucks-50k
• Insurance for the trucks- 20k
• Salaries -233200k
• Cost of the water coolers (2000 first year)-600,000k
• Taxes
• Business Insurance

Other funding sources include grants, small business loans, business revenue.

 

Conclusion:

 

There are approximately 44,000 apartment units within Greensboro, High Point and Winston Salem. To be able to install in just half of those units would bring in over half a million dollars per month. Each unit’s install would garner $25.00 per month. 

This is a very lucrative opportunity and one that I am excited about. Within two years, Water Valet will be self-sustaining and profitable. 

We are doing our part in helping keep plastic water bottles out of the trash, the sewers and the city lakes and oceans.