Brilliant Business Ideas

Stainless steel has many uses, which might explain its high demand across different industries. However, it is challenging for startups to compete in the industry because of established enterprises and a significant number of small-scale metal fabricators. However, newbies can still achieve success by adopting effective sales strategies. This article highlights tips for increasing steel sales.

Embrace Technology -- Different clients need steel for various applications, and you can only get business by meeting their requirements. However, it is highly unlikely that a startup will stock all the different steel grades. It is unfortunate since you can only cater to a small niche of clients. You can bridge the gap by embracing emerging technologies in the steel industry. For instance, flue gas desulphurization (FGD) systems in coal-fired power plants are made from carbon steel, but the plastic and rubber linings pose emission problems. As such, the facilities prefer super alloys instead of carbon steel to handle extreme heat conditions. Since superalloys are expensive, coal-powered plants often opt for 'wallpaper' linings containing nickel. When applied to carbon steel, the thin lining helps an FGD system to handle high temperatures effectively, reducing toxic emissions to the environment.

Customer-Centred Steel Products -- Steel manufacturers supply their products to various industries. Unfortunately, new entrants in the steel business try to cater to different clients and only realise their mistake when it is already too late. The steel market is enormous, and only steel fabricators that cater to a specific niche make significant sales. For instance, if you want to supply steel products to the construction industry, you need to focus your efforts on structural steel. On the other hand, customers that use steel to make decorative products have no business with structural steel since it is not malleable enough for the production of delicate designs. Most importantly, the narrower your clientele base is, the more sales you will make, especially if your segment has few suppliers.

Environmentally Friendly Steel Alloys -- As the population increases, so does the demand for more housing and, consequently, energy. Sadly, increased energy consumption in the manufacture of steel products has led to high carbon emissions. With some consumers only being willing to work with businesses that play a role in reducing carbon emissions, steel businesses have their work cut out. Nickel-containing stainless steel is an environmentally friendly metal since it is highly recyclable. Besides, the energy used to recycle nickel-containing stainless steel reduces gradually with subsequent recycling cycles.

To learn more about steel sales, contact a steel supplier.