MathTools
Affordable, recyclable, easy-to-ship manipulative for educators in developing countries.
MathTools
Our Idea
Who are we?
We are a company focusing on the importance of education for children and adolescents worldwide. We strive to provide the best solution to teaching mathematics in a low-budget environment while maintaining the quality of education we could expect from a classroom with the competition’s tools.
We have paired with a mathematics education professional on this venture to provide only the best possible tools for classrooms around the world.
What are we offering?
We offer a set of manipulatives for teachers to use in their classrooms. They’re the world’s first punch-out style cardboard kits that can be used as an educational asset!
Our manipulatives are:
- The most budget-friendly option available, costing half of what the competition does.
- Easy to ship as flat-packs that can be assembled by anyone
- Totally biodegradable and recyclable for areas with recycling programs.
Who are we offering it to?
Our product is geared towards the educator in a low-budget or restrictive environment. This could be any teacher handling maths in a poor suburb or a developing nation.
The manipulatives are designed to be the ideal replacements for their more expensive counterparts when money is a concern.
Why does that person care?
The teacher’s job is to make sure their students understand mathematics. Often times, writing on a chalkboard may not get the idea across to pupils – this is where manipulatives are useful. We are making these tools as accessible as possible for the passionate teacher who can’t afford to pay for expensive plastic tools to be shipped in. The teachers we serve care deeply about their students and so do we.
Our distinctive competencies
Partnering with a mathematics education professional who has a master’s degree in the topic has allowed us to gain an incredible amount of insight into what tools best suit a teacher’s need. This allows us to tailor our line of manipulatives to be exactly the foundation that any teacher around the globe would need to teach math effectively.
The substitutes & alternatives
Many mathematics manipulatives exist on the market today. Many are creative and some newer items in the market are even better than the traditional tools used to teach.
However, this market doesn’t extend to developing nations, where budget constraints and shipping logistics come into play. Our flatpack, budget-friendly and recyclable product has little competition in that market even if it is very much outclassed in the average north-American classroom.
Our Pitch
Our concept pitch
Our personal pitch
The Value
Our first key person
First and foremost we value the student. Typically the younger the students in the classroom, the less likely you are to put across information with just a blackboard. The students care about using manipulatives because that’s what’s the most fun for them! They allow students to participate more actively in the classroom.
Our promise to these students is to deliver a product that encourages their learning by being more fun than a blackboard-style lecture.
Our second key person
The teacher is our second direct user for the product. Teachers care about products like these because they help them do their job. Real examples of this can be found all across North America and at teacher conferences. Our target teachers care about our product because it’s a much more affordable product in comparison to typical plastic offerings. Our quality offering could make the difference between keeping everyone’s attention and losing some students in class.
Our promise to teachers is to make the most effective tools possible so that their job in the classroom will be easier.
Our third key person
The principal and school administration are the third consideration. They are the enabler for getting tools like these into classrooms. Our target schools are in developing areas, so one of our focuses is keeping cost as low as possible in both production and shipping. The easy-to-assemble flat packs we produce are the ideal budget solution for schools with a limited budget, allowing us to deliver affordable education, much to the delight of the checkbooks of schools.
Our promise to school administrators is that we will strive to keep costs low in order to allow them to put our product into classrooms.
Your feedback and ideas
Feedback on our idea and your assessment of it are incredibly important. Please provide yours below.
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Customer (C)
8
Value proposition (VP)
9
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
10
People (P) on the team
8
Offering (O)
10
Distinctive competencies (DC)
8
Great concept but I believe that the market that you want to ship into won’t be easy to break into. Not because it’s flooded with alternatives but primarily transport issues and getting the products to the right people to begin with. Cardboard may not always be the best option in most of the products you’re shipping as well since a lot of your target countries have tropical climates and shelter is seldom available. Overall its an excellent idea and will create a lot of impact.
Customer (C)
10
Value proposition (VP)
10
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
10
People (P) on the team
10
Offering (O)
10
Distinctive competencies (DC)
7
Holy wow this is a great idea. It makes so much sense to use recyclable, cheap tools necessary to teach math in developing countries. There are next to no substitutes to your product, you’re easily the right man for the job and the cause is a just one that you are passionate about.
My one reservation is, why are you the only one that can do this? Do you have any connections with charities? Are there any schools that would like to partner with you and maybe send these products over for free?
I would easily invest in this, it is a worthwhile cause coming from a solid foundation.
Customer (C)
10
Value proposition (VP)
10
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
7
People (P) on the team
10
Offering (O)
10
Distinctive competencies (DC)
9.4
Taking on education is a noble cause. Partnering with educators is an even better stride in the perfect direction. The customer is clear and they will greatly benefit as some students do not even have classrooms but they have curious minds that want to learn!
In terms of alternatives, it might be easy to re-create, however in the developing parts of the world there are materials that are hard to procure, therefore this product will do well as an educational import.
The people on the team are passionate about the subject and have expertise in school and post secondary which is always a plus. The passion and the cause is both noble and clear.
Customer (C)
10
Value proposition (VP)
10
Substitutes & alternatives (SA)
8.5
People (P) on the team
8.9
Offering (O)
8.5
Distinctive competencies (DC)
7.5
I believe this is both highly feasible and highly impactful. This extends beyond just third world countries. There are many parents who are unable to afford their children additional learning tools, There is also potential in how replaceable and environmentally friendly this product is. Many kids tend to be careless with their belongings, either damaging them in their use, or losing them on their way home.
One aspect to improve upon is expanding your target market to parents as well. There is a market out there for parents eager to give their child a head start in their learning career.