Q: What is the Ponteguapa styler?
A: The unit is a coin-operated hair styler (straightener and curler) that is designed to be sited in areas including ladies changing rooms and toilets in bars, restaurants, nightclubs, sports clubs, gyms, shopping centres and airports. The machine is the patented Beautiful Vending Styler and Ponteguapa Vending S.L. has acquired the distribution rights for Spain. We decided to brand the styler differently (Ponteguapa) for the Spanish Market.
The Beautiful Vending Styler was invented by two Scottish Entrepreneurs – Neil MacKay and Richard Starret, a world wide patent is in place and The Beautiful Vending Company vigorously defends its intellectual Property.
Q: How long is a session and what is the cost?
A: €2 gets you 2 minutes of use. The machine accepts €2, €1, 50c and 20c coins. The styler heats up in seconds, one session is generally sufficient but the session can be extended by inserting a further €2.
Q: What straighteners are used in the styler?
A: We generally always use GHD straighteners, they have an armoured power cable and the plates are ceramic. They are designed specifically for this use.
Q: How much electricity does the styler use?
A: The unit draws minimal power and the use is similar to that of a standard light bulb.
Q: What about hygiene?
A: The heat produced during the operation means that the plates always remain sterile. We do however recommend that cleaning is carried out as part of a routine maintenance schedule.
Q: How is the unit installed?
A: Installation is relatively simple and the installation is carried out by a qualified electrician.
Q: Is the unit safe?
A: Ponteguapa acknowledges a duty-of-care in this regard and the unit has a range of safety features. There are a variety of labels and notices employed and the unit has an in-built breaker to cut power in the event of a failure or misuse. The machine is also alarmed in the unlikely event of theft.
Q: Is regular maintenance required?
A: The unit is generally maintenance free as it has no moving parts; all the internal mechanisms are modular in design and therefore are easily replaced in the unlikely event of failure. We do however recommend regular cleaning and regular replacing of the duty-of-care stickers.
A: There are 3 options available to venues and we can generally find a solution that suits all concerned.
- Option 1 is that you simply purchase a unit from us; you keep all the revenue from the machine and pay us an ongoing royalty payment for a predetermined period or for the life of the machine. This only applies if we don’t have an authorised distributor in your area
- Option 2 is that you rent the machine from us for a predetermined period, rentals are negotiable and contracts are for a minimum of three years.
- Option 3 is that, if your venue is suitable, we simply loan you a machine, you get the benefits of having the customer- attracting product in your venue, and if you have sufficient usage we can pay you a commission.
This all depends on where you are, what type of venue you are and how often the machine will be used.
We also provide some point-of-sale materials and can negotiate exclusivity agreements.
Q: I am a venue, do I have a liability?
A: The unit is covered with a £5,000,000.00 Product and Public Liability insurance policy. Details are available upon request.
Q: Is there a warranty?
A: Of course, in the highly unlikely event of failure you have a full 1 year parts and labour warranty.
Q: What is the life expectancy of the machines?
A: We don’t really know, there are 4 year old machines still in operation – however we reckon a minimum of 5 years.
Q: Are these machines installed anywhere else?
A: There are many units installed and operating effectively throughout the world. The product was launched in Spain in January 2008.
Q: How often are the machines used?
A: It varies from venue to venue, and location is very important. Some venues are simply not a good fit with the product and the targeted end-user. There are venues in operation that consistently get 100+ uses per week. An average usage of 30-40 uses per week is an achievable target; there are usage statistics to support this claim. It is however all about the location.
Q: What are the business opportunities with Ponteguapa?
A: We are actively seeking distributors for Ponteguapa; this will be on a geographical basis. You get our support and when good venues are found the returns are truly exceptional. You buy the machines from us at a discount and there is only a small ongoing royalty payment from you paid annually per machine. One machine getting an average use of 20 times per week will return €10,400.00 after 5 years, 30 uses per week returns €15,600.00 after 5 years, 50 uses per week will return €26,000.00, – Imagine you had 100 of them….
Q: Do I have to invest a lot of capital to become a Ponteguapa distributor?
A: No. Everything is negotiable and it is more important for us to get the right people in place who will exploit this market and grow their business in the long term. You will have to buy machines from us and pay us a royalty fee but if you can find the correct venues your growth should be self-financing. You will have targets but we will help you to achieve them and you will have the support of a strong brand and national advertising. We have some quite sophisticated financial models you can access, please contact info@ponteguapa.net to arrange a meeting.
Q: What if no one uses the machines?
A: Then you chosen have the wrong venue! It is as simple as that!
Q: How do I get more information?
A: Simply email info@ponteguapa.net with any questions you have and we will respond in due course.
