Water 101

Continuing to build on its export market, INSTANT-OFF is attending the EuroTrade Forum 2010, which is being hosted by the Department of Commerce in Orlando, FL from May 3rd-5th. Trade and export representatives from over 17 European countries will be present. As many European nations are facing critical water shortage issues, INSTANT-OFF offers a low-cost solution for reducing water consumption in these countries. Representatives with INSTANT-OFF will be meeting with officials and representatives to explore additional opportunities to export its products throughout Europe.

Owner, Steve Gordon, expressed enthusiasm over the opportunities that this conference will afford.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Steve Gordon, President

PRESS RELEASE

INSTANT-OFF, Inc. Launches Strategic Plan to Increase Distribution and Sales in 2010

Signs New National Distributors

Launches Online Marketing Campaign

Receives National Exposure

CLEARWATER, Fla., Feb. 10– INSTANT-OFF, Inc., a company focused on the production of its cost-effective water saving device for commercial and residential applications, announced today that it has developed a new strategic plan for its INSTANT-OFF^® water saver for faucets as it continues to seek financing for the Company.  Key elements of the plan focus upon raising capital for its Direct Response TV campaign, increasing sales opportunities through the recent addition of national distributors, and capitalizing upon internet sales through an aggressive online marketing program.

Steve Gordon, president of INSTANT OFF, Inc., commented on the company’s recent developments:  “We believe that with the strategic plan we have developed, our company is positioned to capitalize upon available opportunities to experience rapid growth and realize a significant increase in profits. We are confident that the steps we are taking will result in increased sales of INSTANT-OFF and raise visibility among potential partners and investors who can assist us in bringing our water saving device to more potential customers.”

The current push in Washington for companies to develop ‘green’ technologies and increased interest by American’s to save money on their water bills   are strong contributing factors to these projections.  We produce a product that appeals to consumers seeking to reduce water costs and be more environmentally responsible. INSTANT-OFF helps water utilities in their efforts to conserve a strained fresh water supply that is severely affected by long term drought.

New Distributors Signed

INSTANT-OFF has recently entered into several new distribution agreements to increase distribution of the INSTANT-OFF water saver.  These established distributors of consumer and commercial products will join INSTANT-OFF’s existing group of distribution partners worldwide who are working to build on sales and product exposure.

The new distributors are: Green Irene, a nationwide eco-consulting and green products company based in New York City;

Bunzl PLC, one of the leading distributors of equipments and supplies to the food and meat processing industries in the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Mexico; and Zesco Products, a leading restaurant equipment supplier in the US and Canada.

New Opportunities Online

In conjunction with the strategic planning, INSTANT-OFF, Inc. is implementing an aggressive online marketing campaign.  The company is currently upgrading its website for consumers and distributors.  Plans for streamlined online purchases are being implemented along with a focused effort on increasing online sales volume.  Online sales are projected to be a significant portion of the company’s target sales goal of 50 million units.

Recent National Exposure

Company president, Steve Gordon, recently received national exposure when speaking with President Obama at a Town Hall meeting in Tampa, Florida.  His question to the president, regarding small-business lending, propelled INSTANT-OFF to national attention.  This has resulted in opportunities to broaden the company’s exposure and opportunities.  Further national advertising opportunities exist for the first half of 2010, which INSTANT-OFF will be announcing by the end of the first quarter.

About  INSTANT-OFF, Inc.

INSTANT-OFF, Inc. is a product manufacturer of affordable water saving devices for commercial and residential applications.  Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, INSTANT-OFF, Inc. developed its water saver device to replace the aerator on any faucet.  The product is an economical solution to regulate water usage for a fraction of the cost of similar infra-red water saving devices.  The faucet control saves an estimated 10,000 gallons of water per year in an average household.

The company has produced more than 800,000 devices that have been sold for residential and recreational use, people with hand disabilities, food processing companies, commercial centers, schools, governmental facilities, medical facilities, and over 100,000 restaurants.

For additional company information, please visit www.instant-off.com .  

Company president, Steve Gordon, can be contacted at 800-972-8348 or by email to steve@instant-off.com.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORTIVE EMAIL.
Please forward this  to all of your business friends that own businesses and are struggling. Ask them to read two articles in the NY Times then go to the blog and make a pro business lending comment. The more we say the more they’ll listen. It’s up to all business owners to stand up this morning and be heard. The comments are needed this morning.

I know things are going to get better but it is frustrating to have our government move this slow. I will continue to put as much pressure as I can on our government until business loans are available for all of us.

There was over 1 Trillion dollars spent on the recovery and businesses ONLY get 30 Billion!!!. That’s less than 3% of the money to create 75% of the jobs. Now we all know that doesn’t make any sense.

We also know that when you give banks money it gets absorbed by the bank and only a fraction is actually loaned.
My urgent suggestion is that they put this 30 Billion into an account that can be drawn on dollar for dollar by the community banks to fund each loan. They submit an approved loan and the government wires the bank the loan amount plus a 2% origination fee. This procedure will insure that 98% of the money is used for loans and not bank capital.

Without capital we’re stuck —We can’t grow-We can’t create jobs.

We need New Rules for business lending. Bank Loans need to focus on job creation.

Banks should evaluate companies on eight additional items other than just their credit score and collateral.

1.   Is the product on the market or ready to be manufactured ?

2.   What is the market potential for the product?

3.   What is the start up time before the product can be sold?

4.   Is the product made in the USA?

5.   How many jobs will the business be able to create?

6.   What is the amount of investment per job created?

7.   What are the chances the plan will be successful?

8.   What will the loan be used for?

If the bank is satisfied with 8 of the ten criteria the loan should be made.

Don’t give the money to the banks.  Create an account for the banks to pull money from every time they make a loan.

If you give the money to the banks they’ll just misuse it like the Tarp money.

New business loans need to be affordable with low interest rates and 7-10 year payback schedules.

Tax credits are great but that ‘s Not Capital – You can’t order parts to fill orders, you can’t hire new employees, file patents, make new packaging or go to trade shows with a tax credit….We need Loans NOW –CAPITAL —NOT TAX CREDITS!!!!

That’s what it takes to create jobs and get things moving.

Please go to the New York Times Blob (link below) and make a strong comment in support of more fair business lending.

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/obama-takes-a-tough-question-on-sba-lending/?ref=smallbusiness

Pick one or two of my ideas or write about yours.

Let’s keep the pressure on until things change.

ANOTHER ARTICLE THIS MORNING YOU’VE GOT TO READ THIS.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/venture/2010/02/wake-up-and-good-morningis-clearwater-small-businessman-steve-gordon-this-years-joe-the-plumber-joe-you-may-recall-is-sam.html

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Sincerely,

Steven Gordon

President of INSTANT OFF, INC.

Staff photo by PETER MASA

MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 29, 2010

CLEARWATER- Steve Gordon admits his question to President Obama Thursday was a desperation move.

Blessed with the gift of gab and a tenacious attitude, the 53-year-old entrepreneur has tried in vain to win financing and a retail outlet for his water-saving faucet valve.

He nearly stalked the purchasing agents at HSN by phone, placing 40 calls to the cable retailer. At different times, he’s hit up venture capitalists, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

So, when he lucked out and got in a question to the president at the University of Tampa Thursday, he asked Obama to create direct loans to small business, without going through banks first.

“They gave AIG $170 billion,” Gordon said from his Clearwater company, Instant-Off, on Friday. “Here’s a small business that needs $250,000, and they can’t give it to him?”

Gordon instantly became a symbol of small business frustration, and his phone rang off the hook today from media outlets, potential customers and others. Across the Bay area and the country, the top concern of many small and medium-size businesses is access to capital.

Countless businessmen say their banks or finance companies have called in their loans or cut their credit lines, forcing them to scramble to pay their bills. One of the biggest sources of small business loans, the Small Business Administration’s 7(A) loan program took a big hit in the recession.

In fiscal 2009, the SBA guaranteed 44,222 loans worth $9.3 billion. Two years earlier, the federal agency had guaranteed 99,606 loans worth $14.3 billion. On a positive note, SBA loans have actually shown year-over-year increases in recent quarters because of the federal stimulus program, SBA spokesman Michael Stamler said.

The Obama administration also has announced a plan to use $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program for small business loans.

Penny Hulbert, president of Tampa-based Links Financial, which advises small businesses on finance issues, said she’s seen a little more willingness among community and regional banks to lend money lately. Still, they are demanding more money from borrowers upfront and demanding tougher loan terms.

In Gordon’s case, his credit rating tanked because of the housing collapse, which has made it doubly hard to get a loan, he said. Until recent years, he built multimillion-dollar townhome projects in Trinity under the name Cypress Walk Developers.

His business imploded with the market crash and wiped him out financially. Gordon turned to his second business, Instant-Off Inc. His environmentally-friendly valves are sort of a low-tech version of the infrared devices found on restaurant and airports faucets, which only operate at the wave of a hand.

So far, he’s gotten his Instant-Off valves into Home Depot stores, and he’s caught the eye of businessmen in Israel and the Middle East. In his question to Obama Thursday, Gordon said he believes he could hire 500 people if he could just get some starter money to buy patents in overseas countries and market his products.

For now, he employs just two full-time workers and 30 part-time employees.

“You can’t get a loan if you have impaired credit,” he said. “There is not one small business out there that hasn’t been tarnished by this crash.”

Tribune researcher Buddy Jaudon contributed to this report. Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/29/guy-obamas-town-hall-meeting-has-point/

Written by:  Jeremy Marzicola

There are a lot of things happening at Instant-Off these days for Steve Gordon, and he’s asked me to share some of them with you in one of our first blog posts.

A few months ago, I was introduced to Steve, and asked to help him launch his new company website.  On the day we were scheduled to discuss the layout and content of his new project, Steve learned that he had an audition spot on season 2 of the Discovery Channel’s hit show, Pitchmen (more to come on that story).  In the course of the three hour meeting, we wrote a script that earned Steve a spot on the show and planned the layout for a new website and blog.

Fast forward a few days, and I get a call from Steve, who is attending the WATEC conference in Israel.  He has partnered with the Israeli distributor, Iska-Tova, to market his product in Israel.

As Christmas came, we were finally moving on revisions to the website.  It is now the end of January, and once again, things seem to be clicking for Steve.  Over the past few months, Steve has been struggling to obtain bank financing to accommodate expansion for the projected growth of INSTANT-OFF that will result from national exposure.  The endeavor has been frustrating.  The current economy has made it difficult for small business owners, like Steve Gordon, to obtain capital.

The day after President Obama’s State of the Union address, he came to Tampa, Florida to announce federal funding for high-speed rail in the state.  Following his announcement, the President held a town hall meeting.  In that crowd, with his hand up for a question, was Steve.  Once again, serendipity seems to be propelling Steve and Instant Off into the spotlight.  “I’m going to call on that big guy there with the little hair,” President Barack Obama shouted to Steve Gordon.  If you know Steve at all, you know he is not afraid to say what’s on his mind.  Speaking to the President, he asked, “You helped Wall Street, you helped the banks, you funded the automakers, how about giving us some loans?”

Steve’s question has been in the minds of many small business owners who have felt the pinch of our current economy.  His question struck at the core concerns of many Americans looking to spur our economy back onto a growth track.  How can small businesses, the backbone of the American economy, survive if the banks are refusing to work with them?

Steve’s question has garnered national attention, and he has been fielding a number of interviews over the past few days.  I’m including links to some of these stories to share with you.

Please bookmark our blog.  In the near future, we will be posting a variety of helpful and informational articles on the topics of water conservation.  It is a topic that is near and dear to our heart.  Water conservation protects our most precious resource and, if practiced, can conserve the money in your wallet.  It’s a win-win situation.

Links to articles:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/01/28/ST2010012803747.html

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/politics/129-obama-gets-brunt-of-small-business-frustration

http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/news/local/hillsborough/west/tampa/story/Clearwater-business-owner-asks-President-Obama/i8sYXpExf0-gqmFXzSBejg.cspx

http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/news/local/hillsborough/west/tampa/story/Obama-town-hall-attendees-have-ideas-to-help/hKJbrxqX5U6TdEmCrrsG2Q.cspx

http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/01/28/clearwater_small_business_owner_questions_obama

The INSTANT-OFF WATER SAVER, automatic faucet control saves more water at faucets than any other device available. The INSTANT OFF replaces the aerator on any faucet in less than one minutes and converts the faucet to an automatic faucet. Once installed the water is left on and faucet handles control only water volume and temperature. Push the rod for water and release and the water instantly stops.

The INSTANT OFF saves up to 10,000 gallons per year and is perfect for kitchens and bathrooms.
INSTANT OFF WATER SAVER pays for itself in one month and is unconditionally guaranteed for two years.

If you’re interested in water conservation or just trying to make your home GREEN than INSTANT-OFF is your best choice!