selling your products

nicolad76

Hi...
I have noted that many propeller-enthusiast end up with some nice product they want to sell.
I was wondering, besides a lot of money, what does it take to get a product ready for a market?
I guess that, once you have a prototype working, we will need to translate it in a "real" product.
Haveing somebody to produce PCB and solder the components professionally. Also the final case will require some "company" to have it designed and produced. Finally somebody else has to assemble all the pieces together...and do not forget the user manual!!!!!

Is there any company able to follow from the beginning to the end the entire process?
I am not very familiar with this environment....I am a mere BI guy...so, another world....

Along with a friend we have come out with something we would like to propose to the public but, of course, we need a professional implementation of our product.

Have you any reference? any web site I can look at?
Thanks for any info you can provide me with!!!!

Nicola
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mctrivia

check out 4pcb.com they make boards and have referrals for the rest.

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Need to make your prop design easier or secure? Get a PropMod has crystal, eeprom, and programing header in a 40 pin dip 0.7" pitch module with uSD reader, and RTC options.

ElectricAye

For just testing out things, you can design your own printed circuit boards (PCBs) using software from something like www.expresspcb.com and they will make the PCBs, too. It's a fairly cheap and easy way to get a prototype to play with. To scale up, you'd probably want a PCB design that uses Gerber files, etc.

Have fun!

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Nicola,

Here is a thread that may answer your question — at least in part. I guess the take-home lesson (which, I think, you already know) is that there's a huge gap between a working "device" and a commercial "product". Fully 90% of one's effort is involved in bridging that gap.

niclolad76 said...
Is there any company able to follow from the beginning to the end the entire process?

For the optimum results, that "company" has to be you. Shepherding a project from the device to the product stage requires constant attention from the person whose vision engendered the device from the get-go. Such vision is incredibly hard to communicate to a third party, no matter how adept and supportive they may be. I wouldn't trade the positive experiences I've enjoyed with Parallax for anything, but I don't expect even them to turn a half-baked — or even a fully-baked — idea into gold. Doing so requires constant attention to the minutest of details.

I wish you success with your venture! It's a lot of work, but having a product accepted by one's customers is incredibly rewarding and worth every bit of the effort put into it!

-Phil

Leon

Don't forget to budget for things like FCC or CE conformity testing, they are quite expensive.

Leon

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Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Suzuki SV1000S motorcycle

nicolad76

Ok...I believe this is a good starting point...thanks!

Bean

And don't forget liability insurance. It sad to say but people today will sue you at the drop of a hat.

Bean.

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There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Make sure you don't cross it...

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ElectricAye

Bean (Hitt Consulting) said...
And ....It sad to say but people today will sue you at the drop of a hat.

The Drop of a Hat

Yes, that would make a good name for a bad law firm.



Nicola, also as a rough guessimate, consider this: the final price tag of your product is bound to be something like 4 to 10 times what it costs you to make it. That's not because you stand to make several hundred percent profit; it's because between your product and the market is a thing called marketing. And good marketing usually requires sales people. And sales people, for reasons nobody understands, insist on making money off YOUR product. So not only do you have to fork out money for R+D and advertising, but you also have those pesky sales people piling onto the price so they can drive around in flashy cars and look cool.

Nick McClick

Liability is one of my larger concerns - operating as an individual (instead of as a business) opens you up to unlimited liability. A judgment against you can mean that they'll take your house, your car, garnish wages, etc - not fun.

My suggestion - if you're really interested in commercializing your project, get help! Find a friend who's expertise is in business and can help you out. 'Rambos' usually run out of energy before it's a product is anywhere near market-ready, and they waste a lot of money & time learning what others already know. I did a little presentation on this for the Propeller Expo last year (Here's the PDF), you might find it interesting.

Back in the day when the gangster still smoked cigars... good times

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