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Do you run a business using Parallax products? — Parallax Forums

Do you run a business using Parallax products?

jblavenjblaven Posts: 36
edited 2007-11-28 03:10 in BASIC Stamp
Hey Guys,
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Last night I couldn’t sleep. I was awake till 3am thinking about how to take my ideas to market.
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I was wondering if any of you out there currently run a business applying Parallax related products.
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I see that many of us are doing this as a hobby or for an application at work or home, but do you actually make a living working with these types of products?
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Any answers to the questions below would be greatly appreciated…
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········· What were the hardest business obstacles you had to overcome?
········· Do you make your own PCBs or do you contract them out?
········· Do you assemble your components yourself?
········· What market are you in?
········· Do you make good margins?
········· Is it a full time business or part time?
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Thanks again for any suggestions you have for a green entrepreneur!
·
Joe

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2007-11-26 19:59
    jblaven said...
    Any answers to the questions below would be greatly appreciated…
    ·
    ········· What were the hardest business obstacles you had to overcome?
    I think the hardest part is getting started. Getting a bank account, EIN number, state tax collection number, etc.

    ········· Do you make your own PCBs or do you contract them out?
    I usually get board made by ExpressPCB. They are expensive, but they are fast and good quality. If I need boards quickly, I have an LPKF milling machine that I can make them in no time.

    ········· Do you assemble your components yourself?
    ···· I assemble all the prototypes, but I have an outside source assembly the production stuff.

    ········· What market are you in?
    ····· I'd say I'm in the hobbiest market. See www.hittconsulting.com for what I do.

    ········· Do you make good margins?
    The margins are good, but if I accounted for ALL my time I bet I wouldn't be making minimum wage [noparse];)[/noparse] You gotta love doing it.

    ········· Is it a full time business or part time?
    Part time.
    ·
    Bean


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    www.iElectronicDesigns.com

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  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2007-11-27 13:24
    jblaven said...

    Any answers to the questions below would be greatly appreciated…
    ·
    ········· What were the hardest business obstacles you had to overcome?
    ···· Getting the business setup with accounting,·banking, courier services.·Most governments offer basic business·startup information. Much of it is free. Depending on who your customers are, it may make sense to incorporate your company.····

    ········· Do you make your own PCBs or do you contract them out?
    I use ExpressPCB. I'll sometimes do a prototype using the laser toner process.

    ········· Do you assemble your components yourself?
    I assemble small runs myself ( up to 25 - 30 units) and use outside board stuffers beyond that.
    ·····
    ········· What market are you in?
    ·· Almost entirely industrial.

    ········· Do you make good margins?
    ···Yes. Industrial clients want their equipment operating and will pay premium rates for a solution to their problems.But, don't start a business where your only advantage is selling your product a few dollars lower than the competition. You have to offer service, responsiveness, value. Also, you can't keep doing one-offs. Look for products where there is a demand for multiple units. Its the only way to cover the unreal number of hours invested in development.

    ········· Is it a full time business or part time?
    ··· Part time.
    ··· A good source of information on small scale technical ventures are the articles by Don Lancaster in the mid- to late 90's. Have a look at http://www.tinaja.com/ismm01.html
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    ·Edit: Link added.

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com


    Post Edited (stamptrol) : 11/27/2007 5:37:30 PM GMT
  • datacpsdatacps Posts: 139
    edited 2007-11-27 17:05
    I would just like to add that before you spend any money on opening a company that involves electronics you should·develop it here first.
    Make the unit you are thinking of.
    Test it to make sure it works exactly as you thought it would.
    Then test it before you sell it.
    Keep all the receipts.
    Parallax offers development tools for free and the prices for the proto and development boards are more than reasonable.
    ·
    I don't know any other place you can go and get this kind of support from expert members like the ones we have here.
    I would say most of the members here just simply love microchip development, Robotics,·ect..
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    Parallax has opened doors for a lot of us with ideas to be able to make the things we think about.
    It’s up to you to come up with the ideas that you can sell and make money on..
    No matter which way you end up it’s going to be a lot of fun trying…
    Hopefully it pays off big for you ..

    Those are just my 2 cents worth.. good luck! on your project and have fun doing it...
  • sdysdy Posts: 40
    edited 2007-11-28 03:10
    We use quite a few of them in our lab:
    1) Control/read A/D's
    2) Ramp up/down power supplies using digital pots or A/Ds
    3) monitoring oven temps and ramping power supplies
    4) Pattern generators
    5) Data loggers using USB sticks and FTDI USB interfaces
    6) Playing christmas songs at the buffet.
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