Bill Rubenstein wrote:
Hm.... Interesting...

Product development requires time and money. The best ideas come from
individuals and mom-and-pops, not giant companies. If individuals feel
that they have no chance to make a few dollars with a product because as
soon as it becomes successful they will be ripped off, they won't bother
trying to commercialize the idea. So, we all lose because lots of good
ideas never see the light of day.

Bill,
This is exactly how I started my little business out of my garage
woodshop/metalshop. Just an idea for a new product that would meet my
needs better than what was out there. The time to market and the
expense to manufacture was eye opening, (plus all the work engineering,
CAD drawings, prototypes, re-engineering, getting quotes from machine
shops, anodizing or other finishes, securing small parts in bulk, and
little things you don't think of like bubble wrap, boxes, labels,
storage, website$$$,
ADVERTISING$$$$, PATENTS$$$$$$$!).
It is definately not easy. Then if you have no marketing skills or
don't know somebody in the "BIZ", where do you start? It's almost
impossible to sell from your own website/Ebay and make a living without
getting the word out in a national or international way. Now if you do
secure a mail order catalog or a distributor be prepared to give up
about 50% of list price so they can make a profit, but you still need
to make a profit too. SO... now your $5.00 machined part plus all the
above worked in turns out to retail for $50.00, (but you sell to
catalogs for $25.00, your cost with the little items, components,
boxes, labels, advertising etc. is $20.00!). Is $5.00 a piece profit
going to make it for you? Remember the smallest black and white add in
a wood magazine will run you about $500 an ad. You have to sell 100
widgets to just pay for one ad!
Very tough, and time consuming but do-able for the right guy or gal.
Not for everyone. Not to discourage you but there's alot ahead. It is
rewarding Knowing you have a product out there that may end up in a
museum of woodwrking tools 200 years from now or in a history book on
woodworking.
With all that said, GO FOR IT! It's an experience not many will have.
Tim
alisam.com
"A-LEE-SAM"