On 8/13/2010 6:49 AM, stryped wrote:

Is there anythign someone can do in his own shop part time starting
out that would be some income? Even if you had to buy some equipment?
I always hear people doing this starting out then turnign it into a
business.


I ask myself that all the time. Then browsing ebay, I see people selling
all sorts of custom machined stuff, things I'd never have thought of. I
have a good track record for coming up with a great idea, then doing
nothing with it. Then seeing someone else take that great idea and turn
it into a successful product.

Couple years ago I set out with a friend to start making custom
motorcycle parts. We settled on carbon fiber shift links for Harleys.
Initially they were actually bonded to machined barrels on the ends, but
the bonding process turned out to be a pain in the ass in production. So
I redesigned to use an aluminum core rod that the rod ends thread into
and the CF tube is now just for looks. Nobody advertises Harley parts
touting light weight as a feature... lol.

Anyway, we got into the J&P catalog just in time for the economy to take
a ****. We're sitting on thousands of dollars worth of inventory, and
have jack all for sales. Everyone that sees the link in person is highly
impressed with how well made they are. But that has not translated into
sales. Point being, making a great product is only part of the equation.
You have to be able to reach your target market and advertise
effectively there. Mike and I are good at design and making stuff.
We apparently suck at marketing...


Jon