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Hello all! I see lots of postings here for manufacturers for apparel, children/baby products, etc; however, I have not seen any regarding formulators for chemisty. I desparately need some tips,help, advice (something), in a formulator/chemist for a "custom formulated skin product prototyping". I am finding many cosmetic manufacturers who want to have me paste my name on their "stocked formula" and they own the actual formula to the skin product. I am seeking to have all the IP rights to the formual. I am looking for a formular for working with me on a custom recipe of what is my idea for the beauty product. It is to be a part of a concept and method that I have to go with the selling of the skin product. However, I do want to have all rights to the formual. Once I have this, I can then take it next to a manufacturer/contractor.
Can anyone help me with this, or maybe--please.....Tamara?? I have all of my business organization in order, I have incorporated, I have an excellent and clear business plan. I am at a major roadblock in locating a chemist for "custom formulating." As I have contacted the SCC (Society of Cosmetic Chemisty) because I was told they have expert Chemist. Although they do list Chemist on their web site, I am not sure regarding their service to custom formulate and provide me with the rights to the recipe. Additionally, a couple seemed to that they do not carry insurance on their formulating work and this is a red flag for me, and
others mentioned be a hesitate with any lengthy NDA coming from my attorney, if I have my IP check over the NDA. Please share some thoughts with me and maybe someone can shred some light on this all for me.
Thank you everyone and best of luck to all---as I know we are all fretting over our own projects and similar problems and frustration. Thanks for the time:-)(Camille
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!
Hi everybody. Would anybody submit your product idea to a company without them signing an NDA. If there's any Colorado people out there you all know Tom Martino. He's a big advocate for people. This is who I want to send my product idea to.
Thanks
Reminder: The Posts Your Needs area is moving! We love all the discussion taking place here and wanted to give it a more organized space to let your discussions flourish. Please head over to http://members.mominventors.com to start your new discussions there. The post your needs forum can be found here: http://members.mominventors.com/forum/top/3
It's completely free to sign up, use the forums and take advantage of all the other resources in the Mom Invented Community.
Thanks!
Hi. The question I meant to ask. Does this figure sound accurate, $10K just for R&D and CPSC- accredited lab fees? Would you find a manufacturer (overseas) first to build your prototype and then take it to have it tested? I always love to hear your suggestions!
Thanks
Hello, I am looking for an inexpensive designer to help me put my prototype down on paper. I live in San Dimas California and hope to find someone locally.
Thank you,
Rose
What kind of product? You need someone who specializes in your product type.
Hello!
Do you still need help with this? I did this for my invention and I can help you too.
Best,
Jacquie
Hi Everybody,
I have a children's product. I'm told from a resource that I'm looking at $10K for research & developement (R&D) alone, plus CPSC-accredited lab, and product developement ect. I'm sure a lot of you have encountered this as a lot of our products are for children. Can anybody give me insight on this?
I need some motivation. I just read literature on statistics that the success rate for a first-time individual inventor is somewhere between 0.1% and 1%. Seriously after spending $25K-$35K
Thank you!!
No (responsible) party can confirm or deny without knowing what the product type is. Is it plastic and need dies for injection molding? Then yes, it can far exceed those figures. By comparison, a sewn product is far less. Depending on the materials, it may not need CPSIA related testing at all (I know quite a bit about that).
The very low rate of success by patent holders (generally) is the proverbial elephant in the room. No, you won't hear much about that because an entire diverse industry has grown up around feeding upon people's most cherished ideas. There's a lot of reasons why inventors don't make money.
For one, there's patent trolls. They never intend to produce commercially. Their goal is to patent anything and leverage their patent down the road for gain if they can find someone who infringes. Their strategy is profit through litigation, not commercialization. They collect patents the way some people collect URLs, hoping a few will pan out for gain. Their income strategy hinges on investment in legal fees and law suits rather than production and sales.
Many patents are for products with no/low commercial value. It is nearly impossible to convince someone who has this mindset so I don't even bother anymore. I don't mean this unkindly but they have so few ideas that what few they have, they are compelled to protect. Keep in mind that I make a living helping people get their products into the marketplace so I don't say this idly.
Some patent holders fail because they are looking for someone to license the patent rather than producing it themselves. If potential product demand is too low to attract someone who moves in those circles, it never gets off the ground. It may be a good product but for a small niche market. The solution is for them to figure out a way to bring it to market themselves rather than licensing.
Does this mean that people who have ideas can't be successful? Not at all but do note I said ideas, not patents. Many products have a short demand horizon, few products have the longevity of plumbing, or fire. Miss the window because your launch is tied up in IP and sales potential evaporates. This is usually the biggest downfall. Someone else comes along with a similar concept but they go to market without a patent and scoop up all the sales while the first party is still wading through the patent system.
The central theme of failure for inventors is EXECUTION. Execution is why anyone, anywhere with any product idea fails. Having an idea is not like money in the bank, plenty of people make a great income without having any ideas of their own -save one. Namely, their idea is to make money providing services to starry-eyed hopefuls.
Thank you Kathleen for your advice. You said you help people get their products into the market place. Is there somewhere confidential we can talk? It does involve some kind of plastic and micro-injection. Are you very familiar with this process?
I'm not focusing on a patent. I'm focusing on the overwhelming expense of $25K-$35K conservative figures.
Thanks again and let me know!
Ah, bummer. No, I can't help with plastics. I'm a product design engineer in the apparel industry. I know there's a lot of people who probably move too far outside their boundaries of competence but it's never been something I've been tempted to do. I stay busy anyway. Sorry I can't help but I wish you well.
Hi Kathleen, Thanks for saying a lot of what's been on my mind. I'd love to add some thoughts but I'm running a deadline right now. Will add some later. I just want to say, I followed your links to your site, played a little hooky from my deadline bcs I couldn't stop reading. It is impressive! Loads of valuable info. Loved your links. Fabulous labels, which I will need for a next run. Loved those bloomers - Have to have some! (They will cover my last eating binge LOL) HOnestly, I can hardly wait to get back to your site when I have a few hours just to read & learn. One of my saftey factors after incorporation, is that I mainly sell to the military & online. I feel like the selling from webstores online factor is a safety factor because of the jurisdictional issues. I don't think anyone is going to cross state lines to sue me. In 20 years (I was mail order before the web), I've had a couple of threats but no action. It also works the other way around. When my patents & trademarks are infringed upon & I threaten, the perpretrators drop it immediately bcs they aren't Oprah & don't want to spend court time in California. .One guy actually stole my whole web site & took my orders before I caught him. Early in business, young & dumb, I'm embarrassed to say how long sales were low before I caught on. One ceast & desist letter & he said said I almost gave him a heart attack. I'd like your opinion as to if you agree that these are good defensive measures or did I miss something? I've bookmarked your site & can hardly wait to get back to it. Now, back to the grind stone. When you create something you actually have to work at promoting it . What a concept LOL!
Inventing Joy
Hello Kathleen,
I was reading through your advice and I actually have a garment to bring to market. I have two preliminary prototypes; however I am locked down because I am unsure how to best maneuver through the patent nightmares. Where do you suggest (if not directly through you) to get the best info on whether we need a patent for our product or not?
Thank you!
-Jacquie
Jacquie, any reputable pattern maker can give it the once over (and probably at no charge, at least I don't) to see whether it is possibly patentable. If they're unsure because it's kind of iffy, they'll tell you so you can go on to a lawyer who will do searches etc.
i have my product made and i am ready to sell; however, my patent was denied . i ned help to go to the next level i am becoming weary. please email me if u can help me.
Patents are often only 1 rejection away from acceptance. Did you do your own patent or have an attorney? If you did your own, I may have some advice for you. Puppy love from INventing Joy & the furry folk
The Posts Your Needs area is moving! We love all the discussion taking place here and wanted to give it a more organized space to let your discussions flourish. Please head over to http://members.mominventors.com to start your new discussions there. The post your needs forum can be found here: http://members.mominventors.com/forum/top/3
Thanks!
HI, Francine, I tried to register but didn't receive a confirmation. Twice, I think. I'm beginning to feel like my high school experience of being the "outsider" of the "in group". Don't you want me? Inventing Joy
Hi Inventing Joy,
Sometimes there is a bit of a time lag in the email and it can help to send it again (which you can do yourself by going to the community site and signing in).
If the email is still not coming through, try signing up with an alternate email address since your email server may be rejecting the email or misidentifying it as spam or bulk mail.
If you're still having trouble, please let me know and I can do a sign-up for you and see about transferring it to your email account once it's set up.
-Francine
One more thing - don't forget to check your spam/bulk mail folder for the email because it's possible for it to get routed there by mistake.
Hi Inventing Joy,
I just wanted to follow up to see if you'd tried any of the steps I'd outlined to get your email to join the community site. I also wanted to let you know that you can now sign in via Facebook, so you have yet another option to connect over there.
Hope you're doing well,
Francine
Thx for checking back. Great customer service! I've been running a deadline
. I haven't tried anything. You might have to bail me out of jail for all
that I haven't done lol. But hopefully I'll have a great bulk email. I
expect to be playing catch up next week. We'll make contact then. BTW the
new head of the patent office is meeting wi our group in about an hour. I
got a preferred seat. So I'm running to that. s/b very interesting.
Inventing JOy
Hi Francine, I'm in now. However, it would not accept my email in registration> It flagged that they already had that email in the system. I had to use a different email. thx Inventing Joy
Hi Inventing Joy, Glad you got in! Makes sense that you couldn't register twice with the same email since you use the email as you user name/ID, so the system wouldn't want any duplicates.
Sorry Kathleen. I was mixed up with which company was yours.
Sincerely,
Amy
Tamara,
I need help finding a way to get a working product design and prototype. My product is an organizational aid that would be made out of a soft rubber like thermoplastic elastomer. Its design and function is very simple, but I need to determine exactly how it would function and how to get a prototype without breaking the bank. Money is a big issue since I'm unemployed...the good news is being unemployed leaves me lots of time to work on my product idea. I live near Minneapolis, so I need a plastics manufacturer, I think, or someone that can provide the TPE in a sheet stock that I can cut and play around with.
Also, how and when does Mom Invented evaluate ideas for licensing opportunities?
Thanks so much.
Kristen
Hi Kristen,
3. ways I can think of to find materials:
1. search on the internet: Google it or I like dogpile, or Alibaba
2. ONe of my favorite ways, Go into Minneapolis or St Paul wi a yellow pages phone book. I have several living in my car. wander through fabric stores, plastic stores, metal stores. describe what I'm looking for to the clerk. If they don't have it, ask them to refer you.
3. My very favorite way is to go to places like Industrial liquidators who have a huge variety of diverse & discontinued products. Find something similar. I buy a sample but you don't have to. Make sure you have all the information on the label. call up the manufacturer of distributor on the label. You might request a source for the material, partner wi them on the product, get names of manufacturers & carefully find out why their product failed (word this question carefully). This helps your market study. You may possibly purchase their overstock & revise it for a first run (if its close enough to your product) This could save you lots of money & give you seed money for your next run. also information for your market study. They might be happy to get rid of their inventory. I have a product that is totally unrelated to their failed product It failed as a $10 belt but makes the base for 2 perfect $25 ea novel no pull dog collars wi a cog price of .25. Not a bad profit if it sells. A win win. They get rid of their inventory. I get an inexpensive 1st run that I can order as needed instead of investing in a huge, expensive inventory that I have to store.
I must admit I have a lot of this stuff around. But when I need a piece, I usually have it to see how it looks, fits, works in a prototype, along with the label to source it. Inventing is a messy business meant for pack rats!
Inventing JOy
Have you looked at Goldleaf Plastics in Waite Park with is basically St. Cloud. I live in Cold Spring and I am working with them on prototypes. I too an uneployed, but they will work with me in doing small runs. Go to their website and check out what they can do. http://www.goldleafplastics.com or google them.
Molly Olivier
Thanks Molly . I just tried Goldleaf but it sounds like they only deal in hard plastic sheets and I need something pliable, kind of like the material those colorful Lance Armstrong bracelets are made out of. The guy at Goldleaf recommended I try Industrial Custom Products in Mpls, so I'll go there next. If you have any other ideas based on my description here, please let me know.
No problem! Blessings on your project!
Molly Olivier
Hi Kristen,
Just wondering if you got your answer, or if it was satisfactory. If you look at my website, you will see that I mention that I made my own products. From the prototype to the final production (the toilet-BowlBuddy), I found an economical way to produce my product. I may be able to help if you like.
Willing to sign a Non-Disclosure. I only want to help you with your problem.
Sincerely,
Kati B. Carson
CEO
ByKati.com
Tamara,
I think your first invention is equivalent to mine as far as price point. Mine is going to sell at a very low price point. How long did it take before you saw return in your investment. Mine may differ from your's as I can not qualify for a utility patent. I'm very interested in what you have to say because a lot of inventor's can sell their products at the $19.99 range. I really love your site and everybodies advice!
Thanks,
Amy
Hello,
Can someone please help me out with a price sheet? I am almost ready to send out my product information to retail stores, but I am ot sure how I go about wriing a price sheet? Do I tell them the price of my product and then suggest how much i think they should sell it for? Help! I'm so confused. Is there any sample price sheets out there. I know I only have once chance at making a first impression, so I just really want it to be perfect.
Thank you,
Anna Pieta
Anna,
This is not simply answered without knowing your costs or what your research has suggested. Have retailers given you feedback as to the best price point? A keystone markup is pretty common as a starting point so, just so you have some place to start, you list five columns side by side:
SKU # (e.g. #001), Case Pack (e.g. 12 units per case), Wholesale Price/ Unit (e.g. $2.50), MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, e.g. $5.00), and Total Order (which is blank and to be filled out when calculating the order, e.g. 4 cases, $120). At the bottom of the total column, you will have fields to add in additional costs: Shipping, Miscl. Subtotal, Grand Total. Sometimes I have included a discount line as many small retailers always want it and it provides an organized way to write it. The downside is that they then assume a discount. What we have always done is offered free shipping (within reason) to first time customers and then offered a prepay discount. We actually write prepay discount right on the form. Everybody intends to pay so they figure, I might as well get the discount. For me it has ALWAYS been worth getting the cash first with no hassles for invoicing, collections, etc. plus the customer feels like they are getting an extra bonus. We've done Anywhere from 5% to 15%.
Best wishes,
Tamara
Hi, Is it hard to come by a marketing company who wants to market your product for a commission of all sales or are these types of companies a dime a dozen? This marketing company claims they need a sales sheet and 25 to 50 samples to show the retailers so they can see the interest level. The big problem is I'm going to need tooling for 4 different looking designs which I heard will probably be 4k to 6k a piece. We're talking 24k just to see if there's interest in my product. I think there's cheaper ways of tooling ie: going with a mold that only makes 50 to 100 units. My product is molded injection and is probably only a inch and a quarter big. Does anybody know a lot about tooling? And can you give me advice whether to try and find a domestic manufacturer or try going overseas? I would love to hear from you.
Thanks
Hi Amy, Have you built a prototype? Depending on the shape, can you use a stock item for your sales samples? What comes to mine in that size are: PVC (plumbing) PVC (electrical gray, some great shapes), pen tops, pill bottles, little sample bottles from bottle companies, For $12.95 there is a great cutting tool that even I can use easily wi my painful hands, to cut pvc. One of my favorites for small parts is the bottle from eye drops. I even made something out of that for myself that might be a saleable product if I get around to it. You can make amazing things out of those shapes & a bottle of spray paint. Household goop, shoe goop, clear something something nails (can't think of it ) & alligator glue are all amazing. glues. You can also check Ali baba for pieces that you can buy in bulk that you can put together that might meet your needs. I would never tool up for something I hadn't done a full market study & focus groups & more & even then I'd think twice. However, If, after all that is done & if I have orders in my hand from reliable customers that I am sure will pay, I refer my clients to a mold maker in Taiwan who made my molds & holds them over 10 years. However, I also had an experience before this company, where the company disapeared with my molds. I had worked with them 6 years. I hired a private detective in Taiwan. He found the shop empty. All were gone, never to be heard from again. I had to start from scratch with the company I'm with now. Life lesson: always have 2 molds. One wi the contractor & a copy with me, just in case. I'll also mention that in those days, when we slid down our dinasors, we did not have email, we had fax only. The samples made from the molds took 6 weeks to arrive. Making molds was a horrendous task! Its much better now. Good luck Inventing Joy
Thanks Inventing Joy for sharing.
I'm at such a loss. Does anybody have advice about the marketing company taking interest in my product that I posted previously? I'm very curious if it's a good thing that they will promote your product for 10% of sells or if it's common for them to offer that? Also cheaper tooling ie: not made to mold as many units? Let me know if this posting & previous posting doesn't make sense. Thanks again!
Amy,
While not inconceivable, it is unusual for a marketing company to offer to do this at their own cost. And there are some legitimate ones out there. However, be very cautious at this stage. Usually, these kinds of "offers" come with a "feasibility study" for a few hundred dollars. Then once it is proven that your product will be bought by every sane retail buyer in America, they need more money to get your product to market. Typically you are the best person to get your product to market. Rarely is it economical for someone else to take on this kind of project unless they are being paid up front. The Patent Office and FTC list complaints about companies. I suggest you review them as well as their tips about avoiding scams. http://www.uspto.gov/inventors/scam_prevention/complaints/index.jsp
Best wishes,
Tamara
Thank you Tamara, your knowledge & advice is priceless. I have been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. I don't know if you know much about it but it would be equivalent to an arachnophobic person trapped in a room full of spiders. The thought of myself bringing it to market is terrifying. I have a great product. I don't think it would be an option to license it because it's not utility patenable. Like everybody I'm in the same hard economic times. I'm about $6k invested in it and thinking about quiting because of my disorder. I was looking for this marketing company to be my savior. I sat on whether I should post this or not because I know it's going to be everywhere. In the same sense maybe somebody could relate and know they're not the only one's out there struggling with this...
Amy,
A great new company in our resources section is retailmama.com. You may want to see their program is helpful.
Best wishes,
Tamara
Don't want to become known as Tamara's annoying fangirl but her advice is spot on. I think you'd be better off getting a sales rep. They only need one set of samples and charge 12-15% of invoice in commissions.
Not to minimize your social anxiety (I live with it every day) but a lot of designers have a block about selling their own products. Sure, we all read the posts by designers who sell their own stuff and it gets us motivated but these examples are rare. Yes, rare. If it were common, it wouldn't be newsworthy. In short, do your best but don't deprecate yourself because you don't measure up to the rare designer who can sell.
Do you know of any sales reps that are reputable? Tamara was right she wanted $3000 just to get me quotes for manufacturing even though our very 1st consult. she said,"we don't get paid until you do." This sales rep. told me all she needed was a good sales sheet and she could go out and see what the interest level was for my product. Now it's you have to have some manufactured w/ samples then pay for her reps. to go out. Plus giving her the $3000 to get manufacturing quotes oversees. I totally empathize with you, it's horrible living with this S.A.D. everyday. I shake uncontrolably talking to people on the phone and then end up sounding like an idiot because I can't find my words, along with a lot of other things that come with it. Anyway let me know, I would so appreciate it! That's exactly what I'm going to need (sales rep.) There's no way I will get this to market with my disorder.
Thank you
I wish I could get $3,000 just for getting you quotes.
Getting a good match with a rep is like a marriage. It takes time and a lot of give and take. I couldn't recommend one to you -particularly not in public- because, well, I don't know you or your product line. Referrals are an endorsement. If they were not, you'd find them everywhere. It's the same for finding a contractor etc. There is a lot on my site about finding a sales rep, so much I couldn't link to them. Go out and get it.
About your disorder. If nothing can be done about it, you'll have to develop strategies to compensate and then let it go because it will get in the way of developing relationships. I am disabled too. I'm not saying it's easy but I also don't think it is horrible living with it (others may disagree). You'll have to make peace with it to function at that which you can do well. I wish it were different but most business people aren't social workers. You can do this.
Kathleen, I'm hoping you're not thinking I just came up with this disorder to get sympathy for promoting my product. I understand I have to find a way to deal with this. I've been trying to deal with it my whole life and I'm now seeing somebody for it. It is a true chemical imbalance. I want to explain myself because I don't want people to think I'm trying to get a free ride. I just wanted to put it out there truely for other people to know they're not the only one's out there. About the business side are you from retailmama.com? Once you hear about my product could you recommend some of these referral's and contractor's possibly? I appreciate your words of encouragement!
Thank you
I didn't occur to me you were talking about it for sympathy. Whether you have a disability or not, getting a sales rep is a good idea.
I didn't leave a link because those are embedded in someone's name on each of their posts. Or could or should be. Yours returns an error.
Cool! I did not know that. I'm very new to this. Actually I'm at a loss right now. We have our designs almost completed?? We don't have a website or company set up yet. That's probably why it's coming back error. I'm pretty much clueless where to go from here. Thanks for being one of the voices who is trying to help!
Hi. I'm working on developing a baby product and have my own sample, along with numerous photos and detailed information on the design. I have been using Protosew to build a more professional prototype. I have provided them with ALL of my information and have spoken with the engineer once (who needed my actual sample).
It has been two months and they haven't yet provided me with any quotes, product information, nor have they provided me with any sample. They informed me that they had a problem with their quotation system, but that was a few weeks ago and I still haven't seen any progress. They are slow to respond to emails and when I call, I rarely get a definitive answer as to where my product is in the process. I'm either told a note was left for the engineer, their computer isn't working so they can't tell me where it is in the process, etc.
I'm becoming increasingly concerned that I chose the wrong company to work with and there is part of me that is becoming worried that they are doing something with my product. Has anybody dealt with this firm? I saw them referenced in Tamara's Mom Invested book, as well as in several articles when I was researching a company to work with, so I felt confident they were reputable. Perhaps, this is just a circumstance of bad timing with their computer issues, etc. But, I am wondering has anybody worked with thim and had a positive, or negative experience? I'm considering moving my prototype design to a different (yet, expensive) firm...but, want to see if I should just have more patience.
Heather,
Much has changed since I wrote my first book. Since that time I have heard both good and negative comments about protosew. You may want to move on to another prototype company if it is taking them months to reply.
Best wishes,
Tamara
Thank you for your response, Tamara! I really appreciate it. I contacted another company today T2Design and they seemed very thorough and professional. However, they would charge anywhere from $2,000-$4,000 for a prototype. My product is a baby carrier, which isn't too complicated of a design.
However, considering it's a product for a baby, I really wanted a designer/engineer to take a look to make sure I am making the safest product possible (rather than somebody who would just sew it and not question the integrity of the product). Do you know of any other reputable firms that aren't rediculously expensive?
I really am disappointed that Protosew hasn't come through for me. I have given them numerous opportunities to make up the difference, yet each time they seem to continue the same poor responsiveness. Is it worth using a very expensive firm for the prototype. Or could I just use a seamstress company and have them provide me with patterns and such and then have third party testing done from a CDSC recommended company (I think they have those) for safety purposes?
Thanks!!!
I have personal experience with Protosew and had drafted a long response but ended up deleting it because I couldn't find anything good to say.
In sewn products, designers aren't engineers, they're more akin to artists cum project managers. You're looking for a pattern maker, we're the engineers :). Here's some tips on how to hire one.
"Seamstress companies" aren't necessarily the best choice either. If you mean a contract sewing outfit, we call that CMT. They often don't make patterns. It's better to find a patternmaker in your area who can refer you to a contractor when the prototype is done. If they can't make referrals, you need to find someone else. It means they don't have any colleagues who have worked with them (or will continue to) which indicates a problem of some kind. Either their patterns aren't very good or they're not as experienced as they may have led you to believe.
Hi Kathleen,
It seems you are a patternmaker. Do you do contract work? Perhaps that's what I need--as you suggested--a patternmaker. I can get the third party testing done to ensure I will be producing/selling the most safe product possible. I want to make sure, since my product is for babies, it is safe! That said, it is not that complicated of a design. I made my own prototype and then my mother, who is a better sewer, made a better version. However, there were parts of it we didn't complete with the materials I desired.
Thanks.
Heather
Yes I do contract work but my focus are projects such as coats, suits, lined garments and leather items. It's good you made a proto, it gives someone a good baseline to work from.
Hi Heather, I can teach you how to make a pattern if you have a completed & an exact prototype. In my experience it is important to know how to do every part of the process because even if, down the road, you have someone do it for you, you are in a better position to check their work if you know how to do it & have done it yourself. If your interested, email me your ph#, time zone, & earliest & latest you can be called without disturbing anyone. caringpro@gmail.com
Hi Joy,
That is so sweet of you!! I agree with you...it is important to know how to do every part of the process! You should have seen me trying to edit my logo in Illustrator so I knew basically how to do it. haha. The problem is, my protoype isn't exact at all. I can't sew so I made a version that was horrible--with some sewing, snaps, hot glue, etc. But, then gave it to my mother who can sew to perfect it a bit. That said, there are still parts of it that I want a certain way but have no clue how to do it myself. I'm sure it wouldn't be too complicated for a professional, but I couldn't do it myself and certainly wouldn't want to make a pattern out of what i have now...hahaha NOBODY would buy it yet.
That said, I am going to email you my information anyway and maybe once I do have a better version we can talk. Also, if there is anything I could do for you, I'd be glad to help too. I have a background in finance and marketing...and am doing a lot to get my business started, so I have learned some things along the way.
Heather
Hi Kathleen,
I can see why you didn't have anything nice to say regarding ProtoSew. I finally received my proposal on Sunday--after two months. It basically promises nothing but requires a retainer of 50 hours at $165 each ($8,250.00). At that point, they will provide me with another quote of how long it would take to finalize the product. This cost doesn't include the safety testing either, which they quoted at $2,000 each.
I sent a pretty good sample to them that obviously needed some modifications made based on the fact that I cannot sew very well. But, I'm not reinventing the wheel and it was certainly a pretty good working model (I used it with my son). After I had a final 'sample', I was going to take it to third party testing for safety reasons. If changes were needed at that point, I can understand requiring a retainer. But, to require that to just create a better sample for testing, at this point, seems absurd.
I looked into a patternmaker who was very responsive, as well as another protyping firm (which is expensive but seems reputable). From your experience, would a patternmaker be able to help me perfect my design and make modifications to it...or would they simply make a pattern out of the finished product?
Thank you.
Heather
This is impossible to say, whether they would perfect the design with modifications or make a pattern out of the finished product. As with any field, there's a broad range of competence (or incompetence) among practitioners. A student may only be comfortable making the pattern as is and even then, they aren't likely to know the conventions used by contractors in the industry. For example, it is common that they notch every possible thing they can and then some, and that annoys everyone and actually increases your costs. A more experienced pattern maker is likely to be helpful with product improvements.
I regret I'm not more helpful, I can't advise you since I don't know who you are considering. As of late, there are a lot of people who are doing this that I wouldn't consider to the best choice if not unqualified. You can't tell from a slick website. If you were a member of my forum, I could tell you there but this isn't information I am comfortable posting publicly.
Thanks for the information. I will look at your website and see about joining your forums. I really appreciate your insight. My background is in finance and I feel confident in my 'business' abilities...but, navigating the textile industry has been new for me and, at times, quite challenging. It's like trying to read everything in a foreign language--I can pick up some words but am having trouble putting real sentences together. :)
Thanks again.
Heather
Hi Heather,
I assume you need a sewing job done? Email him: frank@hornsourcinginc.com (Frank Horn)
He is really helpfull, I paid 100 USD for my sample to find a manufacturer overseas. He might has the right contacts you need. Good luck!
Ariane
Tamara's point that "manufacturers" can only take on so many untried new customers in a year cannot be minimized. There are more customers than factories, especially domestically so they're increasingly pickier than ever. With so many people to wade through, they often make arbitrary decisions of who to ignore or respond to. It's kind of like the job market, many jobs don't require degrees but because there's more applicants than ever, having a degree is one way to thin the herd. My point being, factories are ignoring a lot of people using criteria you probably are not aware of.
The best example of this is how people use the term "manufacturer" as a synonym for contractor. Legally, YOU are the manufacturer. The other party is a contractor. If you're looking for a contractor but say manufacturer instead, it's one way they know you're new and will be a lot of work because they can't know how much else you don't know. It's not a good first impression if "manufacturer" is the 6th word out of your mouth ("I am looking for a manufacturer").There's more on that here:Looking for a clothing manufacturer?
FWIW, situations evolve and it could be that Choices Apparel isn't the value it once was. The firm has not been favorably reviewed lately among designers I've worked with.
Kathleen,
Great input! Although I have had some customers report positive experiences with Choices Apparel, I am sorry to hear about some bad experiences. Another resource for textile "contractors" is http://www.fashion-incubator.com.
They have a lot of information about the entire process.
Best wishes,
Tamara
Thanks for the compliment Tamara, I've worked hard on the site. After five years, there's nearly 2,000 entries in the archives. I include that link because it's a simple list people can scroll through to find interesting topics.
I am looking for a manufacturer or a weaving machine to mass produce woven/braided headbands.
Thank you!
Hello Wendy,
We'd be happy to help and would like to learn more about your idea and product. If you are interested and committed to bringing your idea to life we'd love to discuss with you over the phone and see how we can help.
Ideal samples helps people bring their dreams and ideas to life and their products to market. Check out our website and you can view our idea process that has been tried and tested with all of our clients.
Looking forward to connecting wtih you soon!
What is your website address? I need some one to manufacture a pot holder.
Thanks,
Felicia
I would like some advice on pricing... I found a great manufacturing company who would make my product, a bib, but the quoted price is higher than I expected. The cost of production would be around $6 without the fabric. I am new to the business and want to have an affordable price point of $12- $15. What should the manufacturing costs be if I want to sell the article in $12- $15 at stores??
Hi Maribel & Wendy, Re pricing: Add up all your costs including rent, & payment to yourself. You may be working out of your garage right now, but if you don't add rent, utilities, etc. you will never get out of your garage bcs your price won't cover it. If you don't pay yourself right now, you will never have an exit strategy. You will be stuck in this business, never paying yourself . bcs your price won't cover, the hiring of someone else torun the business while you go on the developing other products or expanding your business. Rule of thumb (but not written in stone) is costs times 3 is your selling price.
$6 per unit sounds high, but I don't know the break down on each action or the volume you are doing. How do you know they are a great manufacturing co?
Have both of you tried the disabled work shops in your cities? Where are each of you located? What volume are your doing in 1 run? What about hiring seniors of high school students for per piece at minimum wage? Try Craigslist. Mexico can be good if your near the border or you can ship there if the volume warants the cost. However, under NAFTA, the last time I checked (may have changed) all the component parts of your product must be produced in the USA. . China is only good if you have a huge order & can inventory that order or sell immediately (have orders on hand) to ship out. Also, if you don't see your materials before they go to the manufacturer, they can be defective & you will lose the cost of materials as well as the cost of manufacturing &/or your relationship with the manufacturer. Quality control is essential but that may mean double shipping costs, first to me for QC & then to manufacturer. That's why I like to provide jobs for my community whenever possible. Pls let me know if this helped anyone so I will know whether to keep posting. NO feedback gets discouraging. :-(( Feedback good or bad encourages me to post : - )) BTW, setting up innovative methods of manufacturing which provides jobs for your community can be a PR hook for stories in your local media & free publicity. Inventing Joy
Joy,
You have some great insight. One of the things I've noticed on this sight is that finding a manufacturer is one of the biggest brick walls we are all coming up against. I see it come up time and time again as a question. And I have posed the question myself. I'm wondering if it isn't time for some of us to start putting together some kind of directory.....just thinking out loud right now.
Regardless, I'm going to pick your brain if you don't mind. My husband and I have an idea for a new kind of chair for baby's nursery. We have patent pending status and we have a prototype. We also had specifications drawn up from a design company that we employed. They did not make the prototype but worked closely with the company that did the work. However, what we got in a prototype is/was different from what the spec drawings indicate. Because we do not have a lot of capitol to put up to a manufacturer for mass production we have decided to work out or our garage and put the chair together ourselves. My husband has made furniture in the past is extremely handy and a good problem solver. However, we are running into some issue on the design of the chair. I can give more details off-line if that would help.
We have not really tried to sell the chair yet but, we are booked for 2 shows associated with the babypalouzza trade shows. Our first show is not until the end of July so we have some time but, we really need to firgure out our design issues now in order to have our marketing material in line for the show.
I have been in contact with an upholstery shop (we would outsource that portion of the manufactureing) but, have not taken the chair to them yet to see if they have solutions. We have thought we should solve it prior to input from the shop. I am starting to wonder about though.
Basically we are stuck right now and any input from someone that has been through the process would be helpful. My husband is in sales and marketing and I have run a small business before but, we have never actually started the process on our own. We are starting to doubt ourselves and I know we have put too much time and money into it to give up now.
HELP!! :)
Sinikka
Sinikka,
you are right regarding the challenges associated with finding a manufacturer. We are setting up a platform now that will support your suggestion of sharing these kinds of resources. I welcome your suggestions!
However, as you may have found, manufacturer contacts don't necessarily solve the main challenges of finding someone willing to take on a new product and new inventor. Every brand new invention presents a risk for a factory and most can only take on a certain number of unproven products per year. In the US we tend to hear about situations where inventors had bad experiences with overseas factories. However, one thing most people don't know is that Asian factories have been burned many more times by taking on new clients they don't know. So, other than sales and placement, which is by far the most critical aspect to the success of a new product, finding and developing a relationship with a new factory is probably next.
There are some resources which you may have already looked into but I will share here: http://www.mfg.com, alibaba.com, and thomasnet.com. You may also look at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for a list. Find factories that make similar items or use similar materials and have conversations with them. Another approach is to use a domestic design group who has connections with domestic and overseas plants. For furniture, there are a lot of domestic providers as there is a large furniture market in High Point North Carolina.
I hope this is helpful.
Warmest wishes,
Tamara
Tamara,
This is very helpful and great to hear that you are already working on a strategy. I'll think it over and definitely give suggestions.
Thanks!
BTW, I thank God for the resources you have already put in place and your books. Without this where would all of us be? Scratching our heads even more I think, and many of us would probably just give up on our dreams!
Thank you!
Hi Sinnika, I'm not sure that I really understand the problem BUT: I would never spend the money on the show until I had done several focus groups. I suggest you make up several versions of your product & run each version through some focus groups. Get input from other parents & then redesign. Hope this helps. Inventing Joy
Joy,
That is actually our plan. We were hoping to get at least 2 versions of the chair completed by now and start getting input. However, with just a little over 3 months before our first show I'm not sure we will make it.
Our chair is a bouncing chair that the parent or care giver actually sits in while holding the baby. We had colicky kids and the bouncing motion rather than a rocking motion from a rocking chair, proved to be more effective in calming the baby. However, without some type of comfortable mechanism for us to sit in, it was very tiring to keep the bouncing motion going. Especially in the wee hours of the morning and you've only had 5 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours.
We are just running into some issues of making it actractive, comfortable, and functional all at the same time. I don't think the problems are insurmountable, just giving us a headache right now and getting us a lttle depressed. We've been at this a long time now and we were hoping to be further along than we are. Nature of the beast I suppose. :)
Thanks for the input!
Sinikka
Maribel, Wendy,
I agree with suggestions. That cost will not work. It may not just be your factory that has quoted you. One thing to understand about dealing with overseas factories: as a rule, they will not automatically look for ways to improve the efficiency of your design. They quote based on what you have shown them. In fact, I have seen situations where overseas factories have actually produced flaws into a product because the flaw existed in the prototype sample they were given. In our thinking, it would seem obvious that they would know not to include this. They make exactly what you give them. And, therefore quote you on the design you give them.
Even so, invariably production costs in the early stage are higher than later stage which just needs to be considered "marketing" expense but you need to know that you can make adequate margin at some point. Ideally your target production cost should be about 20% of your target retail price. Based on your target retail pricing, your production cost should be $2.40 to $3.00. Think of it this way: you pay $3.00, you sell it to the store for $6.00 (keystone markup) and they sell it for $12.00 to $15.00 depending on their customer base. I dont know how much retail price comparison you have done, but frankly that all seems realistic for a unique bib depending on the complexity of the design. If you are getting such high cost quotes, your design may not be optimimal for mass production. A quality designer can often help you look at your product from a production efficiency perspective. There may be alternate materials, stitching or other modifications that have a major impact on the production costs. Choicesapparel.com may be a good resource for you. Tell them I referred you. In addition to textile pattern design, they have both domestic and overseas manufacturing connections.
Best wishes,
Tamara
Thanks for all the fabulous input. I was actually very surprise to see such a high quote. I guess I will look for other quotes to compare o start with a local seamstress. I did contact choices apparel but they gave me a very high quote..any other suggestions?
Thanks again,
Maribel
Hello Maribel,
Price points will be effected by the amount of workmanship involved in the design, the fabric and also the quantity you are purchasing.
It is important to ask the manufacturer for several costs based on different quantities and fabrics. I also suggest using a manufacturer that yourself or others have referred you to as it is very easy for them to put the price high for no reason.
Outside of the fabric cost and the cost to produce the item you also have to think of labelling and packaging etc. these can become very expensive and can drastically effect your overall cost.
If you have created a unique product it is important to know the market in which you plan to sell and create a UNIQUE POSITIONING that will set you apart from everyone else and allow you to sell at a higher price.
If you'd like to discuss further please feel free to call me anytime. Thanks
I need manufacturer to produce a hairbow...............