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Is there a particular resource you need to help develop your business or invention? Please post your needs in the comments below and we'll do our best to help match you with the right resource. This area is specifically for finding product and service providers to help you grow your business. This is not a place to post general questions or requests for advice.
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Help Needed from Blythe the Bee lady,
Hi Blythe, Congrats on your success. After 20 years of http://www.CampStamp.com , I know something about the challenges. Now I have a challenge & I need your advice. This is the busiest time of my year. Promotion now for making all my money for the year or I go broke. Guess what? I have a beehive in the trailer on my property that I use for a worker to assemble my products. Of course my year old puppy goes after them at every opportunity & me & 3 large dogs get swarmed & stung. Fortunately none of us are allergic. I would rather not kill them if these is another option.I'm in San Diego. I'll ship them to you if you can tell me how LOL. Suggestions pls. InventingJoy
Hi, I am looking for anyone that can refer or knows a good manufacturer in china. I need one that works with fabrics.
I am too. The problem is that everyone has such a high minimum. How many are you looking to get made?
To be honest I don't know what I am doing let alone what I am getting into. I have an idea that a patent representative is looking into for me. I would like to find a manufacturer that will allow me to order a low unit order because I have a very small investment budget. I contacted a China Manufacturer that I looked up online by the name of China Wang, LLC but the guy was very standoffish and I didn't get a good vibe. I have just read many horror stories with manufactures and really don't have the means to make a mistake.
I am looking for a knit company and also a toy company. The problem is that I want to test my products and only need 100 made. I am looking at organic fabrics though so it may be different.
If you are looking at organics, let me know and I will tellyou who I'm talking to.
I am in the same boat! i have a design where i am currently working on a sample and have no idea how to go about finding a manufacturer in china. i wonder if there is a company in the states that represents companies in china?
There is I actually just found one their website is http://www.rockleighindustries.com/html2/baby.html. You can also look them up on youtube. It sounds like they are the middle man and take the headache away from dealing with oversea manufacturing. If you contact them, let me know how it goes.
thank you for this information i will check them out. i am still at the early stages and waiting on my sample to be made and unsure how many people will be interested in my product, so am unsure how many to order. this is all so new to me and wish i had more direction!
I have talked to a few middle man companies and they all tell me the minimums are high. They all told me to have the product made in the states first, test the market and once you have a large quantity needed, then you contact the overseas factories. My problem is that I can't use the factory here because they are too expensive for toys.
So frustrating!
thank you for this information! its so frustrating, i dont know how people get started with their business, there are so many bumps in the road!
They might be a good company! Do you have a company like this sign a non-disclosure? I would think.
I will call them tomorrow to get a feel for them.
So hard trusting people!
please keep me posted i would love to hear what they say. i would say you should definitely have them sign a non-disclosure, otherwise its so risky. feels so risky regardless!
Hi Sofie, What & who is a "patent representative"? btw in our culture, people from China may appear stand offish. We may be described as loud, bousterous, noisy, nosy with a complete lack of boundries, class & in a word, rude. LOL
Seriously, I think it would be so helpful if people would post their city & state so that if some of us have a connection, we can post it.
InventingJoy
Hi Sofi & all, Why China? I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but as an old gal who's been in this for more than 20 years, I do feel the responsibility to share with my sisters, some of the lessons of my gray hair & frayed nerves. But be forwarned: If you don't want to consider the possible consequences of your choices, pls don't read this post.
First of all, to manufacture in China, you have to place a huge order, pay shipping, brokerage then store inventory which, if you don't have your orders in place before beginning, you may have to sell at a loss to be relieved from the rent you pay to store inventory. Furthermore, have you considered that China is the biggest knock off country where even a patent will not protect you. A patent is only as good as your ability to protect it. Before investing, you might want to consider asking yourself, can you afford to go to China to fight for your patent in a Chinese court? If you can, do you think you can win in a Chinese court? If you do, could you enforce the judgement in China?
Would someone pls explain to me who has suggested that you start your invention or your business in China? I'd really like to know who or where you are getting that advice. I would really like to know.
I'd also like to suggest that you look back to some of my previous posts where I made some suggestions about using local handicapped workshops & others as well as using "just in time" manufacturing" Also for those working with fabric, pls consider that you may have double shipping if you QA your fabric before manufacture. Pls read back to my post on the rat who worked his (it had to be a male) who ate his way from my center cardboard roll to almost the outer (but not all the way so you could see it) layer of my fabric. Would someone pls find those & post a link? I'm running deadlines right now so no time for more than this post. This is all I can do right now.
I'd also like to know if my advice is helpful to anyone. I can keep quiet if its annoying or not helpful. If it is helpful, pls let me know, so I'll know whether to share or not. My mother used to say, advice is the only thing that's free that nobody wants! LOL
InventingJoy
Hi,
When I first started with my products, my goal was to have everything US from materials to labor. After calling the only 5 companies in the US that still does plush toys, no one would call me back. I found one US company using organic fabrics making plush toys. I proudly gave them $750 and received my prototype that was unacceptable. My designer said the quality was not something I can show to a buyer. That was my only chance of getting my product made in the USA. I am using organic materials so it's more difficult. On top of that, the cost to make the plush toy would make me have to retail it at $40. Who would buy a plush teether for $40? Now, I am forced to go overseas. Its a toy so there is no patent. I am actually looking into India instead of China. I am working with someone to help with the process.
My other products are bedding products and I am getting them made here. However, to get the fabric printed here would be around $13/yd. I can't have my fabric be that expensive. I talked to all the printing companies and fabric companies. I am using a US company but they get the fabric from India. I am doing what I can to have my products made here and after all the stress and problems that have arised from trying to get my product made in the states, I have decided to do what I can but if going overseas to make my toys is what will get my product sold, I have no choice. I do plan on using a certified organic factory so that I am sure I am getting what I am paying for. My bedding does have a patent and I will keep my manufacturing in the US for as long as I can. I just hope moms will pay the premium for a USA made product. I never thought it would be this hard to get a quality product made in the US. If I had 10 people who were great at sewing and would make my toys for me, I would o it in a heartbeat.
i love hearing your input (both of yours!)
i have have an apparel design that i am waiting for a sample to be made and was told if i want to keep my business afloat i need to have my things manufactured overseas, otherwise if made here (which ideally i would love) they would be too expensive to sell.
do you know of any US manufacturers that are good and not too expensive to make clothes/jackets?
thank you both so much for all of your information, hopefully the more i read the more i can figure this out!!
HI J, Did U try handicapped workshops? Did you provide a pattern & specific procedures to the US manufacturer? Did you go in & try to train them? Did you discuss the specific problems with them? Most important, do you have orders sold for at least break even cost on the size of the order needed to place overseas? What is your storage situation? InventingJoy
no, i haven't tried handicapped workshops. i am at the very beginning stages of my business, i just read "secrets of millionaire moms" and am almost done with "your million dollar dream" and am loving them. i am a stay at home mom of 3 with a new idea and am waiting for my sample and pattern to be finished. my thought was to go to retailers and trade shows with my samples to see what kind of reactions i got. i live in new york city and i think there is a demand for my need here. i'm trying to gather as much info as i can as this is all new to me!
-new york city mom
Jennifer,
How have your experiences been with oversea manufacturers? Is your toy product almost out in the market? Did your designer help you come up with the packaging? That's what I need help on. Any advice? Any one?
Hi Sophia,
I am going to use this plush company in the US that has factories in China. I need 12 different plush toys made so I may use them for a few and try another company. Most of these companies don't answer the phone and don't call back. That's why it kills me to go overseas. If you can find a company that is in the US and has great customer service, try them. I'm still skeptical.
My products are no where near close to going to market since I'm having such a gard time finding a reputable company to do my samples. Once i get my samples, I have to then find an organic manufacturer overseas that can use organic fabrics since my brand is Eco-friendly and organic. I'm just using this company to make a sample so I have something for the organic manufacturer to copy. I need to use a sustainable organic manufacturer to assure me there is fair labor, etc..
My branding company is doing all my design work for packaging, website, etc..
Hi Joy,
Hi Joy,
I very much appreciate your advice and every one elses. Thanks to alll.
At first I did think about state manufacturing but have heard from so many people that it is much more expensive and I don't have much to invest as it is already. I have never heard of handicapped workshops but would be interested in learning more about them. Where can I find them? How do they compare to China manufacturers in terms of cost?
This is all so hard. I came up with an idea about 2 months ago but already everything is moving so fast. I am almost to the point of hiring a manufacturer, the only thing stopping me right now is ?????????. Going to try to apply for a loan or something.
I found this guy who claimed to be a registered patent agent for the USPTO. Didn't believe him at first or even knew what that meant but I looked up his info on the USPTO website and sure enough all his info is there. He is going to be filling my patent.
Hi Sofia, I don't know where U R located so I don't know what handicapped workshops R in your location. Just google. As I've said in the past, why not set up a training for all the out of work sisters who need jobs?That would be a win-win. What R U paying the patent agent? Pls read my posts about the advantages of patenting yourself & how to get a fill in the blank boiler plate CD's. Good luck, InventingJoy
If anyone needs a website or needs help marketing their website, please let me know. I am a Digital Marketing Consultant. You can check out my Linkedin profile. I have extensive experience in the online space. i am also a Mom Inventor Wanna-be currently working on my own baby product.
Hi Lauren, I have a question re website. My website has been up since 1995, you know yesterday hmmmm or maybe a few years more than yesterdsay LOL. Technology has changed since yesterday. When I've attempted to hire someone to make changes on my web site, they want to make a copy of the page & download thecopy, make the changes on the copy & then upload the newcopy to the site.replacing the original page. I have a site that is over 600 pages with interconnected links that I don't even remember where they are or where they go to. Yesterday was a long time ago. The idea of uploading a new page to replace the existing page scares me to death! It seems to me when building the site, I did what we called at the elbow work, directly on line. Meaning I sat with the tech saying I want this changed or I want this to look like whatever & the tech would do the work directly on line on the spot at my direction. No links are in danger. Is it still possible to do "at the elbow" work & make the changes directly on line? Thank you in advance for your expertise. InventingJoy
Ladies,
Someone asked me a question..... what are the risks and the benefits of a provisional patent? I tried to explain it as simple as I could. She had gone on the US patent website but could not get a clear understanding. Can someone give me simple feedback to pass along to her?
Thanks,
Fe
Hello Everybody,
I had entered my product named "Mother's Hand Headrest" in Walmart's Get On The Shelf contest! Your valuable vote can help "Mother's hand headest"to reach on the Walmart shelf.
Please votefor us at http://www.getontheshelf.com/product/1859/Mother's-Hand-Headrest "
You can also cast your vote through your phone
From your mobile phone, text 1859 to 383838.
You can vote everyday till 3rd April
Please share it with your social media and friends and family!
We are confident that your support will pull in countless votes!
Thanks for your Vote.
Sincerely,
Mothershandheadrest.com
Hi M, I voted! U know I love your product. If you can still make some changes in your presentation, I might submit some drawings or photos to show more about how it works. How the attachments attach . I think its a great product. Walmart will be fools if they don't order. it. Do you have at least a provisional patent on it? I think you said you do but remind me. Then invent how to add memory to my brain LOL InventingJoy
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the Vote.Now I can not make any changes in the presentation
To attach the headrest .Its a two step process first time
1)Stick the velcro to the child car seat. (Sticky back Velcro is provided with the headrest).Its first time only.
2)Hold the headrest in such a way that the thumb of the headrest is towards the child face.Now stick the velcro on headrest strap to the child carseat velcro such that the chin of the baby rest on to the center of the two hands.
I am not able to attach picture here . Instruction with picture available on our website
http://mothershandheadrest.com/Use.aspx
Thanks once again
Mothershandheadrest.com
Hi Megha, I was thinking abt U today & your fantastic product. If U get the Walmart contract, U may need to go overseas. Problem is its so hard to know who to trust. Also, did you read my story abt the rat in my fabric? Anyway, I have a contact in Taiwan that I have been working with for more than a dozen yrs. I have found him to be very trust worthy. He doesn't do sewing for me. But at some point I was sourcing fabric for him so he may have some sewing contacts. If U want, email me & I'll check. I still think U should try your local handicapped workshops 1st or all the other suggestions I made. Going overseas has its own set of problems.Local production give you more QA control & better "just in time" production. Word on the street is that Walmart can take 6 months to pay. That means you may need to take a loan to fulfill the contract. Read your contract carefully & make sure they can't return product to you. That's another reason I like "just in time". You purchase, manufacture & assemble as needed. Overseas You put out a big capital outlay for huge inventory, which you have to store in rat protected facilities & hope it sells. But I will check it for U if U want. You might want to check for the next casting call for the Shark Tank. I think they might like your product.
Does anyone know what trade agreements the USA has with the Philipines, if any? I have people there working for me (not sewing). The rate is very reasonable & I have some really good people who appreciate the work. I wonder why we do so little with that country whether it is employment or tourism. Can anyone out there educate me? InventingJoy
Cute product. I voted! Good luck!
Thank You Kimberly
I voted ! Good luck!
Has anyone used any companies that help get your company in order in terms of distribution, etc..?
I am now figuring out what I am going to do with all my products once they are made. I need a warehouse, I need a dsitribution plan and I'm not sure how you figure out how to make it all work successfully.
Hi Jenifer, What you are talking about is marketing. Most people think marketing is sales. Wrong! Sales is only 1/4 of marketing. You can go to local community college & take marketing 101 or hire a marketing consultant. In any event, however you get your information &/or education, unless you R independently wealthy & are creating a product just for your ego, you should do a complete market study before investing 1 cent in your product. InventingJoy
Hi and thanks for the response. I did have the market research done and I am working on my patent. I plan to hire a really good PR firm to get my brand out there. I am going to have a website where I will sell my products. I know there is a way to set up a successful distribution/ program to get the goods out the door, deal with returns, etc.. I was thinking of hiring a retail consulting firm to help strategize.
Sounds like you've got it covered. So I don't understand your question. InventingJoy
Thank You Jennifer
Better than money!!! I just got the call everyone always wants to receive. A camp director called. She wants to use Camp Stamp for all her campers (700 Campers) . She has been using Camp Stamp for her son since pre-school. She still has old belongings that still have Camp Stamp imprints. Her son is 17 years old now. She remembers how good Camp Stamp is & wants to use it for the campers. Woo hoo!!! That’s a nice call to get. InventingJoy
Congrats!!! I'm working on two accounts and I'm looking for a call like that any day now!
Fe
Well, I only had to wait about 12 years LOL! But tell us more...... InventingJoy
Online Label Design
Does anyone have a contact for online label design? I want to design myself online, a self sticking label on roll. Size 2 1/2 X 1 1/2. I like Vista Print but they don't have that size. Elite Design's font doesn't go below 8 pts & their price is through the roof! Anyone have any other contacts for online design? thx InventingJoy
I have used both http://www.uprinting.com and also http://www.quicklabel.com for different jobs. Both are very good! Good luck!
Hi Ginelle, Thx for responding. Uprint has good prices. Quick has a beautiful web site. But some companies such as the 2 I have mentioned have a free online program where you can design your own labels. Pls tell me if I missed something, but I don't think these companies have that ability. For the companies you mentioned, you have to have camera ready art work. I'm looking for a company where I can create my own camera ready artwork. So Everyone........... Do you have a recommendation? Thx InventingJoy
Hi Joy,
Uprinting does have a design tool. On home page click on designtool. I did a postcard campaign mail out using this tool...front and back side 1000 cards for under $100. They looked really good. I also designed a sticker in powerpoint exported/saved as a jpeg and then uploaded that jpeg to uprinting and they turned out great as well. U on a Mac?
best, Ginelle
Thx Ginelle, I'll try again. InventingJoy
Oh :-( I need 2.5 X1.5 . That was also my problem with Vista Print. they don't have my label size. Can you suggest anyone else? InventingJoy
Got it. Uprinting has your label size but you have to upload the file (I didn't know this wasn't an option in their online design tool). Do you have powerpoint or word? You can design there and then save as image or any of the other formats (PDF etc) they except and then upload. They will give you a proof before you buy. If it's off the art dept will resize for you. They've done this for me no charge. Let me know if you need any help :) good luck, Ginelle
...so for example, go into Word, click page setup, click "paper size", then select "manage custom size" put in 1.5 x 2.5", hit OK. Design as you like then select "save as PDF" when you are done. You can then upload this to Uprinting.com and get a free proof. When your proof comes you can accept or decline, if you decline you can adjust as you like. They don't take any money until you actually "buy" your stickers. hope this helps.
Hi Ginelle, Thx. I'll try it now. Is that your product: the CoolWazoo? I love it. Almost makes me wish I had little kids again. Well almost but not quite LOL. Wish I had it when my kids were little. Love your video. Did U do the editing? Fabulous editing! Tell me more caringpro@yahoo.com thx again, I'm learning from this. InventingJoy
Hi Ginelle, I feel really stupid. I can't find "page setup InventingJoy
no worries we all have those days. It's under "file"
Would U pls email me? caringpro@yahoo.com
Plea for Sympathy!
Hi everyone, Sympathy pls. I am struggling with redesigning Camp Stamp right now. Its like starting a business from scratch! I haven't done this in 20 years. I've got too much time & money investing in the change to turn around now. The only way is to push on forward. So I really feel for what all of you are going through.
Just a few challenges:
Changing the ink pad box:
I have an employee search the web to source boxes. He takes a week. I choose 2. I get samples. Then the distributor I choose says I'm requesting bids from parent company so he won't sell me. Parent company wants to charge me double what distributor had quoted
Things I'd like to say: Your parent company referred me to you & sent me your boxes dufus! This is a multiple choice question: Are you all pulling a scam or just disorganized or crazy?
Label change: Label company that I use doesn't have right size label . Label company I found doesn't have small enough font. I like to create as I go. Cheez! 1 week has become 4 & I'm still not done! I'm not looking for advice. Just looking for a little sympathy. I needed to complain with like minds. InventingJoy
Generally how long should it take a prototype developer to create a finished product? My product has an electrical component and an apparel component. Trying to be patient with him. He is the head engineer for one of the top baby brands which makes me feel confident plus he has the latest fast prototyping machines- with injection molds. We are not paying him anything - he believes in it so much that he doesn't want payment,however, I gave him a % of the company.
Does anyone have a name/contact of someone that can develop a prototype? I have a plastic baby product that I desperately need help on. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thnks!
Hi Freda, I do some types of prototypes when I recover from redesigning Camp Stamp! I do have a wait list but should be able to look at it in a couple of weeks. Where R U located? I would need more info to know if I can do your prototype. If I can't do it, I may be able to recommend someone. We have a network of inventors & developers that I meet with here in San Diego, some who do plastics. Pls email me caringpro@gmail.com. I give Inventing moms a discounted rate on my services. But the devil is in the details. I will send you an NDA with detailed instructions. My expectation is that you read & follow the details. Inventing, licensing, manufacturing is a very detailed process. How you handle the details indicates to me how time consuming assisting you will be. If you handle the details, it costs you less. If I handle the details, I charge for my time. InventingJoy
Im looking how to get money to lounch my invention. Does anybody knows where I can find some help?
I just joined an SPECTACULAR program to earn money from home (http://mariamontt.myvi.net/) but I need more money!! This thing of being inventor and Mother of two is NOT cheap!
So I am patiently waiting for my second prototype from my engineer (which gets so frustrating because I wish he would just hurry up and create what I want..but I am learning to have patience. I am always thinking ten steps ahead. Does anyone have manufacturing connections overseas for a baby product that has an electrical device component?
also need apparel manufacturers- could be USA or overseas for both the electrical and apparel components.
I am at the packaging stage of my venture and I will need a logo done for me. I was wondering how everyone else gets it done. I am funding this venture completly on my own and on a shoe string budget. Do I need to hire a graffic designer or is there other cheaper ways to get this done? I know one thing, I CAN'T do it myself, no talent in that area.
Niclole,
Hi. I am a Mom inventor. My product is on the momshelpingschools. I am a graphic designer by trade and my favorite thing is to create corporate identity, logo, biz cards, stationery. Email me at sally@careringcover.com and I think we can work something out. Moms helping moms!
Sally
Hi, You can contact me for packaging. I'm wait listed for a couple of weeks but can do it then. Pls send sample folded & pinned, exactly as you want it packaged. Include where you plan to sell product: retail, mail order etc.Be sure to include your ph# . Earliest & latest you can be called without disturbing anyone. caringpro@gmail.com
Sample:
CaringTown Inc
5519 Clairemont Mesa Blvd #333
San Diego Ca. 92117
Hi, I just came across your helpful website. I recently came up with a clothing idea but never even dreamed about having my own business, I don't know where to start and want to before I chicken out! I just read "Secrets of Millionaire Moms' which was so helpful. For clothing, do you advise getting a pattern made first and then a sample? And for clothing ideas, is it wise to get a patent? Any information I would greatly appreciate!
Thank you!!
I am a stay at home Mom/Digital Marketing Consultant/Mom Inventor WannaBe. I am becoming so impatient with my engineer who is creating my prototype! In the beginning, he was always updating me- he works at melissa & doug as the main engineer, SO i am confident he knows what he is doing. I feel like he is taking forever. Help! I need advice!!!!
Hi,
I know your frustration! I used a person that took 4 months to get me 1 prototype! She had family issues and we emailed back and forth. The first prototype was wrong because she was working at 2am. She was doing other projects besides mine. Before I got the second prototype back, the company asked me to pay for an additional 40 hours which would be around $2500.
I decided that this is not how it's supposed to be. This is supposed to be an exciting time for us and it's not supposed to be this frustrating.
I stopped using them, took my losses and had to start over. I am using a manufacturer because they can give good input on costs while making the sample.
If I were you, I would set up a call. Explain to him your frustrations and ask if maybe you should go somewhere else. I plan on being at the ABC show so time is not on my side!
I would love to call you- would you be willing to send me your number so we can chat- my email is laurenpicc@gmail.com. I may want to go that route. I am so passionate about this and am becoming so frustrated. It is the same scenario with him. Lately it is all excuses. the only thing is we signed a contract with him.
Also, I wouldn't know where to begin on how to find a manufacturer.
Hi Lauren, Check your contract. There should be an delivery date. If not, you may need legal advice. Why did you choose them? WHy do you "feel confident"? If you have no money invested I would give them 1 warning with a delivery date & payment upon satisfaction. If it is not delivered then run, not walk, far away. Lesson to everyone: Read your contract carefully before signing & make sure you have an NDA, even if you have a patent. InventingJoy
Hi Sarah,
I am planning on adding clothing to my brand and just started looking into it. I will tell you that unless you have something really unique and different, patents on clothing are not worth it. You can send a sample to a pattern maker and change just one thing about it and you have a new product.
I am just now starting to research and talk to companies. Please share anything you find out! Thanks!
will do, thank you! do you have any leads to finding a pattern maker? i live in nyc and was thinking about maybe FIT? it is wise for everyone i work with to sign a non-disclosure? and also do you have any leads or know how to go about finding manufacturers over sea's? i'm trying to find the least expensive way to sell my product. thank you again!!
Hello,
My manufacturer is asking me what I expect my MRSP target price to be. He's also asking me about the margins I need to hit (wholesale, distributer).
How do you come up with pricing?
Hi Jennifer, Sounds like you have a good manufacturer. Pls post the contact info. It isn't easy to find a good one. Start with your COGs. Cost of goods. Ad up the cost of every component part. Be sure to include shipping in each component part. There are many variables but a Rule of thumb used to be wholesale = 3XCOGs plus % of expenses such as rent, utilities, salaries etc. If your working out of your garage, imagine what it would be if you had a facility & use those numbers. It may be better to use 4X Cogs(which is what I've been using lately) considering many price increases & that is only a rule of thumb. IMPORTANT: Include what you would Pay yourself if you were actually getting any money & even if its only minimum wage for the actual hours you are working on the product. YOu may need to do a time study. If you don't pay yourself in your COGs, you will never be able to retire. Ask me how I know! Sounds like you need to write a business plan & a market study. Check Tamara's book. Or contact me to get on my waiting list for consulting . caringpro@gmail.com Good luck
Hello,
I am looking into possibly manufacturing my products over seas. I have spoken to and received 3 different samples ( 2 from China 1 from India) and I am just not happy with the results. Many other manufacturers that I have spoken to I have noticed a huge language barrier which is an obvious problem from the start. Do you have any helpful advice as to where I can go to find good manufacturers over seas? I am open to other countries and I would actually prefer to stay away from China but I'm having such a difficult time with this. Please help!
Thank you!
What is your product? Why overseas? What city or town are you in? Do you have orders? Have you done a market study? How many units?
My product is the BabyHug - swaddle with a cushioned back which supports baby's head, neck, and spine for a safe and easy way to hold your baby. It was primarily designed to prevent baby's head from rolling back so its great for parents, siblings, and visitors. http://www.SillyMonkeyBaby.com I'm thinking about going overseas to decrease cost. Our blankets are made with Organic cotton and in Chicago. We are in a number of boutiques and we also sell online. Everyone loves the idea but many people comment that it is too expensive ($64). I would love to get retail price below $50 because I know it is a common price to spend on baby shower/ new mom gifts. In terms of units I would not want to do more than 1200 units. Right now I am reaching out to a certain demographic but I would like to reach out to all expecting parents.
Thanks for the help!
Hi Anna, I hope you can prove me wrong, but in my experience, you will need a much larger order to be cost effective in China. Have you considered a disability workshop like United Cerebral palsy? or something something Hands? (Someone, pls fill in my somethings) ARC? Or how about opening a sewing school & teach people who are presently jobless &/or disabled, & need to learn a skill, to sew your product. All part of reaching out your hand to pull your sisters up with you as you rise, while acheiving your goals. Sounds like a fabulous product. Good luck. Pls keep us posted. Inventing Joy
If your product has to do with silicone then email: jason@zhandar.com.cn His name is Jason Chen and is wonderful to work with. They are affiliated with allibaba.com which was a tip from Tamara in her book that was so great for me!
I have been asked to create an exclusive design of my product to sell t this particular company. Can anyone tell me what are the pros and cons of selling an exclusive design and give some price point ideas.
Thanks,
Lisa
HI Felicia, I wouldn't give an exclusive unless they are contracted to do sales that would profit me about a couple of million dollars by a certain date. Or if I felt that an exclusive with them would get me publicity or benifite me in some other way. Make sure you have a tight contract. Write it & have it reviewed by a lawyer. Don't forget to insist on what you want. They will respect you for it. & don't be afraid to walk away. If its good enough for them, it will be good enough for someone else. Good luck InventingJoy
Great advice Inventing Joy! I will do just that! Thank you!
Hi Felicia, I'm glad I could be of help. Pls keep me posted on progress. It encourages me to stick my neck out & give advice, when I get feedback. Good luck, I'm waiting anxiously to hear. InventingJoy
Hi Tamara,
I read your article on Manufacturing tips. There is a list of questions to ask when talking to these companies. To retrieve entire list you said go to gold memeber area of your website then manufacturing resource. I need assistance finding this list. I am talking to companies and this list will be helpfull.
Thank you
Linda Brown
Decorad
Hello,
I produce an all natural cleaning product that I am marketing to larger retailers. I currently produce the product in very small amounts from my home. I need advice on finding a US manufacturer where I can use their space to produce my product without having to disclose my formula. I need space to produce and package the product in mass amounts myself.
Hi Tina, I have done this with my permanent ink. I cringe when I think of it. A memory which warants a "do over". I Made a huge permanent mess of the company's equipment & space. I used a company who produces cleaning products & did my own manufacturing in their faciilty. You are wise not to share your formula. As U've probably figured out, unless your very very rich, A chemical patent is seldom a good patent & can work against U. btw Coca Cola does not have a patent. They have a trade secret. There are a few options that I can think of. MIx up an small, concentrated, but integral amount in your garage & give it to the company you employ to manufacture. You can mix with a 5 gal bucket & a drill with a mixer on it. Bucket $5 at home depot with a tight fitting lid. Then U only give them part of the formula. Better still mix up the whole thing in your garage until you get big & successful enough to compete with P&G bcs they & other huge companies R your competitors in this market.. You can purchase a stainless steel 45 ot 55 gal drum, get spigots, cut holes in the drum & install the spigots. Voila you have a 5,000 piece of equipment for a couple of hundred dollars. Send me some. My place is a mess! Just be glad you didn't invent permanent ink LOL! Contact me if you want to hire me for consulting. I give 50% off to mom inventors. It will be several weeks before I can fit you in. caringpro@yahoo.com
Thank you so much for the tips. Much appreciated.
Tina
I have had an idea for an invention for a while and finally ready to get it out there. I unfortunately do not know where to start to get it made. What is a trusted company that I can get help from and should there be a charge for the help?
Any help would be great appreciated.
Hi all, I just want to say that I completely understand the frustration of having an idea and not knowing where to turn to get a sample made or production done. Obviously it's a pretty common problem and unfortunately I don't have any good answers.
Jennifer, since you're at the beginning of your project, you might find some trustworthy companies in Tamara's book. I seem to remember she provided a list for product development companies. I've been trying to do it more or less on my own because I am bootstrapping my idea, so I can't steer you to anyone in particular.
Lisa
Thank you for you help.
Hi,
I have a business idea. I came across Mom Invented and seem to love it. Im based in India, so do you cater to mothers based out of USA?
If yes, then how would i be able to attend the Mentoring program? Please advise?
Thanks
Tina
Hi Tina, I don't understand why you can't be part of this community from outside the country. What services do you want? I love to learn from people in other countries. I say welcome. InventingJoy caringpro@gmail.com
Hello,
Has anyone used Lambert & Lambert to license an idea. I want to sell the licensing rights to one of my inventions that has potential uses in hospitals and in homes. I need an honest company that can connect me to companies that might cater to both outlets. Any help would be greatly appreciate.
Thank you
Jess
Hi Jess, I'm sorry but I don't know of any liscensing companies.
There is a licensing show held at the Javits Center in New York in June. You may want to consider a booth there or attending to make some connections. Either google Javits Center of Licensing Trade Show. Hope this helps.
Elise
Hello Lydia and InventingJoy, thank you both so much for your comments.
Lydia, that is a very good idea. I actually have a crude prototype where I've used foamcore. Its rough but it gives people the idea of how it works. At this point it is a question of finding a way to get some viable samples -- at least to demonstrate how it will can be manufactured on a large scale. It sounds like you might be at this same point.
For Inventingjoy, congratulations on the Camp Stamp and good luck with the changes. It would certainly be valuable to explore the die cutting area to see if it might be an appropriate alternative. I guess I'll need to have some kind of conversation with him to see if he think my concept can be adapted to a die cut format. What is the best way via email to send you photos, etc. (which is a very kind offer)?
Lisa
Oops! My email caringpro@gmail.com . In looking over the site, my same post can also go to Lydia. Sorry Lydia, I should have included you. For those who don't have experience with die cutting, think cookie cutter embedded into a piece of wood, You give your die, (cookie cutter) & your material to die cutting company who stamps your material. For samples, I have put my material on the die & hit it with a rubber mallet (gently) to just stamp out a few samples. I do not recommend doing this. But I have done it. There are also die cutting machines for around $300 that you can purchase. I haven't had much luck with them but my products are fabric. I think they work better for paper & something like foam core. It is hand cranked. If you want more info, ask & I'll see if the info will appear in the hard drive in my head. It is a teachers product. But that's all I remember right now. email someone out of gmail mentioning die cutter & teacher, & I bet an ad will probably appear for it. InventingJoy
btw, I have a patent on a product which uses velcro. In patent language, hook & loop fastener. It attaches the rubber letters of a stamp to the handle. I sell this to the military. The patent is necessary to prevent my competitors from doing same. My competitors are my size companies who I can go "Boo" to & they back down. It is simple & can't be changed. That's what makes it a good patent. I have to come up with several thousand dollars this year to keep my patent current. My competitors are sitting like vultures, waiting for me to miss my payment. Don't forget a patent is only good for 20 years. I've been in business that long. (not with that product) but pretty soon I'd better come up with something new pretty soon because I've given my competitors an invention. Its out there. I know you all don't think your going to live that long but take it from me. You do. YOu wake up one morning, your hair is gray, you've been in business for 20 years & you wonder what the H happened! So think about your exit strategies. InventingJoy
Hi Lisa,
I ran across your question and I too have been looking for a US based company, to re-produce a charm in resin for my product. I did the Alibaba route, no success. I did learn if you have a actual art store (not a craft store) in your area they can assist and guide you with the materials you will need to create your own sample.
I hope that helps a bit, please post if you do find a US based company.
regards,
Lydia
Hello, I've created an accessory/charm which uses a combination of EVA (plastic) and velcro. I'm looking for a reliable manufacturer in China that I can work with to create some samples.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd prefer to deal with them directly.
Thank you!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Have you tried Alibaba.com?
In the U.S. you can try MFG.com and ThomasNet.com
Warmest regards,
Tamara
Hi Lisa, Is it possible to produce your charm by stamping out with a die cutter? I have an excellent inexpensive die maker who works for my company right here on this side of the pond. Have you protected your product? patent? provisional? or???? InventingJoy
Tamara and Inventing Joy, thank you very much for your suggestions.
Tamara, I have gone to Alibaba and have been in contact with some people. However, this product needs some assembly of different materials and the people I talked with seemed to have limited ability to do that. They had their products and molds and could customize a bit but not too much. That is why I wondered if anyone had some experience with some particular factories because it is difficult to pinpoint their true capabilities of a company from their Alibaba profile (and even communicating with them).
As for using US companies, I have spoken with some of them but my experience was that it is very expensive to have molds done and it becomes particularly expensive if you have different designs. This product will have very low price points.
That's just been my particular experience but I am open to any and all ideas.
Inventingjoy, thank you for your suggestion. I did do a bit of exploration of die-cutting but it could certainly be worth revisiting it. If you know of someone good, I'd love to have a conversation with them. Maybe they have a way of looking at it that I hadn't considered.
As for the patent area, I have thought about it, but I am taking this very incrementally and thought I would make sure I could see a pathway to cost-effective manufacturing before taking on the patent issue. From what I understand, this might not be a good candidate for a full fledged utility patent but possibly a design patent. I'll definitely delve into it if I can get the manufacturing issue successfully resolved.
Again, I appreciate your comments and am very open to hearing anything!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I ran across your question and I too have been looking for a US based company, to re-produce a charm in resin for my product. I did the Alibaba route, no success. I did learn if you have a actual art store (not a craft store) in your area they can assist and guide you with the materials you will need to create your own sample.
I hope that helps a bit, please post if you do find a US based company.
ps. i'm new to this site, I sent a comment instead of a post. :) haha
regards,
Lydia
Hi Lisa, I haven't had much luck wi Ali Baba, either. I wonder what other's experience has been? Have any of you had good experience with Ali Baba?
My die maker's English isn't too good. Your best to go through me. email me your ph# & earliest & latest I can call you without disturbing anyone. It would be most helpful if you email me pictures, description, description of material you plan to use, & projected volume. A die can be 1 up or 10 up. The best price point is acheived by making the appropriate die. I can send you a Non disclosure form which is probably a good idea, not for trust necessarily(this is totally out of my product line), but if you end up using an agent or presenting on one of the tv shows, you need to be able to say you have it.
I always use die cutting if I can bcs it soooooo much cheaper & very consistent. The only down side with die cutting is getting a good cutting company who doesn't break your dies. On the whole, however, the dies are so inexpensive compared to other molding, its worth doing if it works for your product. It really brings your price point down & consistent quality up. There isn't too much that can be done wrong with a die cut.
I think you are right on to study your market & analyze costs before doing a patent of any kind. Although my company does patent searches, I keep trying to put myself out of business by stressing that there are reasons to have & a lot more reasons to not have a patent depending on the product & the situation & who your competitors are. 1 rule of thumb: If you can't afford to go to court & defend your patent or good enough to look threatening enough to get your comptetitors to back down, its a waste to get a patent. sometimes it actually works against you.
Pls be patient with me getting back to you as I'm running deadlines & under a lot of pressure right now. This is the beginning of Camp Stamp Season http://www.CampStamp.com . I'm making some big changes in Camp Stamp & of course, I'm behind doing it. just keep after me & give me as big a window of calling time as possible.
I can guarantee if you decide to get dies from my company, that you will be satisfied with the dies that Quoc makes . He has been making my dies for about 15 years. I've never had a bad one. Prior to him, I had many bad ones. Quoc's work comes with my company's guarantee of satisfaction. Besides your going to give feedback here on this forum so I better be good! InventingJoy