Product Creation

[cfo3074]

Hi All,

I have a product that I would like to have made but I'm not sure how to get started. I went to thomasnet.org like the book suggested but all the companies I found had products of there own to sell but nothing helping you to create your own unique product. Am I missing something or did the book leave this very important piece out? Is there a place I can go to get this done?

[chigurh coin flip]

I don't have an answer, but I am "bumping" this in order to see if anyone else does.

I too, have some ideas for products. I don't have one big muse in mind. More or less some mini-muses.

[yuugen]

I'm having the same problem. The amount of research needed to find the materials I need, plus coordinate the manufacturers is incredible. I need a VA I don't have money yet...I thought muses were supposed to make things easier? :)

[wildsoul]

Yes, I think things are supposed to be easier. Excellent point!

The book has lots of different ways to make a muse happen, but what it can't take into account is how much biz experience you already have, what resources, etc.

Unless you're already doing manufacturing, or know people who are, I think it's a hard road. If you're already connected, then that's another story.

[Vagabond]

You should be able to find people on thomannet.com that are able to make prototypes for you, you can then take that to manufacturers to have it made, but you should patent the prototype.

do google searches for prototype designers, custom contract manufacturers... do some digging..

[Marcie]

patents are verrry expensive and there is no guarantee your patent will be granted at the end of the process. Just wanted to throw that out there since the expense could kill the ROI on a muse, depending on what it is. Tim posted a resource in his Licensing Ideas to Others for Royalties section of "TOOLS & TRICKS BY CHAPTER - Chapter 9 – Finding the Muse":

InventRight (www.inventright.com)

In many cases it's not worth the patent...

[erinmariedris]

I was also really frustrated with finding manufacturers on Thomasnet.org. In the end, I did not find what I was looking for directly on that site. I used maybe one or two references from that as well as looking at general ads and doing google searches to eventually find legit manufacturers - but only by asking for references from them. I sent out a standard email to those whose contact I could find on the Web. Some answered me, others did not. Calling seems to be the most efficient, but only if you have the time. Overall, it is not a quick find and seems to get more complicated the deeper you go. But, I have now narrowed down to about 8 legit manufacturers, so it's a start! Next, I have to get pricing guidelines and before that test to see if someone is actually going to buy my product!

Also, I like security (why am I becoming an entrepreneur?! ;) )so I paid $100 for a provisional patent. It is easy to do and only involves a title, description (as brief as you want b/c you can always change it later), and a pdf cover letter (of title, desc.) and any associated drawings.

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/provapp.htm

Hope this helps!

[Marcie]

Oh yes I meant to say a provisional patent is an excellent idea, that's what the website I referenced talks about...

[CobaltSailor]

elance and guru.com both feature companies that can create a prototype for you, as well as business consultants that can aid in getting your things manufactured.

[Burgher]

The Thomas register has everybody and everything, so you really need to have a good idea of what product you want to buy. If you have an original design then you need to look at design companies and custom manufacturers. Tim "created" a vitamin/nutritional supplement product, there are a number of companies that will create a unique or private label formulation of a vitamin supplement like Tim's. The trick, as Tim states in the book, is finding a niche market to sell your product. You can have a product made that is exactly, or virtually exactly, like Tim's and sell it to a different niche market. If nutritional supplements are your interest then take a look at NHK laboratories, Maat Nutritionals or Pan American Lborotories, those are just 3 of the many listed in the Thomas Register.

[mad111]

Hi Burgher,

Would those same companies that are able to create a unique supplement formulation for you also be able to bottle it, put labels on the bottles AND drop-ship it for you, i.e. one-stop shopping?

Thanks in advance.

The Thomas register has everybody and everything, so you really need to have a good idea of what product you want to buy. If you have an original design then you need to look at design companies and custom manufacturers. Tim "created" a vitamin/nutritional supplement product, there are a number of companies that will create a unique or private label formulation of a vitamin supplement like Tim's. The trick, as Tim states in the book, is finding a niche market to sell your product. You can have a product made that is exactly, or virtually exactly, like Tim's and sell it to a different niche market. If nutritional supplements are your interest then take a look at NHK laboratories, Maat Nutritionals or Pan American Lborotories, those are just 3 of the many listed in the Thomas Register.

[JeffA]

Hi All-

I hoping someone will be able to point me in the right direction. I have been extensively researching dietary supplement contract manufacturers, and I am a bit overwhelmed by how many of them there are. How do I know whether I am choosing a reputable company with good ingredients and good quality control/assurance? Also, do I stay with a company in the states or look overseas? I know the type of product I want to create to satisfy my market, but I am concerned with ingredient composition and making sure I do not create a product with harmful results. I am a bit confused how Tim did it. Did he develop a product from scratch, or did he just find a generic product which a company was already manufacturing and just get them to slap his label on it? Anyone know the answer? Also, if anyone has recommendations for good quality contract manufacturers and/or private labeling companies, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks in advance,

Jeff:confused:

[nondual]

hello guys

I understand many of you want to start building their very first muse with your own product.

That's a mistake! Stop!

This is what I suggest you:

1) join the affiliate programs of products (plural!!) that is in the SAME area of interest of the product that you wish to create

2) test THOSE products using pay per click (google adwords), record exacltly which product is selling better and the keyword that generate the sales or the signups to your email autoresponders

3) ONLY after you have tested SOMEBODY ELSE'S products you can think of developing your own product

I would strongly recommend you not to do the opposite: I understand that many of you are really excited of starting your own projects, and your enthusiasm is excellent. But you must TEST the markets first. Also, building your own product takes time (and always remember anyway that an ok product with great marketing will always be a better muse then an excellent product poorly marketed).

If you want to learn how to QUICKLY and inexpensively TEST your market promoting other people's products via pay per click, take a look at the page here below:

www.JamesBradley.info


Good luck!

I can build the product I'm looking at with about $300-$500 plus development time. Basically, I'm mixing a few ideas/products and marketing them to an (nearly) entirely unexploited market. I'm also using as a baseline a product that has research and clinical results behind it. It's not a consumable and there are other products that are similar in the market but that are marketed TOTALLY different, so I can study the market leader to get ideas about how to market my products and apply them to a definitively different product that would be marketed to a much different niche.

Would you have such reservations about THIS product?