Has anyone here made their own PHYSICAL product? What exactly is it called?

15 replies
Warriors,

I have a couple concepts of 2 products I want to sell from my new websites.

1 is a simple exercise equipment, the other is a simple pet product.

I'm talking like actual physical products - not ebooks turned into a physical product.

The concepts themselves are pretty simple. I already have a lot of the mechanics worked out in my head, except I'm not exactly sure where to proceed with it...

What is this called? Manufacturing or something like that?

Basically what I was hoping to do was send the manufacture my design specifics, and have them send me a prototype until we finally get it right.

Has anyone done something like this before?

Thanks!
Dan Brock
#called #made #physical #product
  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    Hi Dan,

    I highly advise against telling anyone until you apply for a patent.
    It'll cost you a bit to have a patent attorney research to see if
    anyone else has done the same thing, or if there would be any
    conflicts.

    After that, then you can see about manufacturing. If it's possible,
    perhaps try to make some units for market testing.

    More than anything, protect your idea/design.

    If it gets far enough, you'll more than likely be interested in having
    it manufactured overseas. I hate to say it or even suggest it, but
    there are a lot of pressures to do that simply because your competition
    is doing it. But, just throwing that out there.

    I also suggest avoiding those ads from businesses that tell you they'll
    do it all for you for a cut of the profits. They're out there. Some may
    be legit, but I've read that people have been scammed by these kinds
    of services. In what exact manner, I'm not completely sure. Just be
    careful.

    Ken
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    • Profile picture of the author Venturetothetop
      Although I agree it is always better to have a patent it is a long process, so if time is an issue and the product may not last long, just go for it.

      I have had a few things made, and yes, people will copy it, but we avoided all competition within the UK by simply applying for a patent (not actually paying for it) and could therefore prove the idea was ours.

      Go to alibaba.com and you can have it done cheaply.
      I have many contacts in Germany who will make your prototype also, a bit more expansive naturally but less chance of problems.

      If you need the contact pm me.
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      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
        Thanks guys.

        What is the actual process called of coming up with a design and having some other company fulfill the design requirements?

        I'm sure there are tons of forums on the topic, just not exactly sure what the common phrase is.

        I think this is where I want to go with my internet marketing/business in general. Seems to me that a lot of physical product creators have no clue how to market their products online, so I should be able to make a good run at this.
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    • Profile picture of the author David Jackson
      Originally Posted by KenThompson View Post

      I highly advise against telling anyone until you apply for a patent. It'll cost you a bit to have a patent attorney research to see if anyone else has done the same thing, or if there would be any conflicts.

      After that, then you can see about manufacturing. If it's possible,
      perhaps try to make some units for market testing.

      More than anything, protect your idea/design.
      Ken is absolutely right. DO NOT put your idea out there without protecting it first. Nuff said!

      David Jackson
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Daniel, here's another ingredient for your stew pot.

        Do you really want to deal with manufacturing and fulfillment issues? Or do you just want to see your ideas come to life and profit from them?

        If it's the latter, consider taking your prototype and proof of concept and hunting for a licensing deal. This can be extremely lucrative.

        A few years ago, a Brit was on Dragon's Den with a design for a new electrical junction box. After cutting a deal with the dragons, they secured a licensing deal where the guy got a royalty on every unit sold.

        Last year, he and his wife were on House Hunters. They were building a huge new home in the UK, and were buying a million-Euro-plus vacation home in Spain to live in while the UK house was under construction...
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  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    Dan,

    I think the term you're looking for is called a prototype design.
    The actual manufacturing would derive from blueprints. You
    would need accurate blueprints drawn to scale, etc.

    Also, on the subject of patents. I read somewhere that as long
    as you initiate the process, you can indicate "patent pending"
    on your product and will have a measure of protection. Of course
    it's up to you, but I wouldn't put it out there without putting
    something in place to protect your work.

    Ken
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Dan, this is way out of my range of expertise so I should probably just keep quiet, but I had an idea and thought I'd toss it out there for you to think about or ignore, as you see fit.

    You could consult with a local manufacturer and ask them to sign a non-disclosure, no-compete statement with the idea that you'll give them the first opportunity to bid on the manufacturing if you go ahead with it.

    If you apply for a patent first, that should be fairly safe. Others may say you don't want to do that, and they may make a good case for it, but I've done deals on nothing more than an "email handshake" before and it worked out very well. The point is, they may be able to shed a lot of light on the process for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Dan,

    We should talk and you should speak with fellow warrior Bill Farnham (Killer Joe).

    Here's a litmus test for you, grab a copy of David Pressman's book, "Patent It Yourself" and go through it carefully.

    Patent It Yourself - Law Books, Legal Forms & Software - Nolo

    If you can make it through that process... you MAY have the dedication to your concept that it will require to fully develop it for the marketplace.

    If that seems like too much hassle... there's a message hiding in there for you.

    You'll have a MASSIVE advantage over the vast majority of inventors and product creators in that you understand marketing and have made money from your own ventures before.

    But don't get overconfident in how easy it may seem to sell the thing. Selling is only one of several crucial elements of a successful new product.

    That's all I'll say for now.

    Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
      Awesome! I freakin' love this forum, let me tell you!

      Thanks guys! Definitely going to get to work...although need to stay focused on my current project in the meantime.

      I appreciate the input everyone
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
      Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

      Dan,

      We should talk and you should speak with fellow warrior Bill Farnham (Killer Joe).

      Here's a litmus test for you, grab a copy of David Pressman's book, "Patent It Yourself" and go through it carefully.

      Patent It Yourself - Law Books, Legal Forms & Software - Nolo

      If you can make it through that process... you MAY have the dedication to your concept that it will require to fully develop it for the marketplace.

      If that seems like too much hassle... there's a message hiding in there for you.

      You'll have a MASSIVE advantage over the vast majority of inventors and product creators in that you understand marketing and have made money from your own ventures before.

      But don't get overconfident in how easy it may seem to sell the thing. Selling is only one of several crucial elements of a successful new product.

      That's all I'll say for now.

      Brian
      Thanks for the offer Brian, that's really nice of you. Will definitely be getting in contact with you when I get closer to getting it done. Still need to develop my websites in question more before I start creating these products.

      Much appreciated my good man!

      Dan Brock
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      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
        On a side note, I remember reading somewhere that the guy who made the company Everlast was 17 when he made his first physical product.

        A new type of boxing shorts that would last a certain amount of training before wearing out.

        From there he progressed into creating boxing headgear that would last for a certain amount of rounds. at the time, the current head gear would last only 1 training session, while his were certified up to 12 matches.

        If he was 17,18 when he came up with this stuff, surely it can't be THAT hard.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    By the way, in regard to the original question from this thread,
    the term you're looking for is "Contract Manufacturing".

    It's sort of like being a general contractor where you sub out
    the physical construction of your product.

    And Daniel, happy to discuss it with you further.

    I make one promise... your mind will be blown.

    Best,

    Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
    First thing. Brian McLeod and I are "bookends" on this subject. His is a background of working in the "Patent" industry, where products are developed and protected. Mine is one of a marketer with the responsibility of finding products to market (for some sizeable companies).

    The reality. We (big marketing companies) probably won't even talk to you without some protection. YOU need to have ownership and patents and trademarks and copyrights help. You will need to sign a non disclosure form, and you may need to offer exclusivity.

    That being said. The ONLY thing a patent does for you is it gives you the right to DEFEND yourself in a court.

    Seriously, a "cease and desist" order, if you even get one, isn't going to stop your product from being knocked off and sold by unscrupulous marketing firms.

    A patent protection court case is going to cost you and god forbid you don't win, and sometimes even if you do, and get a judgement against a company, you still have to pay your legal fees and there is a tough road to go down.

    OK, beside the doom and gloom. The upside is, as an inventor, you can "get rich quick" (in relative terms) and that is a great upside to it.

    But let me tell you something. Over the last decade I've worked with scores of inventors who have given their lives for their "better mousetrap" and their great creations are sitting around collecting dust.

    The bottom line is: HOW IS THE PRODUCT going to be MARKETED?

    Take your pet product. I'm in that market. We have a pet supplement and we have stiff competition. By the way, many years ago I had a formula developed for dogs with arthritis and joint damage, and then it was PRIVATE LABLED, we sold it and several other companies sold it under their own brand. This is a fairly easy route to go for you, you can have your product created and bottled for a low cost entry into the market.

    This way you can TEST your sales promotions. AND develop back-ends.

    Which is something a marketing company would be pleased to see.

    As for your exercise equipment.

    Again, who is going to buy this? How?

    There are probably local companies in your Yellow Pages or do a google search or better yet a Thomas Register (if you don't know these types of publications, you have some work to do) and find someone to construct you a working prototype.

    They will do this under a non disclosure agreement.

    As you get it made, they will also do the engineering work, so you have the necessary info for filling out a Patent application and the NEW (recently created) process buys you a year of time before you have to file a "formal" patent, and here is where you don't cut corners, contact Brian and have him help you, if he is amenable to doing it.

    Once you have a prototype, you have to know what molding and part assemblies go into it, and you most likely will use an "off shore" manufacturing, their quality varies greatly, using a ISO 9001 certified company will help you.

    But know this. AS soon as it is started being made, they or a "friendly" competitor may start knocking it off.

    The thing which will make it successful has nothing to do with PATENTS or a wall of protection (and again, this doesn't stop anyone from knocking it off it just gives you some legal standing, which gets very expensive)

    is the MARKETING.

    Will you have an infomercial made? Will the marketing companies you offer this too, how will they market it.

    I've seen ONE new product, a piece of well known exercise equipment, go on to create a 100 million dollar a year company, a name that most in exercise will recognize.

    But, you need to have ONE. Then you can let people use it, video them, all while getting your wall of protection set up and you can be seeking "Virtual Manufacturers".

    Daniel, read this report: Harvey Brody’s: ‘Toll Postion Secrets’ Report

    My friend Harvey Brody has been doing this for over 50 years. It will give you much insight into what you want to do.

    Good luck with your creations.

    gjabiz

    PS. This quote of from page 27 in Harvey's report and it may contain a valuable lesson for you Daniel;

    HB: I do not sell my products and services "to the public,"
    because I’d rather control "Toll-Positions" that enable me to sell
    my products as well as my services in a solidly profitable and
    also enjoyable manner to all kinds of companies, institutions,
    schools, governments, and other such entities, etc., but I avoid
    selling my products to the public in a "onezy, twozy" and/or door
    to door manner.
    [
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
      So awesome! I'm so siked about this Thanks for the addition bits of info, it's been very helpful!

      gjabiz,

      Thanks for the long post! You know your stuff!

      I understand that the success of my creations lie in my ability to market my product.

      Luckily, I have 2 existing websites that I am bringing up now that are based around 2 very highly searched keywords that I own exact match domains on.

      One of them gets nearly half a million searches a month, the other in the hundred thousands - all for the name of my products.

      The type of product that I am going to create is nothing new. Typically, multiple companies offer their own versions of these products, yet they are basically the same thing.

      Sort of like sunglasses.

      I mainly want to create these products because the equivalent products on the internet don't offer more than 5% commission. also, the products are limited in the sense that they are very overweight. So much, that the cost of shipping almost makes it not worthwhile to buy over the internet.

      That is one of the problems my product is going to solve.

      Another thing I wanted to do was offer an info product as an upsell for a monthly fee. I have my entry level products(the physical products I want to make) and then a $5-$10/m membership site that offers training on how to use them, how to get stronger, how to build a better ____, etc.

      I think it's going to work out really well for me

      Thanks guys! Much appreciated
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Gordon Jay Alexander is a RARE GEM in this forum.

    Great post...

    I'm reminded of Hunter S. Thompson's old quote about the music business - I'll adapt it here, below:

    "The invention business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. "
    Like any business, a very small few will succeed wildly while the majority will not.

    Is an idea or new product worth pursuing? Only the inventor can answer that question. Research can be wrong. Common sense can be wrong...

    Just know this - whether you're interested in marketing your own product or licensing it to an outside company, it's never going to be EASY.

    Under the best of circumstances, the odds are not in your favor. Most of us don't operate with the luxury of the best of circumstances.

    Best,

    Brian
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