Do You Really Look At Your Product When You Come Up With It? I ask this question because I see more and more invention ideas that clearly the Inventor did not consider their product and its environment. Once you come up with your product and you believe it is marketable that is not the time to stop working on your product.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
If you have designed a new type of silverware shouldn’t one of the aspects in its design be how will the consumer clean it? If it will not go in the basket of most dishwashers do you think most consumers will be willing to hand wash them if they own a dishwasher?
Will your product fit on a standard store shelf? Will it stick out into the aisle?
How many will they be able to get on a shelf?
Is it so tall it will require to be displayed on a top shelf?
If you package them 12 to a case, but they can only get two on a shelf at a time is it worth it to the store to sell it?
Is your product so big and bulky the only way it can be displayed would be on an endcap display? Endcaps are considered prime money makers in stores. So your item has to give them a good return for investing that much space for it.
Does your product need batteries or plug into a wall socket when all the other products in that category are hand powered? If it does, will this extra expense give the consumer something back in return for this added cost?
Does your product require huge counter space in the household and if it does is it something the consumer might only use twice a year? So, is the counter space taken worth what your product does?
Will your product need to be sold via a J-hook in the store aisle so consumers will see it as an impulse buy?
Will your product have a learning curve requiring a commercial be made in order to get the consumer aware of its benefits?
These are just some of the questions Inventors need to ask themselves about their product before they start shopping it around to companies. You need to think as an Inventor, a retailer and a consumer when you are coming up with your ideas. You need to satisfy all three groups for your product to be successful.