Quite often, it makes sense for businesses to sell products based on existing designs and innovations. But, in others, a new product may have to get developed from scratch. That’s because the limitations of existing technology can cause customers to go elsewhere.
In the business world, it’s not only important to retain existing clients but to get new ones too. And one of the ways you can do that is by making impressive new products. If you have a need to develop a new product, you might not know the best way of doing so.
Today’s blog post aims to show you how you can create something that goes from a simple concept to a best-seller.
Put your ideas down on paper
The first thing you need to do is make a note of your new product ideas on paper. Of course, you don’t have to use paper. You might choose to write your ideas on a computer, or even on a display board in your office.
The point is you need to list the features your new product must have. You should then think about the materials you want to use to build the product, and what its size will be.
Create a prototype
When you’ve made a list of your ideas, the next step is to create a product prototype. In the manufacturing world, a prototype is a fully-working example that combines the product ideas you wrote down earlier.
It might look similar to the finished product. But it’s purposes is to showcase how everything will work in your new product. It’s at this stage that you can make tweaks to your design, such as for aesthetics or reasons of functionality.
Most companies will ask external manufacturers to build their prototypes for them. They do so because it’s a more cost-effective way of creating prototypes of a new product. A popular choice for example is the use of services for low-volume urethane casting as the associated costs and wastage are lower when only producing a low number of items. Beyond this, the use of urethane for making prototypes allows for accuracy to the final proposed product whilst remaining cost efficient for demonstration purposes. Having an external manufacturer on hand to produce prototypes also allows you to focus your efforts on further developing the product so it can be delivered to customers sooner.
But what if firms did the prototype construction themselves? They would have to invest in expensive tooling and plastic injection moulding equipment. As you can see, it’s cheaper to just pay someone else to do the work for you!
Get feedback from a select group of users
At that stage, you should also get your product tested by a group of real-life users. That way, you can fix any design or functionality issues before you reach the final production stage.
Be sure to have those users sign a nondisclosure agreement first. Doing so will prevent your trade secrets from getting leaked to competitors.
Begin production
Once the final sign-off for your new product gets completed, you can begin full-scale production of it! By now, you will have a fully working product that’s ready to hit the market.
You must finalize a few things, including the packaging and branding for your new invention. In terms of packaging, you might want to begin your search with firms such as Epic Packaging. Having the right packaging is crucial since your product could be judged purely based on how it is presented to the customer. But again, these are details that can be handled quickly and efficiently.
Now you’re ready to start selling your products! At this stage, you can reap the rewards of your efforts and enjoy an immense sense of satisfaction!