Well Jim, It’s hard…. :)

All I need to really get going is a big bag full of fifty’s! Like Mark said it’s hard…

Perception is everything. I am thrilled to have one distributor who is doing well at RV shows / swap meets, etc.: now he isn’t a typical retailer but he is buying my RV step covers in quantities of about 200 a month. The new sales approach is “during these hard times why not improve your surroundings and give yourself a lift for just….”. The 200 units a month isn’t as great a number as a store might order but I’m not unhappy. I don’t believe there are any major after-market retailers for RV products (just independent stores) so what else is there to do – a distributor and a website. The RV market is now coming back after a really big fall.

Julie,are you familiar with camping world? You probably are but I just thought I would mention them…pretty big outfit.

Karl, They turned me down two years ago: for both the camping pillowcase and the rv step cover. But, thank you for the suggestion. They carry Presto-Fit and might have an exclusive but they are really so expensive and they don’t last as long as my covers do. Life goes on. The product was in the latest issue of a trade magazine – “RV Pro” so we’ll see.

Jim…I simply won’t go out and compete with other tools as long as the 70% sale keeps going on in retail.

Maybe the retailers are having fun with sales of the century but my manufacturer and I don’t want to nor deserve to work for free.

For most people that buy tools I expect them to buy the new drill now for 70% off instead of Handi-Straps which will NEVER be 70% off.

This is the problem out there as on the news…DEFLATION.

Inventors will face this obstacle. It seems Holly’s Shoe Skirt right out of here unfortunately got blown out of the market because of this but that is ok. I hope she and EN are waiting like I am.

For me, if people want my product that is made to last a lifetime, you just can’t wear it out, then I’ll sell it to them at a fair price if they have the money. If they don’t have the money I’ll wait that’s all…only care about giving my profits to my kid anyway.

I’m not going out there in the cut throat retail field now ruining the integrity of my product and the proof of my theory is the infomercial companies all selling their products for $10 now instead of $20.

Just had the largest infomercial company contact me…they all contacted me. I told them I am still not ready to go out there in that volume. It will not work for the product Handi-Straps…forget about me and profit. We’d have to make one out of paper to sell for $9.99 to compete! That would wreck my whole project and get me in court REAL quick.

Ron Komorowski
Inventor of Handi-Straps
www.handi-straps.com

Jim, Would you take a look at the topic (invention promotion companys) and Post an opinion?

Hey Karl….let me take a look!

i have a product that i am trying to market just under a year now, and am learning as i go. it is for the motorcycle/recreational vehicle industry that is one of a kind—-i have had a lot of interest but still have not hit a major company any help would be appreciated!!!!

i have built a website and invested in some inventory that i assemble at home and ship, i would like a partner or maybe sell my whole idea,patent,trademark,website,inventory,marketing,display,tooling to someone that could take it to the next level

i am trying it right now in a lps and maybe that would spark a future for my product

Jim give me your input?

Jim I’m curious to know your story… you say you spend much of your time selling products…are you an agent?

I’m curious to know if anyone here in this community just licenses products for a living?
Soley invents and licenses products / patents as a business (not a part time gig)…
And if so, how you got into doing it FT? Always do it FT, jump into as a new business? I think about going for it some days and then other days I realize I like sleeping in a home and eating ;) Seems like a business you need to have alot of play money to get started….

I just need stores to carry my item. IT COMES WITH THOUSANDS OF DOLLERS OF FREE advertising .

Even though after just two years of kind of an introductory type release to establish a price point. I’ve worked on the tooling, marketing, website, packaging, this, that, and the other stuff to get ready for a national product release (of course I also hoped in the meantime that someone with deep pockets and the experience that can make it all happen would come along to save the day). The sales were definately not what I thought I could generate over those two years.
I made a bunch of mistakes thinking once I had the product finished, slap a label on it and get it out there ASAP. To some degree I believe you do need to do that, marketing and packaging will always improve, but don’t send out product with sloppy packaging.

Work on packaging and presentation constantly! If you have a website, CREATE A VIDEO! It will make a huge difference in sales!

My sales are deffinately improving, but it’s a combination of product awareness, presentation, and price points. I can’t control the Retail price in stores, but understanding the profit margins of retailers tells me what I need to wholesale at. What the competition is selling at is also critical, selling side by side with a lesser product but with better packaging will outsell you. It’s percieved value is greater, thus generating the sale. Quality can get you referrals, but someone has to buy it first and the newness wears off and the referrals drop until a new buyer makes a purchase.
Percieved value “compared to the competition” is very important to compete in any economy. I’m kind of lucky with my products in that sense, but there is a piece of junk in almost every hardware store that outsells me because the percieved value is greater due to their packaging. I’m just not in a position to afford the packaging upgrade. It’s coming, but not there just yet.

If you are going to take a product to market, find a few test stores. Don’t run out there with a price sheet and try yo sell to everyone right away. They might not like the packaging, pricing, a whole buch of things that a minor improvment (even the product) will make a huge difference. Be patient! No drastic changes.

I have a product with virtually no competition, products similar are out there over priced and minimual sells for lack of what I have, but plenty of people want to help for a large chunck up front. It’s definately not as easy as a free enterprise should be. A little clearer picture of out sourcing, and why.