It is exciting to create a new product. With the excitement comes the journey of going down a road less traveled. What steps should one take on theis exciting journey? Here are 5 tips to help you take the right steps with your new idea.
Patents
A patent for your product should be seriously considered. It will protect your idea, in the country it is approved in, from being copied and reproduced. You can ask a patent lawyer to search if anyone has an existing patent on your product’s ideas and the steps you can take for patent approval.
There are two types of patents. One type of patent is the Design Patent. Design patents protect a unique aesthetic feature of a product. The second type of patent is the utility patent. Utility patents protect a unique function of a product. Both types of patents are good to have on a product.Having a patent will give you legal protection and prevent others from copying and selling your product.
Manufacturing
Secondly you need a trustworthy company to manufacture your product. Just because you have a UK patent, or an European patent on a product doesn’t mean that someone from another country can’t take your idea and sell it. Choose your overseas partners for manufacturing with care. At Global Trade Specialists, we have exclusive manufacturing agreements in place with our partners and they are bound to sell your product idea to you and only you. We vet our overseas companies carefully and strive to ensure our customer’s ideas are safe and protected.
Market Research
Market research is a must when introducing a new product to the market. You may have a good creative idea, but is it an idea that people will want or need enough to spend money on? Is your product for the children, youth, or for the elderly?Find out what your target demographic is for your product. Are men more likely to use it, or women? The knowledge of who you’ll market is valuable. It will allow you to perform market research that will get you the most valuable data.
Present your idea to people in your target market, and get their feedback. Have a physical prototype of your product made to show people. This is much better than just using pictures and videos. Leave the yes and no questions. Ask open ended questions to pin point what people like or may not like. This may give you new ideas.The more senses people can experience your newly invented idea with, the more feedback they will give on it.
Have an Engineer Design your Product
While inventing your new product, if there are certain standards or regulations to follow within your country, you’ll have an easier and potentially more cost effective solution by using a local engineer. If there are no officail standards needed then you may look internationally for a cost effective solution. One of the engineers from “Global Trade Specialists” may be the way to go.
Product Testing
This may often be overlooked or under valued by many. Make sure your product will be able to pass certification with the needed corresponding regulations. For example, in the USA, tools used in the workplace need to be compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. There are certified laboratories that can perform product testing to certify your product with the right agency. Find out what is needed in your country and have the correct tests done.
Custom Packaging to your Product
Don’t forget to think about how you want your product packaged! Custom packaging can be a nice way to distinguish your product from the competition. The first way customers are going to experience your product will most likely be when they see it on the shelf. If not for the shelf the packaging should protect your product enough to get to its destination.
