Aloha!

How long did it take you to get from idea to prototype and then to the real deal?

Mahalo!

Hi,

Its going on 1 year for me. I would make a prototype and use it for a while. Then I would change the things that needed to be changed on it and do it all over again. I am finally happy with it now and am waiting to hear back from a manufacturer in China about the cost. It has taken alot longer than I thought it would.

Nellie
Kid Qubie, Inc.

From light bulb moment to launch on store shelves 20 months

_________________
Leslie
Founder and President
Grill Charms, The perfect gift for any occasion! Housewarming, host or hostess gift, birthday's, father's day, groomsman....
**put mompreneurs in coupon code for $5.00 off**
www.grillcharms.com

Well, I haven't launched yet, but I'm targeting April 1. I'm told I'll have product in hand mid-March. I came up with my idea May 07, so it's been 9 months. But, I'm not going to be on store shelves, only selling online. Hope to be there shortly after that!

I'm assuming the average must be around 1 year, since the provisional patent will protect you that long to develop your idea, make a decision on it's marketability and apply for a patent.

It's much longer than I'd like. I'm an instant gratification gal, and I hate waiting!

Great question,

Hurry up and Wait
Hurry up and Wait
Hurry up and Wait

You get the picture. it reminds me of when we fly internationally, you rush rush rush to get the kids on/off the plane, then get to customs only to stand in line for way way too long.

My invention ideas and building prototypes started in January 2007, which turned into my wanting to build a brand summer 2007, which turned into wanting to design dresses and bikinis summer 2007, Launched website January 2008.

Everything takes longer than you think, and I mean everything. From deciding on graphics, colors, packaging, finding raw materials, web design, merchant account, shopping cart for website, photo of products, writing copy/content for website.

Honestly, give yourself a hi five you have made it thus far. There will be times things speed up and then SLAM to a halt!

too much information huh? All of a sudden it will be here and you will look back in amazement at how fast it went. It certainly reminds me of raising my children.

The days are long and the years are short! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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Dianne
Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Authentic

I made the first Secure2Me Blanket for myself in October 2006. Our website was launched in February 2007. From idea to the consumer in about 5 months!

Warmly,

Amy Long
Secure2Me, LLC
www.Secure2Me.com

Amy -

That has got to be a record. Very impressive.

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Janene Jaroscak
Stop Drop and Relax - http://www.StopDropandRelax.com

By chance for me it took about 1 month, but I've been changing things almost every month, and I also come up with new ideas and try to get those going too.

I do not have my products in big stores or anything, but am working on creative ways to reach my market. I think if you have a solid prototype, and know where to have it made that's half the battle.

Best of Luck!

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Cheers, Rickina
*Failures are never that, but springboards to your future success!*
~~~~~~~~

I've had alot of luck on MySpace. You should try it. You can make up your space and then advertise. There is a great group of mothers on there all working together to help each other out.

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Kelly Harmsen
Bjort & Company, Inc.
www.bjortandcompany.com
www.cafepress.com/bjortandcompany
www.twitter.com/bjortandcompany

It has taken me about 2 years. I would work on it and then take time away to ponder some decisions. Right now I am looking for a manufacturer (which should be decided in the next 2 weeks). Then comes the sample stage which should take another month. Hopefully, I will have inventory Sept 1.

Like Dianne said, it is a constant hurry up and wait. On the bright side, I get to goof off this summer and when school starts this fall I can start working again.

It took us 15 months to go from product idea to retail launch. During that time we focused on product design with an engineer, materials research, patenting, selecting a US manufacturer, packaging design and marketing/sales strategies. I am fortunate to have a business partner (another former SAHM) to help share the work load and just as importantly, cheer each other on. This business ebbs and flows, with lots of big wins and back steps along the way. We are now 2 months post launch. Although our product has done reasonably well and has received wonderful reviews, I often have an impatience that makes me think we should be doing better. I have met more and more successful Mompreneurs who told me it took them an average of 3 yrs from onset of idea to make a profit. These are ladies who are now extremely successful and financially independent. Knowing this has taken a lot of pressure of me.

Michele
www.MyPlate-Mate.com

Michele,
I (unfortunately) have a lot of experience with disabilities and your product is really great for certain diseases. Have you thought about contacting various chapters of associations (like the one for ALS)? I could see Occupational Therapists recommending these to their clients in clinic. Most gadgets for the disabled are extremely overpriced and yours is not, which could go a long way with this group. Just a thought!

Hi -- great question -- I'm in the middle of formally launching my product concept and product lines that I began test marketing last November 2007 -- so it's been a year. Most of that year was spent batching the first round of products, validating various aspects of the business plan (pricing, promotion, distribution, channels, customer markets, consumer markets, marketing materials, suppliers, sourcing, etc.) I'm now in the midst of production and scale-up processes and commercializing the website and being ready to take orders and finishing new licensing needs etc. to formally launch the brand beyond testing phase -- though during test markets people that tried and bought were enthusiastic and gave great testimonials and feedback but to me the brand was still in evolution so I'm working on tweaking things that worked to date and fixing things that didn't.

I hope that helps -- I know a year seems like a long time, but I also took several months off at beginning of the year to really just be a mom to my toddler and even now growing the business involves tradeoffs daily on role between mom and entrepreneur and I've just made a conscious decision to not stress about how fast I move and worry more on how well I move the business forward at each stage -- and most important to me is the quality of my product and the response of my consumer and to me that is success at each stage of growth.

If I had dedicated a full time effort to it, I might have launched in 6 months but probably not as smartly as I've learned so much with each test market activity this past year that I'm better off as I keep working and tweaking my launch plans for end of August and get ready for this holiday.

You have to find your own "timeline" that works in context of other life factors and business factors. The norms for protoytpe development for products you can't build or make on your own is roughly a year or more in most production oriented categories based on feedback from others who have gone that route.

Kaushika

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Catalyst Gourmet - Transform Ordinary. Enjoy our Catalyst Tea Enhancers, Gourmet Finishing Sugars, Creative Curries, Baked Bites of Bliss & gifts. All natural healng, beneficial spices make our gourmet good for you! www.catalystgourmet.com