April 25, 2007Today I am preparing to go to

Clemson
University for the final presentation and banquet for the industry sponsors of the class of 2007 Packaging Science 420.  To give you some background, I’ll quote a thread I posted when I was first chosen for this wonderful opportunity. 

“January 23, 2007:  This is just a reminder that we all have very valuable resources right under our noses that sometimes we forget to tap into. Your local colleges and universities and technical schools are full of bright and talented people that would jump at the chance to do some work for little or no money and maybe some extra credit or a grade. If you need a web site designed, your local college has students in Web Design 401 that can help. If you need a CAD drawing of your product or prototype done, your technical college has a class on “Solid Works”. You need a boost in sales, talk to the Marketing and Advertising Department head about becoming a class project. Need a new logo, talk to a professor in Graphic Design. My story… I have invented a new product and needed to have the packaging done (as you may know, in consumer goods, packaging is sometimes even more important than the product itself) So I approached a university with a “Packaging Science Department” and now will have the following done:

PKGSC 420, Package Design and Development, is the capstone course of our undergraduate curriculum. The students are introduced to a systematic procedure and supporting documents to carry a package design project from an idea presented by marketing or production, through writing of a consistent set of package and packaging material specifications. Intermediate steps include: idea generation, idea prioritization and selection, describing the packaging system in a Total Product Concept, preliminary economic analysis, collection of design information, distribution, geometric, performance (structural and shelf life), graphical and packaging process design, planning for design verification, construction of a prototype packaging system, testing of the packaging system, re-design if necessary, economic analysis (manufacturing economics only), writing of specifications, documentation of the project both in writing and orally. Projects generally encompass all facets of the packaging system, including the primary package, the secondary package or shipper, the tertiary package or pallet, the machinery required to fill and assemble the package, and the distribution system

They chose Grill Charms as their project!!! This is THOUSANDS of dollars with of work that a small start-up like me could not afford. I’m just so excited I can’t stand it!!! I’m spreading the word because there are students out there that are excited to work with you, if you just give them the chance. If you have a problem in your business, chances are there is a college nearby that has the resources to help. Just a tip that has paid off for me and I want to share with my fellow mompreneurs.” 

I can’t believe the semester is over already!  That was in January and it seems like just yesterday.  I’m so excited to see what they have come up with!  DH (Dear Husband) has made arrangements to watch the kids while mommy goes off to college J  I am going to enjoy just being in a hotel, all alone, no nighttime story, no brushing multiple sets of teeth, driving my car and listening to my radio station as loud as I want…  It will be so nice!  (I love my kids more then life itself, but you moms… you know… 1 night all to myself!!!  YAHOO!!!)

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charms™  www.grillcharms.com

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