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Where can I get free product samples for teens?

What is my next step after receiving manufactured samples?

  • I have received my product samples from my manufacturer and am looking for my next step for my product launch. My product is a piece of hardware. I have all of my manufacturing costs as well of an understanding of my gross margin. I am looking to start out with a 20 percent GM at the beginning. My question is what are your thoughts on the direction I need to go to take to get this new product to the market without VC or Capital funding? Currently I am investing small amounts of my money for samples. I was thinking about taking my manufactured samples with the wholesale and retail pricing to my industry venders now that I have solid numbers and manufacturing. Show them the quality and the benefits of the product and in return take a purchase order from the vender to show purchasing interest. Tell the venders that we will need the cash flow up front to place the manufacturer order as the orders are “built to order”. This way I am not out of pocket and I will place the first order to my manufacturer once I have enough PO’s to cover the 10k units?   Is this a standard practice?   Do I have a certain amount of time to fulfill an order for a vender?   Please let me know your thoughts on this and or suggest another route?

  • Answer:

    1. Firstly I am not sure of your 20% GM for a hardware product. I recommend you to have a strong IP for your product and typical margins for hardware are over 100%.  You need to account for the distribution costs and operating expenses for your scale. Although I am not sure of your product, 20% does not look like hardware industry 2. You can definitely pitch the product collect a great survey with a good questionnaire based on your demo application. The interest data with good sample size and good buying projections would be enough to raise your seed capital. Once you receive your seed capital you can go with first batch production and sales and the eventual steps 3. In case you are planning to collect a PO you need to quote a lead time, understand that lead time should be standard unless your product is one of its kind and the buyer is really interested. Business needs do change year to year, having lead time of more than 6 months will do more harm than good 4. You can work on 50% advance from your buyers and give 50% or less as advance to your supplier. The balance payment time for supplier can be set to 1-2 months and for the buyer about 15-30 days. This way you can manage your cash flows 5. Once you have enough POs since you are having business you can look out for a bank debt investment as well.

Satish Bala at Quora Visit the source

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Mike be sure to create, edit and maintain clear product and material specifications. No part of the mfg process should be foreign to you. We always keep a "Golden Standard" which is literally two or more complete prototypes and production samples signed by both you and the manufacturer as versions with passing QC grades for color, fit & function, weight, finish, packaging and whatever else you are using to measure a complete finished product. Definitely use your prototype to get on the road to meet with category managers and prospects. Develop collateral material with photos/video and info to distribute electronically. All of this assumes you have a patent and your IP is protected.

David Alexander

1)   As far as hardware the product is a clothespin which in the entertainment industry qualifies as a lighting expendable. Disposable and repurchased every production. This is not any clothespin but a new custom/ ideal design for my tv and film industry. My problem is this is the first of its kind for the entertainment industry and i have no competition other than the standard clothespin which the industry has used forever. This is the ideal design or what I like to call the "IPhone" of clothespins that we are ready to start manufacturing and getting out to the industry. This expendable is build for consistency, quality, convenience and high production value. Due to this product being so different and new for this business the cost for manufacturing is pretty high and getting 100 percent gross profit is difficult until the manufacturing cost break with higher production runs. With that said I am not sure where to land with it. 2)   I will be sure to conduct new focus groups with a survey now that I will have real numbers and real samples from my manufacturer. I can see how this will help seed capital. If i get seed capital will I owe them equity in the company? 3)   My manufacturing lead times are 45 days for 100k units. Shipping time from china I still need to work out for that size of an order. 4)   make sense thanks 5)  I will look into this thank you. I really appreciate all of the shared industry knowledge as I am just a lighting designer with a good industry idea.

Mike Flack

1, If the hardware should be made by molding, plastic injection molding or metal die casting, if the samples are correct and good, it is time for you to pay the balance of the mold2, If you want to delay the balance of the mold, you can talk to the manufacturer to allow it. Keep the mold ownership for you and once you get the order, you pay them the mold balance, and pay the order before ship. I think they can agree.3, Then the next most important thing is to work hard for new customers and orders. Also only in this way, you can improve the Financial status for your company, and then has the ability to pay the manufacturer, too.

Vicky Liu

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