As Ken Tarlow Explains, There Has Never Been a Better Time to Develop New Products.
You may not believe it, but this is an ideal time to come up with a new product. Because of the struggling economy, many large and mid-size companies have cut back or cut out their research and development departments. However, the public's search for newer and better products still marches on.
For a company to be competitive in today's marketplace, they must continually introduce new products. Now, more than ever, manufacturers are looking at products from the "Outside," products developed by independent developers and people like yourself.
Developing in-house products costs manufacturers a lot of money. When I was heading the Design and Engineering Division of Casablanca Fan Corporation, we would spend as much as $150,000 to develop a new product. In the process, we used expensive agencies and model makers. Today, companies are more willing to look at the potential products that spring from you and your mind.
Every product you see in stores, in catalogs and on TV started in the same location--Someone's Mind. A person who comes up with a new product idea is no different than anyone else. They're not necessarily smarter or more creative or trained in engineering. Product developers are simply trained to look at things in a different way, and you can do that, too.
It's not hard...it's just different. A product developer is a person who asks "Why," a person who says "What if," a person who "zigs" while others "zag," a person who is not satisfied with the status quo.
As a freshman design student, one of my product development teachers asked us, "How did you arrive to class today?"
We were puzzled by his question--but someone finally said, "We walked in."
To which the teacher replied, "Fine. Then tomorrow I want you to come in some other way."
Needless to say, the next day was quite interesting. Students rolled in, skated in, flew in, one male student came in wearing an open lab coat with nothing on underneath. And one student rode in on a Harley Davidson motorcycle! This was the beginning of our training to see things differently.
You, too, can begin to see things differently. And when you do, you'll be amazed at how ideas come to mind. Best of all, those ideas may just blossom into new products that can make a difference on our planet.
The above article was excerpted from Tarlow's MIND TO MONEY, a cassette tape/workbook package that can help you develop a new product from the idea stage to the marketplace. MIND TO MONEY may be ordered from the Dream Merchant at $59.95 plus $4.95 CA sales tax and$5 shipping and handling ($69.90 total). Send orders to the Dream Merchant, 2309 Torrance Blvd., Suite 104, Torrance, CA 90501.
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