The Steps I Take to Bring a Product to Market…

> Hi Michael.

> I am interested in what some of these
> products for your projects are.

> Also, What service do you use for faxing out
> your publicity releases?

> Thanks,
> Jake

Jake,

For faxing I use "efax" (www.efax.com). They've been great to deal with. They're inexpensive (.06 per page) and have very good record keeping.

As far as my projects, here are the ones that are in the "Hot" stage-- meaning that I'm spending most of my time on them.
1) Riverwatch products- www.riverwatchcompany.com I'm marketing a range of environmentally safe health oriented type products through this web site and through traditional wholesale and mail order type avenues. These products include "Gotta-Go" which is a spray on, instant drying, antiseptic spray people can spray on anything that other people touch--like public toilets, ATMs, pay phones, shopping carts and what not. I also have an all-natural bug repellent that contains no DEET and a waterless, self drying, hand sanitizer that kills germs and includes moisturizers that leave your hands clean and pleasant feeling.
2) Stella Stevens Products- I'm creating a line of all-natural body lotions, body washes, shampoos, conditioners and body mists with movie actress Stella Stevens.
3) Retail business private labeling program- I'm creating lines of skin-care products that are private labeled for individual businesses like salons and gift shops.
4) "Bull's Eye"- This is a hand tool being developed with another person.

These would be my "Warm" stage projects:
1) A line of New York State hard woods products. These products would combine some of the best hard woods on the planet with New York State wood manufactures. I'm focusing on products that aren't readily available through normal retail channels. In other words products that can be sold successful through mail order and the Net.
2) "Spice of the Month" Club. I'm looking for someone that can help me more fully develop this concept (which I think is a good one).
3) "The Business Plan Company". As with the previous project, I would like to joint venture with someone on this. What makes this idea unique? Offering to create business plans that are guaranteed of getting financing or in other words if a project is turned down due to the business plan itself I would fully refund the money to the customer. I've been creating business plans for years and have created hundreds of them. I know what financial institutions want and don't want.
4) I'm working with another famous actress to develop a product line.

These are my "Cold" stage projects:
1) I have numerous audio programs that I sell here and there but don't put any energy behind them: "Sweepstaking"-how to win sweepstakes and contests, "Passion Power"- how to improve your love/sex life (authored by Dr. Ava Cadell), "How to Live Cheap in the 21st Century". Plus I do quite a bit of audio duplication for the estate of author Peter McWilliams.

On top of these projects I have ideas for probably another 10 to 15. My problem is never ideas but the time to develop them. I think people that have trouble finding ideas aren't looking at a wide enough scope. For example, someone that wants to create information only type projects geared towards Internet marketing. Projects that offer nice profit potential are everywhere. My rules for finding/creating ideas:
1. Take one industry and make it two. Find an under-served niche and give those people a product a that serves their needs much better. Everywhere you look you see companies trying to serve a wide variety of niches using one type of product or product line. You know as well as I do that not all those niches are being served equally. Find the people that aren't being served as well and serve them better with a product that is more suited for their needs. The absolute worst thing you can do (in my opinion) is try to go out there with a "me-too" type product and compete head to head on price.
2. If you can't potentially be #1 or #2 in with a specific target audience don't waste your time. Your ultimate return on investment (time and money) won't be justified long term. You don't have to accept this rule as being "universal" but I think it works far more often than it fails.

As you can see many of my projects involve joint ventures of one type or another. Personally I think this is a quick way of getting a project off the ground--most people try to do everything themselves which is a huge mistake. No matter how skilled or brilliant you are you can't do it all. I would much rather team up with someone that has skills or resources in the many, many areas I don't and put a project to bed. I would prefer having a little of something rather than all of nothing, which is typically what happens to the project I try to do completely on my own. I would suspect many fall into this trap.

Take care,

Mike Winicki

Thank you for the great post Michael. Seriously, I think it's one of the most interesting posts I've ever seen on this board.

Thanks for being specific. It makes it so much more interesting when people share the specifics of their projects instead of saying "I am working on marketing my widgets." I had more than enough of "widgets" in my college accounting classes.

Good luck with all of your projects. I'm surprised you even have time to read this board!

I was wondering one more thing. Where do you get your list of media fax contacts that you use to send out your publicity releases with efax?

Thanks for your help, Michael.

Jake

> Jake,

> For faxing I use "efax"
> (www.efax.com). They've been great to deal
> with. They're inexpensive (.06 per page) and
> have very good record keeping.

> As far as my projects, here are the ones
> that are in the "Hot" stage--
> meaning that I'm spending most of my time on
> them.
> 1) Riverwatch products-
> www.riverwatchcompany.com I'm marketing a
> range of environmentally safe health
> oriented type products through this web site
> and through traditional wholesale and mail
> order type avenues. These products include
> "Gotta-Go" which is a spray on,
> instant drying, antiseptic spray people can
> spray on anything that other people
> touch--like public toilets, ATMs, pay
> phones, shopping carts and what not. I also
> have an all-natural bug repellent that
> contains no DEET and a waterless, self
> drying, hand sanitizer that kills germs and
> includes moisturizers that leave your hands
> clean and pleasant feeling.
> 2) Stella Stevens Products- I'm creating a
> line of all-natural body lotions, body
> washes, shampoos, conditioners and body
> mists with movie actress Stella Stevens.
> 3) Retail business private labeling program-
> I'm creating lines of skin-care products
> that are private labeled for individual
> businesses like salons and gift shops.
> 4) "Bull's Eye"- This is a hand
> tool being developed with another person.

> These would be my "Warm" stage
> projects:
> 1) A line of New York State hard woods
> products. These products would combine some
> of the best hard woods on the planet with
> New York State wood manufactures. I'm
> focusing on products that aren't readily
> available through normal retail channels. In
> other words products that can be sold
> successful through mail order and the Net.
> 2) "Spice of the Month" Club. I'm
> looking for someone that can help me more
> fully develop this concept (which I think is
> a good one).
> 3) "The Business Plan Company". As
> with the previous project, I would like to
> joint venture with someone on this. What
> makes this idea unique? Offering to create
> business plans that are guaranteed of
> getting financing or in other words if a
> project is turned down due to the business
> plan itself I would fully refund the money
> to the customer. I've been creating business
> plans for years and have created hundreds of
> them. I know what financial institutions
> want and don't want.
> 4) I'm working with another famous actress
> to develop a product line.

> These are my "Cold" stage
> projects:
> 1) I have numerous audio programs that I
> sell here and there but don't put any energy
> behind them: "Sweepstaking"-how to
> win sweepstakes and contests, "Passion
> Power"- how to improve your love/sex
> life (authored by Dr. Ava Cadell), "How
> to Live Cheap in the 21st Century".
> Plus I do quite a bit of audio duplication
> for the estate of author Peter McWilliams.

> On top of these projects I have ideas for
> probably another 10 to 15. My problem is
> never ideas but the time to develop them. I
> think people that have trouble finding ideas
> aren't looking at a wide enough scope. For
> example, someone that wants to create
> information only type projects geared
> towards Internet marketing. Projects that
> offer nice profit potential are everywhere.
> My rules for finding/creating ideas:
> 1. Take one industry and make it two. Find
> an under-served niche and give those people
> a product a that serves their needs much
> better. Everywhere you look you see
> companies trying to serve a wide variety of
> niches using one type of product or product
> line. You know as well as I do that not all
> those niches are being served equally. Find
> the people that aren't being served as well
> and serve them better with a product that is
> more suited for their needs. The absolute
> worst thing you can do (in my opinion) is
> try to go out there with a
> "me-too" type product and compete
> head to head on price.
> 2. If you can't potentially be #1 or #2 in
> with a specific target audience don't waste
> your time. Your ultimate return on
> investment (time and money) won't be
> justified long term. You don't have to
> accept this rule as being
> "universal" but I think it works
> far more often than it fails.

> As you can see many of my projects involve
> joint ventures of one type or another.
> Personally I think this is a quick way of
> getting a project off the ground--most
> people try to do everything themselves which
> is a huge mistake. No matter how skilled or
> brilliant you are you can't do it all. I
> would much rather team up with someone that
> has skills or resources in the many, many
> areas I don't and put a project to bed. I
> would prefer having a little of something
> rather than all of nothing, which is
> typically what happens to the project I try
> to do completely on my own. I would suspect
> many fall into this trap.

> Take care,

> Mike Winicki