Weird, but Marketable
There’s no other way to put it: Your business idea is so bad that it’s good. Very good. Sure, getting it from your brain to store shelves might be tough, but well…what if?
For Paul Stremple, inventor of the Banana Bunker, that “what if” has become a reality. Fruit lovers are clamoring for his plastic shell that expands or contracts to fit a banana of any size, protecting the delicate fruit from nicks and bruises.
The idea came to him by chance, after his sister complained that her midday snack kept getting smooshed in her briefcase.
Many an inventor has stumbled across a brilliantly bizarre idea, only to be sunk by their inability to make it commercially viable.
What separates the success stories from the flops is the marketing, experts say. When you’ve got an unusual or unconventional product, things like promoting, pricing and distributing are crucial.
Ready to take the world by storm with your spectacularly odd idea? Start with market research. While a big corporation might spend millions of dollars in this area, there are low-budget ways an entrepreneur can test the marketplace. Here are three suggestions:
1. Ask shoppers. Get approval from a store or shopping mall to do some research, and approach shoppers with a $5 or $10 gift certificate, saying, “Can I talk to you for 10 minutes?” Try to talk to 20 to 30 people about whether they would use your product, and how much they would pay for it. And pick a logical location; if you’ve invented an unusual lawn product, for instance, poll customers at a home-and-garden store.
2. Throw a party. Invite friends, family, colleagues and/or potential customers to your house or a restaurant for a two-hour focus group on your new product. Supply the food and beverages, and pay careful attention to what these critics say.
3. Take an Internet survey. Come up with a list of questions, buy a mailing list, and email your survey along with an incentive for people to fill it out (such as a chance to win a $500 gift certificate). The response might be low, but the feedback can help shape your product and your pitch.
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