New products only have an impact with consumers if they offer something other products do not. For instance, new products might look nicer, be more durable or solve a problem that existing ones cannot.
Do you have an idea for a new product which you think could revolutionize your industry? If so, you will doubtless want to find out how to build and market your new product and the brand behind it.
Keep reading to learn more about how you can do this. After all; the last thing you want to do is spend time and money doing the wrong things and going bankrupt!
Make sure your product is legal
As is often the case, many types of products cannot get sold to consumers or other business unless it passes through a lot of red tape. Product testing laws apply to most countries. For instance, if your product is a new children’s toy, it must get tested to ensure it won’t harm people in any way.
Product testing can sometimes be expensive. Especially if retailers make you use their ones as part of your contract with them. But, on the plus side, you won’t end up in a lot of legal hot water if things ever go wrong with your product!
Do some research to find out what testing, if any, your new product needs to undergo before it can get sold to other people.
Make sure you don’t steal someone else’s idea
It’s no secret that we live in a litigious age. Individuals and businesses are always suing someone. If you believe your product is unique, it’s worth paying someone like a patent attorney to confirm this. And, if it is unique, apply for a patent for it if you can.
That way no-one can rip off your idea. You also have the option of licensing out your ideas and technology to other companies. It’s worth bearing in mind that there are some things you cannot patent.
For instance, you can’t patent a bicycle wheel or the fundamental idea behind a laptop computer.
Get lots of people to test prototypes
If you want to make your product perfect, you need to get feedback from potential everyday users. You can ask them to sign a nondisclosure agreement if you’re worried about them stealing your ideas!
The feedback you get from your prototype testers is valuable. You can use it to enhance your product before it reaches the production stage. I don’t recommend spending too much time on testing as you’ll never end up with “the perfect product”! It’s easier to improve products and release new models in the future.
When you have a large group of people trialing your new product, you’ll be sure to get feedback from a broad section of persons.
Build your brand
By now you will doubtless reach the stage where you have to start thinking about branding and marketing. It’s likely you are a new startup business. And, as such, you won’t have an unlimited amount of cash to spend doing this.
Of course, the more money you spend on marketing, the bigger exposure there will be for your brand. To begin with, you should think about a catchy name for your brand and product.
Next, you will need to consider logo and product packaging design. Believe it or not, one of the things that make people buy products is what the packaging looks like! I recommend hiring a good graphic designer to help you out here.
Organize production
So, you’ve got your product tested, and it’s now legal and ready for production. What do you do now? The obvious answer is to find someone to make your products for you! It’s cheaper to outsource the production of your products than it is to build your own factory.
Most people get products manufactured in the Far East for cost reasons. If you decide to go down this route, be sure to go on a visit to the company’s premises and tour the factories for yourself. You need to do this for several reasons:
- To ensure health and safety rules are in place;
- To check your products will get made using high-quality parts;
- To learn how much production the company can handle.
Set up an office
At this point, you will need to register your business brand with the relevant tax authorities in your area. Once this gets done, you can then look for suitable office space for your new brand.
It needs to be large enough to accommodate the staff that will be working for you. And it should incorporate meeting room facilities too. Some new brands find that growth is faster than they expected.
Hiring new staff to perform various duties can take a while. That’s because you have to spend time advertising job vacancies, interviewing and training. Meanwhile, your telephones are ringing off the hook!
Telephone answering services offered in the UK are an excellent way to help ease the pressure during your brand’s growth. They can deal with customers and suppliers and take messages. They can even provide overflow support for your call centers!
Marketing
Your new brand and business is operational. Your products are in production and will soon be ready to sell to your customers. But wait! Where are your customers going to come from?
You need not panic at this point! Why? Because an effective marketing strategy will help you to generate sales leads and new customers! Marketing is an essential part of any business, regardless of what is sold.
The brands that get it wrong are often the ones that don’t have a solid marketing plan. That’s why it is important to hire an agency with a proven track record. Leave them to come up with strategies to help build your brand.
Your job is to ensure that your business is running smoothly and that there are no issues with production. I recommend interviewing a few agencies before choosing one. It’s important that they know what message you want to send to your potential customers.