You Don’t Have To be Young To Be A Maker
While I was making breakfast a story was running on the local news. It was about this.
http://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Fairfield-duo-s-egg-cellent-Kickstarter-cracks-10593565.php
I thought that the story was interesting for a variety of reasons. One, was that the ladies were dealing with a problem and came up with an innovative solution. Two, they did the prototyping in the Westport CT library, right next door to me, but perhaps more significantly was that the product development was done in the library at all. Third, the people doing this are dedicated to getting their product made here, in the US. The very thing that so many say cannot be done. They managed to do it though. Here is their vendor, I think.[ Corrected the vendor was not Marlborough plastics.]
http://www.marlboroughplastics.com/
Instead it was these folks.
This company is typical of the many small manufacturers here in Connecticut. I like to say that I can throw a stone and get just about anything I want made. Getting stuff made is not impossible, just hidden. You have to know where to go to find the vendors you need. The best place to start to find vendors in your area is the Thomas Register.
You can also look for local trade shows for manufacturing
http://www.easteconline.com/exhibit/exhibit-at-eastec/
http://events.ubm.com/event/2989/atlantic-design–manufacturing
You can also check for the local Small Manufacturers Association a try.
The fact is that here in the US there is no reason why you can’t fulfill a kickstarter right here in the states. It can also be a very good thing to do. American manufacturers are far more likely to maintain quality and much less likely to turn around and manufacture their product for themselves. In my experience, American vendors would rather build a relationship with you than go for the quick buck by stealing your product. They will also work hard to maintain that relationship because they have to look you in the eye and you will be talking about them, good and bad.
As for the Negg, this is a perfect example of how to do it. It’s also just how powerful the technologies that are available to just about everybody and how to leverage those technologies to create and innovate. How this will disrupt how things are done is going to be exciting.
