The Finish Line

The 3 musketeers did it.  Maybe we didn't create the most profitable product or even the most successful.  We joined together in the beginning of the semester and created a product.  We prototyped and prototyped till we got it just right.  Just the other day we though of adding another element to our product: a flashlight???  Research should be done before adding this element to our product...Thats one thing we learned.  We learned a lot working together on this project.  And we made friends along the way.  this was definitely a great experience for each or us and we are grateful for being part of it.  

If we could start over what would we do???? Nothing would be the understatement of the world.  Given the fact that we think everything happens for a reason and we believe that everuthing seemed to play out was the way it was suppose to play out.  We do beleive if we would have figured out our product sooner in the semester we would have excelled.  

Advice to others:  Just do it!  Try everything you possibly can.  When you think there is nothing else that can't be done push through it.  If a group member is being hard headed work to make him/her understand.  If you have an idea share it.  Listen to other ideas.  Don't push people down immediately.Work together and never think it over or its too late.  Its never to late!!

a non-smoker selling a product for smokers by bianca

In my group , I'm the only one who doesn't smoke cigarettes. Therefore, I have never experienced the problem of losing my lighter. That being said, I didn't really know much about our demographics. I have a whopping total of 1 friend who socially smokes and the rest never touch the things. I was curious as to how I was going to sell these things to people. The right people.

I'm a bit of a shy person and going up to people is not really my style. After I get to know someone I am very open but at first I am very shy, so that approach was completely out the window. What I did was attach a lighter link to my keys. Whenever I pulled out my keys the person I was with got caught of guard at the fact that I, Bianca was carrying around a lighter. That's when I started to explain my new product. The history of it all and people became more and more interested in the idea. Questions like how much and what is it made of ect... arose. I have managed to gain 10 pre-orders in this fashion.

I wait tables at a local restaurant and we often serve birthday cannoli's with a candle. I always keep my keys in my apron and the other day we couldn't find a lighter to light the birthday candle so I whipped it out. My co-workers were in shock. Reaction's varied "that's so cool", "look at you handy man" "whose prepared" and my boss really liked the lighter link he said we should sell them at the restaurant. I don't really think that would be quite the right market but his heart was in the right place. I gained 3 pre-orders from co-workers and my boss wants 2.

Another strategy that worked to my benefit with carrying the lighter link on my keys was losing my keys. Yes, I lost my keys in the library the other day and someone turned them into the front desk. Thank God for the great kids of JMU. Thats when the clerk started asking questions about the lighter attached. I joked and said I was planing to burn the place down, just kidding I would never joke like that. Anyways he seemed really interested.

Maybe I should lose my keys more often!

It's 3rd down!

The end of the semester is in sight. Both good and bad news for inno-nation and our product the lighter link. We must hit our marker! It going to be a challenge in this time frame. We have managed to sell our entire first batch of 17 so far and pre-orders for batch two are in. Production is underway for batch two. It has been difficult trying to find time to produce our product. It is a very time consuming process not to mention we constantly find thing we like to modify. I believe if we had more time the lighter link could become a quality product however due to the time constraints we have decided to stick to our current design. Our goal for this week is to complete and distribute batch two of the lighter links.

Let the games begin!

So we hit a few bumps in the road this week. First and for most the materials we need to make our product come from a distributor in New York. Implying we had to get everything shipped at the lowest possible cost. We ordered a few weeks back and we knew we would have to wait for the reels to come in but two weeks have passed. Our launch day passed. We needed the reels this week. We were stuck we didn't want to hassle with the distributor and possibly ruin our young relationship but something had to be done. We called them and at first it seemed as if the order was never sent. Bianca was quickly redirected to a completely different company. Rather strang but nevertheless it turns out the address was not comprehendible and the package was ship back to the manufacturer. This seemed odd because we typed in the address online. We suggested that they change there font on the packaging labels, this way the mailman can read the labels more accurately and the the guy on the phone laughed. Building a relationship YES we ARE!

So the order came in on Thursday. Bianca worked all day Thursday and Grant had a huge test that evening. Alex go to work! As soon as Grant finished he rushed to get supplies, he started knocking them out like Mike Tyson. I, Bianca, got back around 1030 it was a long day waiting tables. But some how some way I managed to sell my first "lighter link" our official name for the product, to my roommate Francesca.

Enjoy the show:

to be continued...

*Video would not load after multiple tries but ill get it up soe how some way

Production time

Our product has been launched. The final prototype is done. Materials have been purchased and production deadline have been set. A new development: we have pre-sold 12 of our product!! Hurray!!! Hopefully the success continues!!

Cast-off!

The final prototype!! When sat down on Tuesday and worked out the last kinks figured pricing and determined the goal for sales!

Prototype # "I lost track of the number"

This is our next prototype! We took the advice of our class mate we are working on creating a sleeker design!!