66. How to Manufacture a Product and Sell It https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/S78066-pin.jpg?fit=740%2C900&ssl=1 740 900 Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/S78066-pin.jpg?fit=740%2C900&ssl=1 September 23, 2018 October 19, 2019

66. How to Manufacture a Product and Sell It

no comments

Kimberly Wilson is a stationery designer in Auburn, California and the creator of The Lettermate. She’s had countless brides, friends, and fellow DIY’ers come to her in search of a solution to easily address envelopes. In comes The Lettermate, an envelope addressing guide for those who have trouble writing in a straight line!

In this episode, we discuss how she came up with the idea, developing a prototype, market research, working with manufacturers, and marketing her product. Have you ever wondered how to get a product manufactured, this is the episode for you.

Studio 78 Podcast: Listen + Subscribe

Show Notes

She received her Bachelors Degree from the Academy of Art in San Fransisco
Her passion for invitations and stationary led her to work in the wedding industry
While working in the industry she noticed that brides were paying a lot for invitations, but they weren’t able to easily create the address on the envelope as beautiful, and most couldn’t afford to higher a calligrapher
An aha moment occurred, and she remembered that interior designers and architects use lettering guides to keep their handwriting neat and professional
Over a brainstorming session, her husband came up with the name, Lettermate
She decided to field test it with the people in her industry and took handwriting samples from people in different age groups and genders; this allowed her to determine spacing, find out what a traditional size envelopes people generally use for a wedding invitation
When thinking about the material she had to figure out how to get her designs manufactured; she also wanted to create it in the US
It took about a year for her to get a prototype that worked
Her design degree allowed her to design the product herself, but she advises other not to get discouraged if they can’t create the designs because there are plenty of amazing designers in your backyard
Only ordered a couple of hundred units once the product was ready for distribution
Her next steps where to find 25-30 big names in the wedding industry so they could test the prototype and provide her feedback
Her media kit included the Lettermate along with a couple of pens and envelopes with the instruction to play with it
The mini field test allowed her to tweak the designs and prepare for questions they may come up from customers
She stresses having amazing product photography
In 2014 she started Lettermate, but when the product became available in 2016 on Amazon they saw a massive jump in sales
She walks through how she uses Amazon fulfillment