From Idea to Product Launch

This is the launch of a product and a blog series. I saw a problem that needed a solution and developed a product that is now for sale on Amazon. This series will explore the steps I took along the way. It will include lessons I learned and mistakes I made. Taking a page from Franklin Covey, the series will begin with the end: the product.

Series List:

• Introduction of series and the Chair Cane product developed
• What Product Idea Should I Develop?
• Do I need a Patent or Trademark?
• Should I Quit My job? (and side hustles I tried)
• How to Make a Prototype at Home
• How to get your Product Idea Manufactured
• Inventor Freight Forwarding for the First Time
• 5 Essential Ideas for Packaging a New Product
• Patent Achieved!

The Chair Cane^TM

The Chair Cane is used to decrease the shaking and unsteadiness of bedside commodes and other chairs. Here is a quick video that tells the story:

The expanded, written version of why I wanted to develop this new product:

I work in home health care. The main reason people receive home health is because their mobility is limited. A portion of this population finds it difficult to get on and off chairs and low toilets. Bedside commodes (BSCs) or 3:1s can be very helpful both for the person and for their caregivers. “3:1s” can be used as bedside commodes, shower chairs, or placed over an existing toilet. They are height adjustable so that anyone who finds it easier to get on and off a higher surface can use them. They also have arms that can be very useful in helping them push up or slowly lower down.

They sound great, right? They are. However, there are some problems with them. Raising the center of gravity tends to make them less stable. There are wider and more stable BSCs but they are more expensive, may not be covered by insurance, and they take up more space. Space not always available. Over the period of a year, several people I knew fell when the BSC tipped over. There were other people that declined to use them because the shakiness made them fearful of falling. My job is to problem solve and the Chair Cane is my answer.

Topics that are planned for this series include: how to decide on a product to develop, making a prototype, how to protect intellectual property, finding a manufacturer, freight forwarding, listing on Amazon, social media, and the lessons waiting for me to learn. If you have specific questions/topics that you are interested in, please let me know. The next post in the series will drop tonight. The rest will be published over the next few weeks.