Research & Development

How to Develop Your Products

This project guide helps two Sky’s the Limit members work together through four meetings as they collaborate to make your products.

Meeting 1: Research ways to manufacture

Before this meeting:

  • Make sure that you’ve had an intro meeting. If you need help navigating your first meeting, visit this Guide to Your First Meeting.

  • If you don’t already have a prototype of your product idea, complete the Make My First sale project first. 

  • Review: Product Development

In this meeting:

After this meeting:

  • Research similar products and manufacturers.

  • Note any agreed-upon next steps.

 

Meeting 2: Get quotes using your designs

Before this meeting:

  1. Review your product designs. If you don’t have any, you can use Canva or Printful Mockups to start creating some.

In this meeting:

  • Create or share your product designs 

  • Review the top manufacturers you found in your last meeting. Many have online quote systems, but determine what steps you need to take to receive a quote. 

  • Determine if your designs will work for getting quotes. Revise if needed.

After this meeting:

  • Start sending your designs to manufacturers for quotes.

  • Note any agreed-upon next steps.

 

Meeting 3: Test out a manufacturer

Before this meeting:

  • Review the quotes you received. 

In this meeting:

  • Choose 1 -3 manufacturers you’d like to test products from. 

  • Many manufacturers will send you product samples. Check how to receive them samples from them. 

  • Follow their directions carefully to ensure product quality, and order Samples.

After this meeting:

  • Show the samples to your products to your friends to see what they think.

  • Note any agreed-upon next steps.

 

Meeting 4: Choose and manage a manufacturer

Before this meeting:

  • Review your product samples.

In this meeting:

  • Compare and contrast quality and pricing for each sample and any feedback you’ve received. 

  • Determine which manufacturer you would like to use. Consider the following: 

    • Product cost

    • Shipping cost

    • Product quality

After this meeting:

  • Determine how many products you would like to have in your first order and place it.

  • Be sure to mark your project complete, update your business tracker, and start a new project!


Want to talk to someone who can help?

Sky’s the Limit members are connected to a community of volunteer business mentors, more free tools and guides like this one, and exclusive funding opportunities.