Barton Digital has much to offer the Entrepreneur and Startup Company!
From Concept.....
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To Prototype.....
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To Finished Product
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Yes, we have lots to offer the Startup Company... but first some straight talk:
If you have come across our website by chance, we think you are fortunate, because many companies will take your money and tell you what you want to hear. But we will tell it like it is, whether or not we stand to benefit from your business. We have discouraged the development of far more startup products than we have taken on. Here's why:
We are often approached by individuals with an idea for a product, but with no concept of market research, product design, manufacturing, distribution, support and all the other facets of responsibly bringing an idea from concept to market. Of course everyone must start somewhere, and to the neophyte, this naive approach is typical. But if you are unwilling to listen and learn, then months or years later you will likely end up with an empty bank account, irate customers and investors, and a dead-end product. It is our hope that we can help you to take an objective look at whether or not you should continue with your concept.
If you have come across our website by chance, we think you are fortunate, because many companies will take your money and tell you what you want to hear. But we will tell it like it is, whether or not we stand to benefit from your business. We have discouraged the development of far more startup products than we have taken on. Here's why:
We are often approached by individuals with an idea for a product, but with no concept of market research, product design, manufacturing, distribution, support and all the other facets of responsibly bringing an idea from concept to market. Of course everyone must start somewhere, and to the neophyte, this naive approach is typical. But if you are unwilling to listen and learn, then months or years later you will likely end up with an empty bank account, irate customers and investors, and a dead-end product. It is our hope that we can help you to take an objective look at whether or not you should continue with your concept.
“I have this idea•••” Of course an idea is where it all starts. But an idea, no matter how viable, does not a business make. The greatest problem with ideas is that the inventor often loses all sense of objectivity. Not just for the technical viability, but for the all important aspect of market acceptance and marketability. It is only human nature to believe that the world will beat a path to our doorstep for our product - especially if we find it to be invaluable in our own experience.
So many misconceptions - so little guidance
There are many misconceptions and an abundance of misinformation that can cause the inventor to waste valuable time, money and other resources in attempting to bring his product to market, or simply to prove its technical viability. While there are no answers that fit every situation, we hope that by making you aware of some common misconceptions, you will move forward at least with a healthy set of precautions.
"I'll patent my idea; then I'll be protected"
It has been said that "the only thing a patent gives you is the right to sue". While this statement may be a bit simplistic, it may be correct in principle. Can you truly say that your idea is so unique and so innovative that no one could produce a variation of it without clearly violating your patent rights? And if you and your attorney determine that you do have a case, would you actually be willing and able to finance a legal challenge to against a team of lawyers in a major corporation? We don't mean to sound cynical, but it is important to realize that in many cases, acquiring a patent should not be your first and your primary objective.
When the right company sees my idea, they'll buy the rights
Most companies are not short on ideas. They are short on the same things as the fledgling company; the knowledge of whether or not a product is viable, and the capital necessary to bring it to market. You'll find the big players even more cautious than yourself, and this should tell you something: there's more cost and commitment required than meets the eye. If and when your company has a successful product line in place, with a predictable market base, you may well find a company interested in buying your "idea". But at that time it will be much more than an idea and you will more likely want to continue to develop and expand the line as your own.
"Just wait 'til it appears on Walmart's shelves"
Retailers are always looking for new products to offer. But if you're operating on a shoestring, approaching a mass marketer with the product of a startup company is futile. Nationwide mass retailers such as Walmart or Home Depot must be assured that they are dealing with well known and well capitalized manufacturers who offer a broad product line and who have a company with all the resources within their field necessary to meet their demands. To be on the shelves of JC Penney may be a long term goal, but it is naive to believe your product will debut this way.
So many misconceptions - so little guidance
There are many misconceptions and an abundance of misinformation that can cause the inventor to waste valuable time, money and other resources in attempting to bring his product to market, or simply to prove its technical viability. While there are no answers that fit every situation, we hope that by making you aware of some common misconceptions, you will move forward at least with a healthy set of precautions.
"I'll patent my idea; then I'll be protected"
It has been said that "the only thing a patent gives you is the right to sue". While this statement may be a bit simplistic, it may be correct in principle. Can you truly say that your idea is so unique and so innovative that no one could produce a variation of it without clearly violating your patent rights? And if you and your attorney determine that you do have a case, would you actually be willing and able to finance a legal challenge to against a team of lawyers in a major corporation? We don't mean to sound cynical, but it is important to realize that in many cases, acquiring a patent should not be your first and your primary objective.
When the right company sees my idea, they'll buy the rights
Most companies are not short on ideas. They are short on the same things as the fledgling company; the knowledge of whether or not a product is viable, and the capital necessary to bring it to market. You'll find the big players even more cautious than yourself, and this should tell you something: there's more cost and commitment required than meets the eye. If and when your company has a successful product line in place, with a predictable market base, you may well find a company interested in buying your "idea". But at that time it will be much more than an idea and you will more likely want to continue to develop and expand the line as your own.
"Just wait 'til it appears on Walmart's shelves"
Retailers are always looking for new products to offer. But if you're operating on a shoestring, approaching a mass marketer with the product of a startup company is futile. Nationwide mass retailers such as Walmart or Home Depot must be assured that they are dealing with well known and well capitalized manufacturers who offer a broad product line and who have a company with all the resources within their field necessary to meet their demands. To be on the shelves of JC Penney may be a long term goal, but it is naive to believe your product will debut this way.
"My prototype works perfectly, so the product design is complete"
There's a big difference between a "project" and a "product". The project you build in a lab or your home workshop may work just fine. But it is working under a narrow set of conditions and you may not have tested for the many variations it will encounter, such as temperature extremes, voltage variations and fault conditions. Be sure to have your design reviewed by an engineer, especially for safety-related failures, such as shock and fire hazard. Finally, make sure the product has been designed with production and support in mind. Avoid single source components wherever possible. Make the product as serviceable as is appropriate.
"Enough precautions!" you say. "I think I'm ready, so let's get started”! Okay, let's assume that you’re one of the entrepreneurs who has done his homework. You've done your marketing research. You have a business plan. You've defined your product, you know your marketplace and you know exactly what you want to build. But the mysterious world of Schematics, Engineering Drawings, Configuration Control, Bills of Materials, Tooling, Fabrication Procedures and Fixtures seems daunting. The time, money and other resources needed to enter the world of product design, development and manufacturing is not something in which you wish to invest at this time. If you are actually at this point, that's when we can help!
We can help in initial electrical design if you're not yet that far. If you have designed and prototyped the product into a working model, we can help prepare it for production and we can build it to your specs.
At this point, a price quote is almost certainly on you mind. And we are here to make that process as simple and painless as possible. And if you have the jitters about "front-end" costs (the design and development costs before production even begins), we think you'll be interested in Barton Digital's "Risk Sharing" Program", where we forego these costs on the front end and apply them only if you are happy with our design and our pricing and you wish to have us begin production.
For now, let's get started on that quote: Either pick up the phone or describe your product in an email. Include any drawings you might have, but don't be concerned with fancy CAD drawings or specifications - just something that describes the circuitry or what the product is supposed to do.
What is "Risk Sharing" ???
For most products and services it is customary to quote in two components - the "recurring" and the "non-recurring" costs. Most beginners have been focusing on the per-unit Recurring cost of having their item produced, but have given little thought to the Non-Recurring component.
Non-recurring, as you might guess, are the costs associated with bringing the product to the point of production. Depending on the nature of the product, these activities may include design labor, graphics layout, basic research, tooling costs, test fixtures and anything else that is necessary for gearing up for production and test and packaging of your product. These costs are often referred to as the "NRE" costs, which stands for Non Recurring Engineering costs.
NRE costs can be substantial, and they're a pretty hard thing to swallow on your initial foray into the world of manufacturing. So we I came up with a way to ease the pain...
Barton Digital's Risk Sharing program is something we make available to select startup customers only. Since we are taking the chance we will never be paid for our efforts, applying this process is entirely our option. What we look for are startups who are in our judgement:
If you are one of these potential customers we may offer to risk-share by developing your product with no out-front payment and no
obligation to pay the NRE costs if you do not follow through with production.
When we have designed and developed the product and provided the necessary mockups, prototypes or drawings, we will provide a
Quotation that quotes both the NRE costs and the recurring product cost in whatever range of quantities you desire. At that point, the
decision to continue is entirely up to you. There is no obligation.
There's a big difference between a "project" and a "product". The project you build in a lab or your home workshop may work just fine. But it is working under a narrow set of conditions and you may not have tested for the many variations it will encounter, such as temperature extremes, voltage variations and fault conditions. Be sure to have your design reviewed by an engineer, especially for safety-related failures, such as shock and fire hazard. Finally, make sure the product has been designed with production and support in mind. Avoid single source components wherever possible. Make the product as serviceable as is appropriate.
"Enough precautions!" you say. "I think I'm ready, so let's get started”! Okay, let's assume that you’re one of the entrepreneurs who has done his homework. You've done your marketing research. You have a business plan. You've defined your product, you know your marketplace and you know exactly what you want to build. But the mysterious world of Schematics, Engineering Drawings, Configuration Control, Bills of Materials, Tooling, Fabrication Procedures and Fixtures seems daunting. The time, money and other resources needed to enter the world of product design, development and manufacturing is not something in which you wish to invest at this time. If you are actually at this point, that's when we can help!
We can help in initial electrical design if you're not yet that far. If you have designed and prototyped the product into a working model, we can help prepare it for production and we can build it to your specs.
At this point, a price quote is almost certainly on you mind. And we are here to make that process as simple and painless as possible. And if you have the jitters about "front-end" costs (the design and development costs before production even begins), we think you'll be interested in Barton Digital's "Risk Sharing" Program", where we forego these costs on the front end and apply them only if you are happy with our design and our pricing and you wish to have us begin production.
For now, let's get started on that quote: Either pick up the phone or describe your product in an email. Include any drawings you might have, but don't be concerned with fancy CAD drawings or specifications - just something that describes the circuitry or what the product is supposed to do.
What is "Risk Sharing" ???
For most products and services it is customary to quote in two components - the "recurring" and the "non-recurring" costs. Most beginners have been focusing on the per-unit Recurring cost of having their item produced, but have given little thought to the Non-Recurring component.
Non-recurring, as you might guess, are the costs associated with bringing the product to the point of production. Depending on the nature of the product, these activities may include design labor, graphics layout, basic research, tooling costs, test fixtures and anything else that is necessary for gearing up for production and test and packaging of your product. These costs are often referred to as the "NRE" costs, which stands for Non Recurring Engineering costs.
NRE costs can be substantial, and they're a pretty hard thing to swallow on your initial foray into the world of manufacturing. So we I came up with a way to ease the pain...
Barton Digital's Risk Sharing program is something we make available to select startup customers only. Since we are taking the chance we will never be paid for our efforts, applying this process is entirely our option. What we look for are startups who are in our judgement:
- Have a technically viable idea
- Have done their market research
- Have sensed the market's acceptance and price points of their proposed product
- Have a plan for marketing, distribution and support of their product.
- Are well funded and are dead serious about continuing their pursuit.
If you are one of these potential customers we may offer to risk-share by developing your product with no out-front payment and no
obligation to pay the NRE costs if you do not follow through with production.
When we have designed and developed the product and provided the necessary mockups, prototypes or drawings, we will provide a
Quotation that quotes both the NRE costs and the recurring product cost in whatever range of quantities you desire. At that point, the
decision to continue is entirely up to you. There is no obligation.