Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

Hate to break this to you, but what you are asking to get done is a very long shot. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Can your idea be patented? If not, you have really no protection, even if you have a patent it's tough if you have no money to hire a lawyer.

The only chance I know of is to have a non-disclosure agreement signed by the food manufacturing companies you bring your idea to.

It is extremely unlikely that any manufacturer would want your idea, let alone pay you money for it. As schulte said, good ideas are plentiful. What you need to do, if you want to commercialize it, is make the product a commercial success -- even if just locally.

And that will take a significant investment of time, money and know-how ... or just money (which can buy the time and know-how). The whole idea is to market what you have. Coming up with the formula or recipe is not remarkable, no matter how much you or your friends/acquaintences like it. It's all about the marketing.

There are a number of large food processors and marketers that have dozens, if not hundreds, of trained chefs and scientists working on new recipes, and only a small fraction of them ever make it into the marketplace. The chances that yours would be a success without a very large investment (in marketing) are slim at best.

Dear ghardie1,

To be taken on by buyers your idea needs to be concrete; it
needs to be more than just an idea: it needs to be visible, tangible, handleable, and available for people to use, taste, comment on, and tell their friends about.

Who in the restaurant community has already tried this additive?

What was their reaction?

Which cuisine is it best suited for?

What quantities might people buy in?

What is the demand for this condiment and how often might buyers re-order it, and from whom do they re-order? You? From a spice dealer mixing the ingredients to your exact specifications?

What's your connection to the condiment and restaurant trade? What are your credentials and why should restauranteurs take notice of you?

What does your condiment do that salt, pepper, and thyme do not do? These questions are not intended to give you a hard time: I'm asking them because your answers to all these questions can be turned into benefits, values, and selling points.

What's your story and who might be interested in it and why?

Might you also want to sell directly to consumers AS WELL as restaurants? Might there be mileage in this, perhaps to people
with special dietary needs? People who have to avoid salt, sodium, MSG, and God alone knows what else because of allergies or other health concerns?

What else is on the market that's similar to your product and how is yours better, of higher quality, of more benefit, healthier, tastier, more flavourful?

How can you sell your idea to a manufacturer and make the most money or get residual income from the product as it is sold to consumers? Hmm. Why would you GIVE AWAY your product?

The moment you sell your idea you lose control. However, if you work WITH a manufacturer for them to mix to your specifications, and work with you on issues of packaging, markets, buyers, market positioning, package design, point of sale, shipping, fulfillment and so on, YOU maintain control, the RIGHTS to the product remain YOURS, and he (or she) that pays the piper calls the tune!

Read this: www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123493432.html

and this:

www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162457455.html

Then look at the sources (below) for what's known as private label products. These are companies who have all the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution know how and expertise (usually all under one roof) with whom people just like you then work in order to get their idea out as an actual product, market tested, tweaked, refined, and out onto the market and onto the shelves of supermarkets nationwide.

Or to be sold directly to the customer and drop shipped from the manufacturer to the customer, with orders taken via your website, and from which you then profit when your wholesale price is met, matched, paid, and passed on to the customer in terms of savings with enough profit left over AFTER fees, disbursements and so on for you to bank a hefty profit.

www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/private-label.php
www.privatelabelsourcing.com/additional/opportunities/
www.privatelabelfoods.com
www.brandedsauces.com/branded_sauces_welcome.htm

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Just a quick note, the reason we use A1, drink starbucks, coke and budweiser, eat doritos salsa, Kraft cheese or gray poupon is not because they are great products.

It is because they have have big marketing budgets.

Big as in VERY BIG. The products are not 'bad' but they are not 'great' either. However the marketing budgets are enormous.

If your condiment is good, make it at home, and sell it at the swap meet. If you get sales, go to a restaurant and offer it to one or two. Give them a decent supply. Yes give samples for a test.

If it sells, then you can consider making larger batches. then if market demands are such, I.e. the restaurant calls for more, consider selling the production to a local production facility. If you are successful expanding then you can press for a sales person to take it to all the local restaurants and or a local food distributor. and perhaps it will become a "local" item, like scrapple in PA, Poi in Hawaii, Kishka and Kasha in NYC, maple syrup in New England, Grits in the south etc. (Many great micro breweries do this.)

Good luck with that. And if you would like to send me a small jar for sample I will pay shipping.

Paul aka Spam Sorenson

If and only if it is successful and that means profitable and sells well can you get the attention of a food scout for a large company. The walls for entry of new products are high and you have to show initiative and be willing to climb those walls. You must prove the product!

Bag the "idea selling". Make the product and start selling it at local craft shows, farmers markets and things like then.

Once you've generated interest (and profit) look for a canner/bottler to make it for you.

THEN you can look at selling a proven idea.

Michael

Have to agree.

I have also invented a product, and I think I have to make it to be able to get with it on the market and get some profit. But the fact that it's an ice cream makes it very expensive. And I know America WILL love it.

But, I think, I will pass for now.

Natasha