Breadboards, Models, & Prototypes

Once you have taken the initial steps to protect your idea, thesecond step is to determine whether or not the invention will work.To do this you will need to first make a breadboard of theinvention, then a model, and finally a prototype.

Jacquelyn Denalli, in her "Inventor's Circle"column forBusiness Start-UpsMagazine, offers the followingdefinitions of a breadboard, model, and prototype:

* Abreadboardis a rough construction of your inventionthat proves the idea works. The breadboard doesn't have to lookgood or even work well; it simply proves your idea can be reducedto practice. It may take several breadboards, each improving on theearlier one, before you are ready to build a model.

* Amodelis a representation of the product as it will bemanufactured. The model demonstrates what your invention will do,but is not always a precise duplicate of the finished product. Inbuilding your model, consider these issues: the item's saleprice, materials, manufacturing costs, marketing details, safetyfactors, how it will be sold and distributed, and the profitmargin. If you plan to license your invention to a manufacturer,you can often do so with a model.

* Aprototypeis an exact replica of the product as it willbe manufactured, down to the last detail, including color,graphics, packaging and instructions. To make a prototype orsample, the cost is usually much greater than the actual unit costonce the product is in full production. For example, a prototypemight cost $500, though the item itself might retail for only $2 to$10 in the marketplace. But it's well worth the investment.First of all, you can make drawings or photographs of the sample touse in brochures, mailings, pamphlets, advertising, etc. You canalso use the prototype to show to potential buyers, whetherprospective manufacturers or buyers for department stores.

When you are ready to put together your prototype, get severalbids from various manufacturing companies. Get prices for producingone, 1,000, and 5,000 units. Make sure the bid you get includestooling costs and specifies the terms the manufacturer willprovide. At the same time, make sure you know what the deliveryturnaround time will be, so that you can speak authoritatively withbuyers. This will help you determine what your initial pricingstructure is going to have to be and what kinds of qualitydiscounts will be available.

When the word "prototype" is mentioned, most peoplenaturally assume that its purpose is to test the effectiveness ofmanufacturing or production methods. Although this is one motivefor making a prototype, employing it in your marketing research isjust as important to the ultimate success of your product. Nothingcan replace the data obtained through the use of a prototype.Whether a product is as complex as a computer or as simple as awelding torch, market testing with a prototype will tell you howyour potential buyers - and those are the folks who actually haveto use what you sell - will react to your product.