143: Build Your Own Manufacturing for Your Invention

Don Skaggs founded the manufacturer US Biotex Corporation, which he started on a farm back in 1991 and grew to over 150 products in production over 22 years before being bought out.  Don has also been the President of the Inventors Network Kentucky for nearly 20 years now.  Today Don is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can start their own manufacturing facility locally for their invention idea, then how to grow and scale, and what benefits there are for taking this production path.

Today you will hear us talk about:

• See if customers would buy samples, and learn from them.
• Bootstrap to find out what works.
• Start with a small batch so that you can test the market.
• It’s easier to manufacture locally than you think, just start with a basic part of the manufacturing process.
• Design using as many Original Equipment Manufactured parts as possible.
• As you scale production, there are a number of benefits from running your own manufacturing operation.
• Your own manufacturing gives you a lot of solutions.
• Find an innovation where it’s common in one industry, but not discovered in another.
• Stay close to R&D and close to marketing and sales, so that you can put the two together.
• Time, money, and wisdom.
• Learn from your mistakes, and from your customers.
• When you’re small, you can connect marketing, sales, R&D, and production.
• Find the intersection of what you are passionate about, and what you are good at.

EPISODE LINKS

Don Skaggs / KY Inventors Network Links:

• Website: https://www.kyinventors.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donskaggs/details/experience/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EmpoweredInventing

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

• Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Mako Design Links:

• Website: https://www.makodesign.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/

Kevin Mako Links:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/
• Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry’s leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!