This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. The designer for designing something with a flaw? The technician for allowing the flaw to persist? The quality control staff for not catching the flaw? The factory for manufacturing the product? The importer for not doing due diligence before…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. If you’re using a local manufacturer, getting goods shipped to you is pretty straightforward and you could even go pick it up yourself to save money. But if your manufacturer is in another country, you will need to deal…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. When and how much you pay is dependent on the industry standard and how much clout the factory and the customer has. Deposits Some factories will ask for a deposit (down payment) after a contract is signed as collateral to…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. The fear of other people stealing your designs is real because the laws in other countries vary so much from the West. …

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. Factories are a dime a dozen. They come in all shapes and sizes. The Internet has further enabled many small factories to surface and have a presence on the world market. But not all factories are “good” factories. What…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. After giving a purchase order to a factory, just sitting back and waiting for goods to ship is fine if you aren’t risking your assets. If you didn’t pay money up front and you have redundancies in place in…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. After finding a factory and getting their contact info, you are now prepared to start up a dialogue. When talking with a new factory for the first time: Introduce yourself, your company’s background and perhaps your company’s ambitions (in…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. Working through a local agent gives you the comfort of having someone dedicated to servicing you, communicate on your behalf and them being an independent company ensures they won’t always side with the factory to your detriment. If your…

This article is part of my Manufacturing for a Kickstarter series. Before approaching a manufacturer with your Kickstarter idea, it is best to have a prototype or reference product that you can show the manufacturer. You may even already have specs, CADs, measurements and tolerances worked out too which is…