Innovative products call for innovative thinking
The RockSteady design was realised to solve the common problem of café tables losing stability when placed on paved surfaces. One of four table base legs hinges in a way that raises and lowers the foot pad, thus adjusting the height to suit any uneven pavement or floor.
The bottom line with an innovative design is that you need to be able to make some money out of what you dream up.
When I identified the need to develop a more stable café table, the first idea I had was an accessory that could be added to the base. However, I realised that as an after-market item, there would be difficulties in generating sales without employing a number of sales staff. In dollar value the margin is not really worth it for a small add-on accessory. I knew that whatever the solution was it had to be integral with the table; or at least, the table base. So I started working on the RockSteady design.
My initial concern was that I didn’t really understand how the commercial furniture world worked. Then I discovered that retailers in this sector will carry a whole range of table bases and tops as separate items. The customer will mix and match the top and base to suit their needs. This meant that I could focus solely on manufacturing the table base.
I also discovered that in the
To clarify, some background information is required. The expression ‘dropship’ means that the retailer (usually online) does not carry stock. They simply receive orders through their site and advise the supplier to ship directly to the retail customer. This reduces costs for the retailer but it also enables small manufacturers such as Echelon to gain access to a market that would traditionally require a middle man. However, you have to have enough faith in your product to manufacture a reasonable quantity, ship and warehouse it on spec that someone will buy it! But if you get it right you will start selling as soon as the product is uploaded on the retailer’s site.
We also sell within the Australian market; however, it works in a more traditional sense. We have the standard wholesale/retail system. We might quote for large quantity orders but it could take months for the project to come to fruition. This can create cash flow pressure and needs to be mitigated by using alternative models.
The RockSteady is a simple and robust solution for a daily problem. It is early days still but I am excited as the future for this product looks promising.
