Today I want to go back to the beginning and talk about how to come up with product ideas that will sell. This is one of the first episodes I recorded, and most listened to, and I thought now was a good time to rerecord and update it.

Here are my top 3 suggestions for how to come up with product ideas that will sell. 

Listen in to hear me share:

• An introduction to the topic (00:21)
• A problem that your product can solve (02:32)
• Improving on a product (06:50)
• Is there something you need that isn’t available (10:35)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Accompanying Blog Post

3 ways to create product ideas that will sell

The Original Episode

5 simple ways to come up with product ideas

Episode 112 

Creating a food business and getting stocked in major supermarkets - with Marieke Syed - Snackzilla

Episode 130

Getting ready to launch your first product- with Laura Gillett - Stomperz Shoes

Episode 57

How to develop an original product – with Joe Shortt - Tripclip

Episode 125

Selling sustainable partyware - with Ciara Westhead - Pico

Episode 87

Getting ready to launch your first product - with Louise Almond - Amelia Anne

Episode 65

Starting a business during maternity leave – with Liz Rawlinson - gus + beau

Episode 4

How Silke created her resilience cards (and a new revenue stream)

Episode 71

Creating sustainable products with Nancy Powell, HERD Bags

Episode 88

Why your product needs to be on Amazon - with Cara Sayer, Snooze Shade

Blog Post

How to carry out your own customer and market research

Free Resources, including How to successfully launch a product on Amazon or rescue one that’s not selling

Book a Power Hour with me

LET’S CONNECT

Join my free Facebook group for product makers and creators

Find me on Instagram

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Mentioned in this episode:

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The best deals on bestselling tools for building and running a successful Amazon business. https://get.junglescout.com/vicki (Note this is an affiliate link - I recommend it because I use it and love it!)

Welcome to the Bring Your Product Ideas to Life podcast, practical

advice and inspiration to help you create and sell your own physical products.

Here's your host, Vicky Weinberg.

Hi.

So today I want to take us almost right back to the beginning and

talk about ways to come up with product ideas that we'll sell.

So what really inspired me, um, to record this episode is that years ago now, one

of my very first episodes was about ways to come up with product ideas, and that

has definitely been one of the highest listen to episodes that I've done.

However, I'm really aware that it's tough for small businesses right now.

And in that episode that I did a few years ago, I had quite a few ideas.

But now I wanted to do an updated version, if you like, that just talks

about the methods that should help you come up with product ideas that will

sell, and we'll talk about validating your product ideas in another episode.

Um, but some of the ideas that I suggested a few years ago, I feel

are less relevant now, which is why I really wanted to rerecord this.

So if you want to create a product to sell.

The first step, as you'll know, is having an idea, and some of us have an idea.

Maybe we've been sitting on it for years and not doing much about it,

or it's not been the right time.

And some of us, and I was definitely in this situation, want to sell products

but need to find a product idea.

Now there are services where you can find ideas of things that

are popular to sell and buy.

Obviously, we're right now.

Ideas of things to sell on Amazon, for example.

And that's something that I did talk about in that previous episode I mentioned.

Now there is nothing wrong with that, and I'm not saying there is at all.

Although one issue that I think there is with selecting your product that way

is it could mean that you are selling a product that you don't actually

care much about just to make money.

And again, nothing wrong with.

But the ideas I'm gonna share today will hopefully help you find a

product that you are excited about and passionate about because the

product creation process can be hard.

And I think having a product that actually means something to you can really help.

Particularly when things get tricky, when you get tired, when you get

worn down, when you are not finding a supplier, um, whatever the thing is.

If this is a product that you're like, Yeah, I really need to get this

in the world, that will really help see you through and I also hope that

by following these suggestions, the product ideas that you come up with

will appeal to other people too.

Um, and they're probably most likely gonna be people similar to yourself.

So let's start with the first suggestion I have for you

is to think about is there a problem that you have or maybe someone else

has, that a product could solve?

So if you frequently experience some kind of annoyance, even if it's like

something that's mildly irritating as opposed to a massive inconvenience,

it's very likely that you are not the only one experiencing this.

And if this is the case, maybe you can think of something now.

Maybe you wanna pause and think of something.

Um, maybe something's happened to you just this morning and you're

like, Oh, that's really annoying.

Um, why not take a look to see if there's a product out there that

might solve the problem you're having?

Um, if there is, and it's possible, you know, it's within your, your

budget, maybe you can buy a solution.

Um, I know there's definitely been times in the past where I've had issue.

And I've been able to buy a product that has solved the problem I was having.

So one example I think I've talked about before is it turns out my daughter would

only sleep in a really, really dark room.

So I bought blackout blinds.

Um, and I tried it and saw how I get on.

And if so, the product you buy is a solution and that's great.

No more problem.

Um, so I still think this is a win-win by the way.

But if either there isn't a product out there that would problem you're

having or there is a product, but it's just not effective, can you

come up with a different solution?

I'm also gonna talk a little bit later about improving a

product that already exists.

So hold on for that.

Um, but yeah, that it might be that you are the person to

create what it is that you need.

Um, and I would suggest that if that is the case, have a think about

what the ideal product might be.

Or maybe you don't know what it might be, but have a think about ways

that your problem could be solved.

Now you're just brainstorming at this point, so don't be afraid to make all

kinds of notes, Write loads of stuff down.

Even if you think it's nonsense, just get it all out of your head

because if you decide this is an idea you want to progress with, you

will refine that idea and it will start to make a lot more sense.

I also think it might be good to find out if other people

have the same challenge as you.

Reason being that if this was a problem that's really unique to you

and you are the only person who has it, and you are the only person who

wants a solution, it's likely that any product you make to solve this

problem will be just applicable to you.

However, if there's plenty of other people that have the same challenge,

and of course you have an audience there to sell to, and if you do

find other people that have the same problem, then maybe asking, you know,

how do you think this could be solved?

And see what their ideas.

Because assuming that you do want to create this product to sell, or

even maybe just look into how viable that might be, maybe at the moment

you're thinking, I don't know if I wanna create a product to sell.

But you know, if the right idea strikes you, then you would then I

think getting input from potential customers is really, really valuable.

And one of the great things I think about creating a product that solves a problem

is that assuming other people experience the same thing, which you'll, you're

gonna find out you have a really clear benefit for your product, a really clear

reason why someone might choose to buy it.

And that will really help when you're position in marketing it.

Um, especially if you've looked for something yourself, and either there's

nothing out there already or there's nothing that's effective because

your product immediately will stand.

This has been the starting point for lots of my podcast guests

as well, and I'm gonna talk to you about a few recent examples.

So Marieke Syed from Snackzilla wanted to find healthy yet filling snacks

for her children once they outgrew the baby and toddler products on

the market, and she couldn't find any, so she formulated her own.

Laura Gillett from Stomperz Shoes, couldn't find shoes to fit her son's

feet because they were quite wide.

And so she created her own range.

And Joe Short from Trip Clip, this was a bit of an old episode, was

really sick of getting the stiff neck, trying to use his phone or his

tablet on public transport, and he came up with a device to solve that.

And coming up, we're gonna speak to Claire Grant from Ori Orso and Claire's

created Jogger Socks to solve the problem of her baby not keeping her socks on.

And if any of you or parents will know that, that can be quite tricky.

So those are just some real life examples of a few people that I've

spoken to, you know, in the last year who've created a product because

what they wanted just didn't exist.

So hopefully that will help to inspire you.

So my second suggestion, do you own something or use something

already that you know could be better and could be improved upon?

So you've probably had the experience of buying something, using something

and just knowing that it could be better than it is, and maybe it

doesn't even need to be better.

Maybe just different.

I don't know.

Maybe you've got something and you think, Oh, why is this in black?

It'd be so much.

Attractive if it was in a nice color or had a pattern on it.

Um, you, you know what I'm saying?

I mean, I had the example coming back to my black out blind thing.

Um, I, the black out blind that I used had like suction pads and it was really

annoying because sometimes they would get like dusty or, I dunno if it was

dust, but something was happening and they wouldn't stick and they'd pop off.

And then I found a new version that had Velcro to attach them

and that worked so much better.

And it was literally the same thing, the same piece.

Cloth.

Um, one company had suckers and one company had Velcro, and one for me

worked slightly better than the other.

So perhaps there's a really obvious problem or just a small thing

that would make a product better.

And as I say, it doesn't even make needs to make it work better.

Maybe it's something just aesthetic and you could be the person to do that.

Um, and I'm gonna again to give you some real life examples of my podcast guests.

And speaking of aesthetics, so Liz Wallington from Gus and Beau wanted a

Playmat for her baby, but she could only find them in really bright primary colors.

You've probably seen them, they're like jigsaws and they're red

and yellow and really bright.

So she created her own range of muted play mats in like really soft grays and

pinks and blues because that's something that she wanted, um, but couldn't find.

And functionally, the mats are really similar.

They look a lot more attractive.

So Ciara Westhead from Pico was looking for sustainable party

wear, so paper, plates and cups.

And most of what she was finding was brown and boring, um,

which wasn't what she wanted.

So she created a really bright, vibrant range of sustainable party items.

So those are two examples of.

Products that were fine, they were functional, they worked.

However, the guests that I've just mentioned wanted those items

to look slightly differently.

And so that was their usp, if you like.

And then finally I spoke to Louise Almond from Amelia Ann, and Louise had

her first child and found that nursing clothes were mainly dual maternity.

So she wore them while pregnant, and then for nursing her baby and had lots

of material covering up her baby's face.

Be and decided actually she wanted to create her own range of nursing clothes.

So even if you have a product that you love, so something you use often

and you really like, you might well think of a small thing that could

make it perfect and take note of these ideas when they come up because

that could actually be your product.

I should also say here that this isn't copying.

I never ever suggest you copy anyone or anything, but it's just about using

existing products, inspiration to create something new based on your own

experience as a customer and a consumer.

You can also find about lots of information about what other people

would change about an existing products by looking at the review.

But the idea with this is that it's based on your own experience.

It's something you feel passionate about pursuing.

However, let's say with the example of, um, the baby play mats, let's say

you were looking at some mats and you had an idea, um, that you wanted to

create something that looked different.

You could look at reviews for current products just to see if other people

were saying similar things to you, because that might give you some insight

as to whether it's something that other people would be interested in.

So I guess what I'm saying is don't necessarily use reviews as

a starting point, but use them to help validate your own ideas.

And as I say, I will have another episode coming up specifically

about validating your ideas.

I know I've done.

Um, quite a while ago.

Now I have a really old episode, but I will be doing an updated

version, so keep an eye up for that.

And then finally, my final suggestion is, is there something

that you need that isn't available?

So do you ever think, I wish I had a.

Something.

Now, some of what we wish for might not be feasible for many reasons.

My daughter wants a unicorn, for example.

That's probably not gonna happen, but some ideas definitely will be.

So this is slightly different from creating something that solves a

problem that you're having in that it might be something that solves

a problem you had a long time ago.

So it's not relevant to you anymore, but perhaps when you had a young child

there was something you experienced.

Um, it's always been niggling at you.

You know, you still wish you.

Done something about it, or it might be that you are looking for something now

and finding that it just doesn't exist.

And I've worked with so many people who've created something simply because nobody

else has, and I should say here, don't feel it needs to be a big idea either.

Maybe it's just earrings in a specific shape.

Maybe.

I dunno.

There's something coming up and you think, this isn't a good example,

but maybe it's Halloween and you're searching for pumpkin earrings and there

aren't any, That's not gonna happen.

You've had a lot of pumpkin earrings, but you know what I mean?

Or maybe you are looking for.

A water bottle, but it has to have particular dimensions because it needs to

fit, um, in a certain rack on your bike or whatever, or whatever it is, or it

needs to fit in a holder on your buggy.

If you're something you've looked for and it's not out there already, then

you might just be onto something.

So to give you some examples from recent podcast episodes, so Silke Thistlewood

from Raise Up Mums created Resilience Cards, which is a product she'd wish

she had when her children were tiny.

And she's since written a book as well, covering all the things,

expecting parents just aren't told.

Nancy Powell from Herd Bags wanted to find reusable bags that were both

sustainable, practical, and stylish.

Um, she couldn't find them, so she designed her own and Cara Sayer Snooze

Shade was looking for a blackout blind for her baby's buggy and noticed

that everyone else was using blankets and muslins to keep the sun out, um,

because a specific shade didn't exist.

And of course, that's also an example of solving a problem as

well the problem of keeping your child covered up in the buggy.

And another episode coming up towards the end of this year is with Simon

from Haskapa who created a product which is freezed dried, haskap

berries, simply because he knew how good these berries are for us, and

nobody else at the time certainly was selling them in freeze dried format.

So of course as with all these ideas, you do need to verify that there are

people out there who will buy it.

And as I say, I will be doing another episode on validating your product ideas.

However, there is an older episode out now that you can listen to

if you just can't wait for that.

Um, and hopefully this little mini episode is enough to get you inspired.

Um, you might also want to go and listen to some of the episodes that

I've mentioned as well to see if that helps you spark anymore ideas.

Um, and I guess your next steps are to keep your eyes, your ears,

your mind, absolutely everything, open to the possibilities.

Um, because if creating a product to sell is something that you want to do.

I do believe that it is available to you, and yet you'll just need to keep

an eye out for ideas, and I really hope that inspiration strikes soon.

Thank you so much for listening.

Right to the end of this episode, do remember that you can get the fullback

catalog and lots of free resources on my website, vicky weinberg.com.

Please do remember to rate and review view this episode if you've enjoyed

it, and also share it with a friend who you think might find it useful.