As we build and move ahead, you will see on our website a list of stores and websites that will be selling all three versions of our Oven Claw™: the Pro version (18”), the Standard version (12”) and the Toaster Oven Claw™ version (7”). In addition, we intend to manufacture the Oven Claw™ in a variety of woods. You will then have a broad choice of colors available that will match your kitchen’s color scheme.

Before getting back to Part II of my previous blog, I’d like to invite you to sign up for the upcoming launch of our 18” Pro Oven Claw™. All you have to do is to go to our contact page. Just give us your name and your email address. We absolutely do not share any of your information with anyone. See our policies. (If you wish to make a comment about our website or the Oven Claw™ please do so. We’d love to hear from you.) Once you sign-up you will be added to our opt-in list and when we send out notices you will receive it in your email in-box. This will give you advanced notice when we launch this product. Along with the notice you can also enjoy the benefit of getting a coupon that you can use when we release the Toaster Oven Claw™.

In any case, we would like to hear from you. Our visitors are our life-stream and we would like to get to know you and you can get to know us.

The Oven Claw™ Goes to Market – Part II

In Part I of this article (“The Oven Claw Emerges–Part I”) I told how the Oven Claw came about and ended when people responded well. With that positive feedback I wondered whether I could place it in stores and so with twenty Oven Claws™ in hand, I drew up a list of stores and visited a number of them. Remember, these few were hand turned and my cost was $20.00 each. In order to make a profit I needed to sell them wholesale for at least $25.00 each. At that time I knew very little about the actual market, actually walking into a store and talking either with the owner or the manager. The key thing I learned was that retailers often sell at 30 to 50% of their wholesale cost. In the end I happened to hit some high-end stores and sold them while at other stores, they rejected it because it was too expensive. That I hadn’t expected. When all was said and done our return on investment (ROI) was either non-existent or only a couple of dollars each; hardly enough to make a viable business. I remembered what one of the guys who turned the first prototype said. “You’ll never make it unless you have it manufactured in China or India. There’s no profit in your oven gadget.” His words rang in my mind but I decided that I wouldn’t let that get in the way. I thought, “There must be a way to get the Oven Claw™ manufactured for a cost that would give the company an acceptable ROI.” I told my team where we stood. I said, “Stop everything. We need to put your focus on finding an acceptable manufacturer.” It didn’t take long and we had several such companies calling us. We eventually eliminated several and settled on one company. We made the deal and are expecting delivery of our first supply by late November. Once they arrive we will be in the market.

A few things I’ve learned:

1. Be persistent, there’s always a way to make your dream come true.
2. Put together a competent team. They will be invaluable.
3. Trust yourself even when you have doubts and listen to your team.
4. When you engage in an area of business that’s new to you, understand that you will make mistakes but learn from them. They won’t knock you out of the game.
5. Know that you are constantly in a learning mode and that you’ll never know it all.

Tags: hot ovens, kitchen gadgets, oven claw, oven rack puller, pusher, safe oven, toaster oven
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