Those who fail to plan, plan to fail

I'm sort of at that stage when a thousand ideas keep popping up into my head.  Everything from make sure the e-commerce site allows for user reviews to I wonder if there's an environmentally friendly equivalent to closed-cell foam which we need to use to help make our folding chairs comfy, or at least we need to make one that's been sourced in an environmentally friendly way (like Patagonia fleeces made out of recycled plastic bottles).

I find using a TaDa list, produced by the company behind Basecamp, Backpack etc helpful at this point.  Eventually some of the things on the list will go into the business plan and some of them will go into the execution plan.

The title of this blog is an overused phrase, but never more important than when setting up a new product or company.  My other favourite motto is "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow". 

IP protection and Patents

The world of IP protection and Patents is over-whelming.  I've trade marked brand names before, but nothing product related.

The information is really rather daunting too.  Fortunately through IP office I have found a company who give free initial advice on whether a product is patentable or a design is able to be registered.

The good news is that no one has The Comfy Chair registered as a Trade Mark, so I can proceed with getting that done.

They are called Innovate Design and say they are dedicated to helping UK inventors.

I've sent off my briefing form, let's see what they come back with!

The Comfy Chair Story

The Comfy Chair was conceived on a sunny Easter Sunday, lounging around with our friend James in his beautiful orchard and wildflower meadow on the wonderful Isle of Wight.  As yellow tipped butterflies fluttered by, birds tweeted and bunnies bounced across the grass, we all wriggled around trying to get comfy so we could truly take in the peace and beauty of our surroundings.

“What if”, we said (shuffle, shuffle), “what if, there was an easily portable, folding chair, that we could plonk down whenever and where-ever.  A chair that wasn’t a faff to put up or hassle to carry.  A chair that would be equally at home on the beach, in the garden, camping, glamping, backpacking, or at festivals.  Wouldn’t that be fab?”

And thus it was to be that Operation Comfy Chair was born. 

Now, I'm doing research, writing a business plan and verifying whether or not there is a market and a desire for the Comfy Chair.

Oh yes, and we have a working strapline - "spreading TLC for backs and bottoms everywhere"