Contacting and meeting a company in taiwan

[Samy Bazizi]

Hi fastlaners,

I need some advice. I am a product designer and a local company is interested by one of my invention. They've sent me a list of manufacturers located in Taiwan that I should contact to make a prototype or licence the invention. I was planning a trip to China and wanted to meet some of these companies to try and sell the invention
Therefore I have some questions:
- What is the best way to contact them and arrange a meeting with them?
- Is there a different etiquette or way to convince people in Taiwan that is different from North America?
- I don't want to lose time while Im there so how do I know which company is the best potential licencee and how do I find if it is a legit one? I don't

 

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[Samy Bazizi]

bump

 

[GrensonMan]

Your best bet is finding all the threads by forum member Walter Hay. He worked and traveled extensively in China and I'm sure he had occasion to travel to Taiwan as well.

 

[TedM]

bump

i have an old college friend who lives in taiwan who does this kind of stuff for a living. I don't know what he charges, but pm me and i'll give you his skype info

EDIT: turns out he lives in Japan, actually. i'll see if he knows anyone in Taiwan.

 

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[TedM]

I need some advice. I am a product designer and a local company is interested by one of my invention. They've sent me a list of manufacturers located in Taiwan that I should contact to make a prototype or licence the invention

Here's how I would approach this:

Try to get some kind of commitment from the local company, i.e.: "If your product will meet our [specifications] and the price delivered to our distribution center in [location] will be no more than [number] of euro, we will [distribute/market] your product. Based on our knowledge of the market, we estimate we can sell at least [amount] in the first 12 months.

@Vigilante - what do you think of the above?

If they agree to that, then find an EU mfg/distributor who will then be encouraged to take on the product, and will license it from you - in which case they'll do the mfg.

If you can't find a company that can do that, THEN you need to figure out how much it will cost for the prototype route. Since you are a designer yourself, I'm sure you can get a design ready to be made in very small quantities, and have the company put them in one store. (You must be there too, with your product, when it is in the store!) and see what the responses from customers are.

Then, both you and the company will have a better idea of your expectations and you can go look for financing to take it to the next level.

In my opinion, the advantage to this approach is that you have market feedback first. I guess it's not hard to find companies to work with you / invest once you have a customer w/some initial sales and a forecast.

Save the cost of a trip to the far east for an uncertain outcome, and invest it instead in getting real hard market feedback.

 

[Samy Bazizi]

Here's how I would approach this:

Try to get some kind of commitment from the local company, i.e.: "If your product will meet our [specifications] and the price delivered to our distribution center in [location] will be no more than [number] of euro, we will [distribute/market] your product. Based on our knowledge of the market, we estimate we can sell at least [amount] in the first 12 months.

@Vigilante - what do you think of the above?

If they agree to that, then find an EU mfg/distributor who will then be encouraged to take on the product, and will license it from you - in which case they'll do the mfg.

If you can't find a company that can do that, THEN you need to figure out how much it will cost for the prototype route. Since you are a designer yourself, I'm sure you can get a design ready to be made in very small quantities, and have the company put them in one store. (You must be there too, with your product, when it is in the store!) and see what the responses from customers are.

Then, both you and the company will have a better idea of your expectations and you can go look for financing to take it to the next level.

In my opinion, the advantage to this approach is that you have market feedback first. I guess it's not hard to find companies to work with you / invest once you have a customer w/some initial sales and a forecast.

Save the cost of a trip to the far east for an uncertain outcome, and invest it instead in getting real hard market feedback.

Hey, thanks a lot for these advices. What exactly is a mfg? And I was already planning this trip for other business affairs, so it's just something I wanna do while I am in the country. You say I should find an EU mfg/distributor to license the product, but how exactly do I contact them for that? Do I call them and arrange a meeting in China?

 

[TedM]

What exactly is a mfg? And I was already planning this trip for other business affairs, so it's just something I wanna do while I am in the country. You say I should find an EU mfg/distributor to license the product, but how exactly do I contact them for that? Do I call them and arrange a meeting in China?

mfg = manufacturer

You live in Austria? go to a store that sells things in the field you are inventing and see who the manufacturers/distributors are and then call them up.

i suggest you review the stephen key thread in the forum, and read his book too.

 

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[Leo Hendrix]

Yeah, get prototypes/samples made to test the Market first as @TedM said, I am living in Taipei now, feel free to PM me in case I can help somehow.
Best you do some groundwork first before making a trip obviously.

 

[Samy Bazizi]

mfg = manufacturer

You live in Austria? go to a store that sells things in the field you are inventing and see who the manufacturers/distributors are and then call them up.

i suggest you review the stephen key thread in the forum, and read his book too.

Nope I live in Montreal lol... I've already read his book, and I already have the list of the manufacturers of a local company that sells bicycle (the field of my invention). I just though that maybe it is different in Taiwan, you can't just call them and set an appointment... I will still try and see what happens. Ill keep you updated

 

[TedM]

Nope I live in Montreal lol... I've already read his book, and I already have the list of the manufacturers of a local company that sells bicycle (the field of my invention). I just though that maybe it is different in Taiwan, you can't just call them and set an appointment... I will still try and see what happens. Ill keep you updated

good luck!

 

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