Hello everyone, new member and happy to be here.
Let's jump in right into the topic: You have an idea of a new product. Like the piece of plastic that you put under your feet when in the toilet, or the paint brush cover, or a new baby stroller design...where do you take it? What are some of the resources that you use to have it made or help you through the process?
Thanks,
JJ
Most of the stuff can be prototyped by 3D-printing and/or CNC-machining. These are manufacturing methods that don't require high upfront payments for molds/dies, because the parts are made by adding or removing existing material.
Get a designer how can tweak your design to suit the chosen manufacturing method.
Unit cost can get very high when doing small batches, but it is still gonna be alot cheaper than dropping 15-30k on a mold.
Edit: It can be convenient to do the prototype locally. So for Americans there is a dictionary of manufacturers:
www.thomasnet.com
Designers can be found via upwork.com.