Starting a new business - Sunshine Coast

[Diana]

Hi, I,ve been looking for a group to bounce ideas off and looks like I've found it!

I have no business experience except for 30 yrs as a nurse so if time management, proritising, and customer relations counts for anything then it's not so bad.

I am researching a specific bag, which if I told you I would have to kill you
( that's a joke...albeit a bad one) and am about to get some prototypes made to see how people respond. I don't have the machinery gear or expertise needed to make them myself and am worried that someone may take my idea.

Should I be worried about this at this stage and is there anything I can do about it?

Does anyone know if there is a manufacturer in Australia who would make a custom - designed bag in numbers less than the thousands I have been quoted? Would be preferable to have them made here rather than O.S.

Thanks Di

[fiona@vas]

At fear of death , I'll bravely ask the question....

"bag" could mean anything....are you talking about something at the top end of the market ....leather? ....cloth? ...lots of custom finishing...?

or something at the lower end of the market ...woven man-made fibres, mass produced..?

manufacturers that deal with one end of this market are not likely to dabble in the other, so just a little more information without giving away your trade secrets will be helpful.

[TaniB]

Hello Di and welcome to a fellow Sunshine Coaster!

You are right to be cautious about revealing too much too soon. I am a bit rusty on all of this but my recollection is that the law doesn't offer protection for an idea. Copyright will protect the original expression of an idea (maybe your working drawings of the bag) and if it's an original design or patentable development, you need to get your design or patent applications in before you release the bag to the general public. Spend some time on the IP Australia website http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au and you'll learn a lot about protecting your intellectual property in the best way possible.

I think it may have been Robert Kiyosaki in Rich Dad Poor Dad who regrets not having taken the proper steps to protect his velcro wallet invention only to have it ripped off by other manufacturers and there was little he could do about it.

I hope everything comes together for you and look forward to following your progress.

TaniB

[Diana]

Originally Posted by fiona@vas

At fear of death , I'll bravely ask the question....

"bag" could mean anything....are you talking about something at the top end of the market ....leather? ....cloth? ...lots of custom finishing...?

or something at the lower end of the market ...woven man-made fibres, mass produced..?

manufacturers that deal with one end of this market are not likely to dabble in the other, so just a little more information without giving away your trade secrets will be helpful.

Hi and thanks for taking the plunge to ask.

The bag is not a hand bag nor luggage, sort of a tote but not, if you know what I mean.... Having said that, I have been advised not to charge over $50but I am nowhere near working out costs. So not top of the range but not a cheapie either.

I have been researching and trying to source a material called polyurethane laminate or PUL which is an environmentally friendly produced material. Also Green Lam TM along similar lines.

Hope this helps. Diana.

[Diana]

Originally Posted by TaniB

Hello Di and welcome to a fellow Sunshine Coaster!

You are right to be cautious about revealing too much too soon. I am a bit rusty on all of this but my recollection is that the law doesn't offer protection for an idea. Copyright will protect the original expression of an idea (maybe your working drawings of the bag) and if it's an original design or patentable development, you need to get your design or patent applications in before you release the bag to the general public. Spend some time on the IP Australia website http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au and you'll learn a lot about protecting your intellectual property in the best way possible.

I think it may have been Robert Kiyosaki in Rich Dad Poor Dad who regrets not having taken the proper steps to protect his velcro wallet invention only to have it ripped off by other manufacturers and there was little he could do about it.

I hope everything comes together for you and look forward to following your progress.

TaniB

Thanks Tani

I have noted the website. I have been told that a product only needs to be altered 5% to be reproduced which sounds a bit easy.

Diana

[LB2]

Hi Diana,
welcome to the forum.

If you need to disclose your idea in the early days, make sure you use a confidentiality agreement - at least until you've sought intellectual property protection. (You can get access to a confidentiality agreement tool generator on http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/smartstart/cag.htm)

Please refer to the following websites (in addition to www.ipaustralia.gov.au as TaniB suggested), for more information and tools on this topic and much much more:

• www.ipaustralia.gov.au/smartstart/index.htm

  [-]www.ipaustralia.gov.au/smartstart/idea.htm

  [-]www.ipaustralia.gov.au/smartstart/ready.htm

• http://www.business.gov.au/Business+...ng+a+business/

Hope it helps and wishing you the best on your new ventures:-)

regards,
Leonie

[Deep Orange Design]

Hi Di.
I realise this post is a year old but I was wondering how you went with your bag idea. I am a product designer on the Sunshine Coast and may be able to help.

Are you still working on this idea?

[JenG]

There's a sail-maker here at Mooloolaba who makes all kinds of things in various plastics, canvas and other materials, who might be able to help you out. Be nice to make it a wholely made Sunshine Coast product!
Jen