A Look Inside the Product Development Process with Inventor & 5-Minute Pitch Winner, Kim Meckwood Ep #11

Is there room in the marketplace today for entrepreneurs who are interested in product development and creating their own inventions? How do you build a brand around a product that no one has ever heard about? Here to share her story and encourage leaders like you is Kimberly Meckwood.

In her conversation with Kevin, Kim opens up about her journey developing the Click & Carry, what the patient process was like, how she got the word out about her product, challenges along the way, and much more. If you’ve ever wanted a peek into the world of product development – this is the episode for you!

Catch a look inside the #ProductDevelopment process w/ #Inventor & 5-Minute Pitch Winner, Kimberly Meckwood on this episode of Maximizing #Ecommerce! #ProductSales #Entrepreneurship Click To Tweet

Outline of This Episode

[0:50] Kevin’s introduction to this episode.
[2:20] Introducing today’s guest – Kimberly Meckwood.
[6:40] Kim talks about the development of her product, the Click & Carry.
[13:45] What was the patient process like?
[16:00] How did Kim spread the word about Click & Carry?
[18:45] Appearing on QVC.
[22:15] How did Kim end up on 5-Minute Pitch?
[25:20] Kim talks about her experience so far on Amazon.
[28:00] What is the traffic like on Kim’s website?
[32:00] Kim’s secret weapon.
[34:30] Advice for budding innovators and entrepreneurs.
[38:10] Closing thoughts.

From idea to development

Where does the idea to create something completely new come from? The truth is, most inventions come from an idea to address a common problem. In Kim’s case – she came up with the idea for the Click & Carry because she was sick of taking multiple trips to the car to unload her groceries.

Too often we believe the lie that you have to be a super-genius to come up with a great idea like the Click & Carry. Kim is a smart and savvy businesswoman who took a risk and put herself out there. Sellers like you can follow in Kim’s footsteps! Learn more about Kim’s story and how the product development process played out by listening to this episode – you don’t want to miss it!

Spreading the word

Once Kim took her product from the idea stage to the development stage, the next big hurdle arose – getting the word out. While it’s fairly easy to promote a product everyone knows about like a fishing rod or a cutting board – a new product that never existed before is a tough sell! How would you go about spreading the word for a new product you invented?

As you can imagine – Kim’s road to spreading the word wasn’t easy – there was no roadmap for her to follow. Through trial and error, Kim made her way with the Click & Carry to local trade shows and farmers markets until she caught her big break with QVC. You can catch the clip of Kim getting featured on “Bethenny” in the resources section at the end of this post.

How do you spread the word about a #product that has just been invented? Where do you start? Get a peek inside the story of a successful #entrepreneur and #innovator by listening to this episode of Maximizing #Ecommerce! #ProductSales… Click To Tweet

Appearing on The 5 Minute Pitch

Kim had been avoiding anything Amazon related for a while when a friend had suggested that she enter the 5 Minute Pitch competition. The 5 Minute Pitch is a show where 32 bootstrapped companies are selected to pitch Greg Mercer, Scott Voelker, Steve Chou, and Mike Jackess, along with a weekly guest judge for the chance to win $50,000.

Not only did Kim get a chance to pitch her idea on The 5 Minute Pitch but she was also selected as the first season winner! Of course, Kim was thrilled to win the $50,000 to invest in her business, but the big win – according to Kim – is the opportunity to get coaching from the judges. Tune into this episode of Maximizing Ecommerce to learn more about Kim’s experience on The 5 Minute Pitch!

Branching out

Now that she has the likes of Greg Mercer, Scott Voelker, Steve Chou, and Mike Jackess whispering in her ear – Kim is rethinking her approach to ecommerce. She had heard that Amazon was not a good option for inventors to feature their products because of the risk of copycats – she’s since received more accurate advice. While the risk is there – Amazon is still one of the best platforms to grow your brand and grow your following. If you are ready to invest in your ideas and break out of the typical career trajectory – listen to this episode to hear Kim’s inspiring story of product development and ecommerce success!

Have you been told to stay away from #Amazon and other ecommerce platforms for fear of your product getting copied? Hear why sticking your head in the sand is a bad idea and bad business by listening to this episode - you don’t want to miss it!… Click To Tweet