I have a fantastic DIY project. This project suggest making only three items to start. After you have made, and sold all three, work out a cost-expense analysis sheet. Consider the investment, and risk you would take to manufacture and sell
Infant/Toddler play cubes on the general market.
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After spending a significant amount of time online, I could not find a single tutorial, neither video or website, for how to make a Toddler Play Cube. We have a small play cube for our two boys (at a hefty price). I think that the cost for this type of toy is so high for a few reasons.
First, it is heavy and takes up storage space. All of that must be accounted for when we determine the cost of a project. Storage space should be calculated just as much as labor and manufacturing costs.
Second, toy manufacturers deal with other safety concerns, such as plastics, synthetic hair, fire resistant materials, and packaging. Play cubes, what we see in offices and schools, are loved by parents and children, but few people know how to make them without a wood shop in their garage.
$100.00 - $600.00 each
First, lets take a look at how much one of the generic play cubes cost:
The smaller play cubes, similar to the one we have at home looks like this:
My theory, is that this is a product most new parents would want for their children. My argument is as follows:
1. New Parents love spending money on their babies. I know, that might not sound much like an argument, but I think it is true. Especially if it is a first baby. Parents buy more luxury items for first babies than for second or third.
2. Play cubes are not messy. One of the biggest problems with a child's room is keeping it clean and organized. The only cleaning involved with this is wiping it down. That is something to be marketed to parents of second or third children, as they already know how messy children can be.
3. The activities on each side of the cube (I am counting five sides) can be what ever the manufacturer wants them to be Children love looking at themselves in the mirror. They love turning gears. Instead of pushing little balls, I recommend little cars. Both boys and girls like pushing cars.
Finally, lets analyze the cost of manufacturing this product. I do not assemble wood, nor do I purchase it or cut it. The project does not appear to be that intricate or time consuming to me. I see the issues being storage, and marketing it to children's stores.
The Current Market
Little Wonders makes these toys. They also have a very - very
shitty/user-unfriendly website.
Ron Jun sells similar toys, their website and marketing strategy is better than the former.
Ron Jun's Tower of Pay is a Great Toy, selling at $600 dollars.
Smile Makers has some similar toys (I think they are just re-sellers, and not manufacturers). Seattle Gymnastics Acadamey has
one of these cube toys in their waiting area. Their website is not too good. As I am not a '
nay-sayer', and think one should think of reasons why something
can be done, rather than why something
can't be done. In order to do that, one must make sure that they are balancing the risks with potential rewards.
My recommendation to any person interested in this Venture, is to start thinking about storage and marketing of this item. I know that the market is there, and parents love buying this stuff for their children. Yet, I do not know how easy it will be to sell the market. I suggest making three play cubes, and sell them. I also recommend thinking about a toy that is very unique, educational, and easily marketed to parents.
Then move on from there.
For freezing, there are three options. The dry plate freezer appears to be the most appropriate freezer, but also more expensive that other freezers. They plug in over night and are cold for the whole day. You won't have to worry about anything because it does not use power during the day, and the freezers are overbuilt with additional insulation and design to take the bumps and bruises that come with being on the road which chest freezers are not designed for. Apparently they are expensive to fix.
