Lemelson-MIT Program

When we heard Woody Norris speak last week, he recommended the Lemelson-MIT Program website for anyone who wants to learn more about patents and intellectual property. I've checked it out and it's pretty good so I'm sharing it here.

MIT Review of our lean efforts

A group of students in MIT's LFM program worked with us to review our lean implementation efforts. They published a short paper. Many of the facts are incorrect, but the general idea is there. If you're interested, click here [Microsoft Word, 4 pages].

Woody Norris

Steve and I went to hear Woody Norris speak last night. He was amazing. His websites are worth a visit.

He demonstrated a technology called HyperSonic Sound. I can't really do justice to it with just words but it was one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen. He had a gadget that could, my words, shine sound. He pointed it at a wall 25 feet away and the sound from his CD player came from that wall. As he pointed it around the room, the sound came from wherever he pointed. When he pointed right at me, the sound was loud and crystal clear.

Earlier this year, he won the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT prize given to prolific inventors. He's deserving.

misc updates

It's been a wonderful week. Here are a few highlights:

• Our CPA/accounting system consultant started his work. He's going to help us choose a replacement for MYOB, our current "amateur" accounting system. We plan to put the new one in place on January 1, 2006.
• Another container of ice cream balls arrived in good condition.
• An employee quit (for the second time, don't ask). A good employee, but probably not a good fit for the company for the long term. So this is a positive development.
• Our first four pallets of Light My Fire products arrived, also in good condition. We've filled our first two orders!
• A separate container of ice cream balls was delivered to the Port of Hong Kong for one of our customers. This is beautiful because we bought and sold the product without ever physically touching it. It sounds easy but it's actually been quite an undertaking to work out all the logistics. Still, it's the first time we've done this so it's pretty exciting.
• Don't tell our other customers, but we sent some balls to Walmart (well, Walmart.com). Becoming a supplier to them was its own undertaking so shipping some product is excellent! Last week a big article in the Wall Street Journal discussed how difficult it is to become a Walmart supplier. "No Walmart buyer will ever call you out of the blue," said one entrepreneur (incorrectly, as it happens). And the article explained that it takes 6-12 months to get accepted as a supplier (also incorrect...6 weeks for us). Even then, they wait with fingers crossed for their first order. Do I sound cocky? I feel cocky.
• We installed some large new shelving in our warehouse area. That created about another 250 sqft of storage space...space we needed today as it happens!
• I have leased an additional 5500 sqft and immediately sub-leased it to a new tenant. They've got a neat little start-up and it will be exciting to watch their progress from up close.
• Our Light My Fire partners have agreed to work with us on a public relations campaign. That's a big win and it will make the whole system more successful.
• and the beat goes on...
  

Another review coming soon

Trailblazer Magazine (for horseback trail riders) took several ice cream balls on a recent outing. We'll get to see the reviews in their October issue. However, here's a quick note we received via email:

It was the #1 hit of all the products tested... We have great photos and a write-up in the October issue which I will send soon as it is off the presses in about two weeks.

What a simple, crazy ...wonderful!!! product.

Trading toys

I traded ice cream makers for some of the products of other manufacturers at the New York International Gift Fair. Here's feedback from one of them...

We received your ice cream ball and have already made chocolate chip ice cream, Milky Way ice cream and Oreo cookie ice cream! They were all delicious -- but chocolate chip was the big favorite. We rolled the ball in the front yard, back yard, living room, dining room, every bed room and even in the attic. We had a ball all the way around.

Beautiful feedback

Not just a happy customer, but one who writes well, too!

I just wanted to tell you I have just purchased my new uco candle lantern a few weeks ahead of my camping trek accross snowdonia. I have been an owner of your fantastic simple candle system for 4 years now and in this age of so many hi tech gadgets for treking and mountain climbing I cannot find anything as comforting and reliable as your simple candle lantern. In the darkness of autumn nights the warmth and comforting glow within my tent cannot be beaten by any of the battery eating high cost alternatives. The experience of getting out into the wilds is all about natural beauty and simplicity which is reflected perfectly in this product!

Keep up the good work... If you want some photos of your lamp amongst the mountains just let me know...

Thanks
Gavin

We've asked to see the pics. Should be good.

Day off

I took a day off today. Not to make too much of it, but I think this is my first day out of the office where I wasn't on a business trip. It was nice!

Industrial Revolution in the news!

Usually I get to tell you about the latest ice cream ball article. For a change, here's an article about us and our company instead of our products. It's from a small local paper called the Renton Reporter.

Program helps small businesses become exporters

By DONALD J. WARD, Staff writer September 06, 2005

Exporting is one of the keys to economic growth in the Puget Sound region. Although much of this weight rests on the broad shoulders of international corporations like The Boeing Co., Microsoft Corp. and Weyerhaeuser Co., the King County Office of Business Relations and Economic Development has implemented a program to help stimulate export capacity from small to midsize local businesses and to develop a market for their products overseas.

The Export Mentor Program is in its second year of operation. The heart of the program is its pairing of mentors, oftentimes a trade-savvy member of a large local corporation with a small- to medium-sized firm that is just getting its feet wet in the world of international markets.
So far, many of the results have been promising. Several local businesses and manufacturers have signed up for the program in hopes of expanding their business to meet foreign demand.
"We're looking forward to benefiting from it a lot," said Steven Llorente, director of sales and marketing for Redmond-based Industrial Revolution Inc. The company manufactures camping products and employs nine workers.
The company had exported products in small quantities in the past, but it was done almost by happenstance, and there was no real plan.
After signing up with the mentorship program, Industrial Revolution has forged business relationships that often would not have been possible. Llorente's business was paired with Andreas Udbye, the director of the World Trade Center in Tacoma.
"This is pretty high-powered help. A small company like ours would have trouble arranging that on our own," Llorente said.
A company that has already had success has been Orca Pacific. The SeaTac business specializes in water-treatment chemicals. The need to learn how to develop a feasible export plan arose after a bad experience shipping its product to Poland.
"Everything that could have gone wrong, did," said Aaron Kimura, company vice president. After experiencing difficulties with customs, language and setting up methods of payment, Kimura, who co-owns the business with his father, said that they needed get educated in a hurry.
During King County's first Export Mentor symposium in 2004, Kimura was teamed up with an overseas trade expert from Weyerhaeuser, Jennifer Spatz of Kent.
"From a mentor's perspective, it was very interesting," Spatz said. "I wanted to go through the exercise of helping a small company write a marketing plan."
She added that many small companies are initially unaware of the questions that must be answered when it comes to exporting: How do you ship a product? What will the packaging look like? Will the brand name conflict with the local culture?
Through the program, problems that seemed insurmountable before were instantly addressed. Sometimes a solution was as simple as learning how to read a credit application or learning how to evaluate risks and potential profit margins.
"The two-hour commitment was the best investment we have ever made," Kimura said.
Orca Pacific's initial business plan was to ship water-treatment and purification chemicals to China. That strategy was modified when it was soon realized that the company was unable to compete with China's domestic chemical producers that were already in place. With the guidance of Spatz, Kimura said that they were able to find a market for one of his company's secondary products, a specialty shampoo that's in great demand in Asian markets.
The company's exports have grown from nothing to $500,000 last year, and it's continuing to expand.
Kimura, who spoke with small-business owners taking part in the 2005 mentor program, said that even though he has had success, companies still need to do a lot of leg-work to realize the program's full benefit.
"Whatever you put into it is what you will get out," Kimura said. "They won't do the work for you, but the resources are available if you choose to go ahead."
Spatz, too, got something out of the program. She and her husband own their own business in Kent, International Credit Assistance Inc. The experience of serving as a mentor for Orca Pacific has paid dividends for her business-consulting firm.
Funding for the program has come in part from a grant by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and by the Port of Seattle and Davis Wright Tremaine.
* For information on the King County Export Mentor Program, visit www.metrokc.gov/exec/bred/ed/export/exportmentor.htm.

Miss Bardahl

The restoration of a beautiful hydroplane was recently completed in one of our two buildings. You can check out Miss Bardahl here.

Nice comments from a customer

One of our customers emailed Light My Fire about us...

I'm Happy to hear that you have formed a relationship with Industrial Revolution. They are a great company and should be a great fit with your products.

Feedback

I haven't shared many of these recently, but we continue to get interesting feedback and requests for help on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see if anything changes with the new websites.

I need a replacement spring for the candle lantern. As I was changing the candle one night the spring, sprung loose, into the woods and we could not find the next day. How can I get one? Thanks

Red Envelope

We're regularly adding new customers for the ice cream ball, but Red Envelope is a big one and they have a particularly nice picture of the product. Since there's a chance they'll fix the problem before you see it, I'll just mention that it takes 20 minutes to make ice cream, not 10.