Does BuildMyProduct.com require royalties or partnership agreements?

BuildMyProduct.com in order to maintain an unbiased and honest point of view. does not require or accept any royalties or partnership agreements. We purposely avoid any financial ties to any one product or idea because every inventor should receive the very best treatment and expect that no previous current or future work will have any influence on their relationship with BuildMyProduct.com

Does BuildMyProduct.com provide financing for inventor ideas or inventions?

We at BuildMyProduct.com will make every effort to work with inventors to meet budgetary constraints and timelines. We do not however offer any type of financing. If you are looking for funding we recommend the following links to find entrepreneurs looking for new ideas to invest in.

http://www.linkedin.com/ http://biznik.com/

Why is BuildMyProduct.com different from other invention companies?

BuildMyProduct.com is a subsidiary of IAS Corp., a leading Research, Development, and Prototype Company that has been developing products since 1992.  Most "invention" companies specialize in marketing your idea or creating virtual 3D models of your product.  BuildMyProduct.com takes your idea through a proven method of development steps that will yield a final, working product for you.

Do you provide drawings and virtual animations that I can use to help sell my idea?

Of course. We provide CAD (computer aided design/drawings) professional drawings from your sketches and ideas. Even drawings based on verbal phone discussions. Our team of professional animators can take your product concept and artistically render a moving solid model with features like doors and covers opening as well as interactions with animated people. We can create solid virtual models that can be animated into a video file that you can use to help explain your product to future investors.

 Please see the pricing guide at the end of this FAQ.

Why BuildMyProduct.com and not some other product development firm?

Our staff includes engineers, experts and technicians from just about every field of study. Our turnkey facility provides ground floor product research in very specific fields as determined by the nature of your product. In making this important and intensive capital investment in equipment and expertise, IAS Corp/BuildMyProduct.com keeps your intellectual property under one roof. Rarely during development will we ever need to disclosure your information to a third-party. 

What products have you developed in the past?

Everything from electronic messaging devices, products that generate sounds and voices, learning aids, mechanical gadgets for home, office and industry. Sports products, medical products, marine and sports fishing products, games toys; the list goes on and on.  It's true that we have been involved with many products you see on the shelves in stores throughout America. In many cases, we can't disclose involvement in this forum due to manufacturing agreements.

I get the idea that your firm can "do it all"?

Yes. We pride ourselves in having made the intensive investment that allows enclosure and structural, mechanical electrical/electronic software development as well as final outer packaging, and graphics designs all under one roof.

Can your firm develop and brand label larger machines and equipment?

Yes, We have products used in nuclear power plants, automobile manufacturing, power tools, the medical industry as well as shipbuilding and large boiler manufacturing products

Do you work with larger firms in developing products?

Yes, in fact, we produce machines for the mail piece envelope industry and even cell phone test fixtures for Motorola.  High speed packaging, marking and labeling equipment we have developed are used around the world. Visit our customer list and you will see many top 500 corporations that we have developed product/equipment for. We certainly invite new product design teams from large companies to visit and work with our design staff to get a different perspective on their product incept.

I have a product idea.  What is it going to cost?

Each idea is unique and can require a wide range of R&D time as well as various materials.  BuildMyProduct.com has a full compliment of Engineers in a range of fields enabling us to successfully handle a majority of new product ideas that come though our doors.  Some other companies will tell you product development will cost only a few thousand dollars.  The reality is, each situation is unique and must be evaluated to determine time and cost.

Does BuildMyProduct.com provide FCC, UL, CE, CSA or any other safety or compliance certification?

If required. Our company owns much of the same testing equipment that would be used to certify compliance so we can mostly avoid a product being tested and changed over and over again (we pre-certify before third party certification). Many of the products we have developed under contract have been certified to meet one or more of the above labels.

How do I know you are actually spending time on my project?

BuildMyProduct.com will keep in constant contact with you to keep you up to date on progress and ask questions that may come up during the process.  Periodically, you will be invited to work with our engineering and design teams during the development process. This keeps you directly in the loop regarding the look and feel of your product.  Typical product development time-line will include bi-weekly or monthly written reports emailed or faxed to our client outlining the previous two weeks of research and development.

What if I just want a prototype made?

BuildMyProduct.com can take your design drawings and transform it into a prototype in a matter of days using our Z-Print system.  We also have a fully stocked three dimensional CNC (computer numerical control) machine shop using the latest in CAD/CAM software to handle a variety of metals and plastics. If you have engineering prints that can be readily used (without modification or changes), then we will submit a proposal after review (in most cases, we do not charge to provide a quote). Keep in mind some time may be required to review the drawings you provide prior to creating a prototype. If changes or improvements are needed, we will charge time and materials or proposal for said changes prior to making your prototype

Will BuildMyProduct.com want a percentage or any ownership of my product?

BuildMyProduct.com charges fees based on time and materials.  When we complete each phase of the project development, you decide if you wish to continue with our company or take your idea to another.  We do not retain any rights to your product or those materials (drawings, prototypes, etc.) that we deliver to you. 

What does it take to get started?

BuildMyProduct.com will request that you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with us.  This protects your idea and our research & development methods.  We encourage you to have all contracts from any company you may work with to be reviewed by a lawyer prior to signing.  Once the NDA is complete, we ask that you submit to us all information pertaining to your idea.  It will be placed in front of an Engineering Review Board (ERB) who will evaluate it, determine the next steps, and provide a quote.  We do request a fee for the ERB to compensate our Engineers for their time.  This fee may vary based on the complexity of your project.  This fee will go toward the costs of your product development if we are contracted by you to move forward.  In most cases, we do not charge this ERB fee if you already have engineering drawings and need a quote for a prototype.

Ok, you developed my product. Can you help with USA and Overseas manufacturing?

We maintain light to medium manufacturing capability at our facility and in surrounding flex-space utilized as demand increases. In some cases, we act as an assembly point for parts made overseas. In other cases, we can use our key overseas manufacturing contacts to make product, import to US and move to regional distribution points (five regional centers throughout the US) where we handle block or pallet transfers to your supply chain. 

We also provide overseas manufacturing management services as a third party engineering firm. In this capacity, we pull samples out of the inbound product stream   and insure that the product continues to meet original specification. We monitor component substitutions and provide quick resolutions to ongoing engineering challenges that are a normal part of the manufacturing process.

Actual pricing will vary depending on project specifics