Here are the four steps that I followed to develop my ideas into a new product line for The Wax Den:

Made a mock-up

The first thing I anticipated was everyone wanting to know what the products were going to look like. I couldn’t just expect to sell an idea; people need to have something tangible to interact with. In the beauty industry especially, people often have an emotional response to your product. The mock-up plays to the five senses. So, I knew people would want to see it, smell it, and touch it to give me an idea of how they really felt about it. This is also the stage where The Wax Den branding, colors, and design – the characteristics that form the products’ identity – were taken into consideration.

Asked for feedback

I spent time talking about my product line with friends, family, business and industry contacts. This network helped to identify deficiencies, challenges and sparked new ideas that I personally hadn’t thought of during the process. This process allowed me to find out about their needs and what they often looked for in a solution or product. I especially paid close attention to what made people excited about a certain product. At times, I was  fearful of telling too many people about my great idea, but one of my best resources turned out to be using others as a sounding board and then moving with expediency. Good ideas can’t wait.

Ran a cost analysis

As a business owner, I always do my research. The costs involved in the production and distribution of my product were key. Along the way there are always hidden costs that can quickly add up. 

Tapped in to my market

This part was pretty easy.  I know my clients’ needs very well as I see them on a monthly basis for their waxing services.  Next, I decided to retail the products in my studio and on the website.