I was approached by a customer who had developed an idea. He wanted my assistance in producing what he had conceptualized. After working with a designer and getting the design ready, the customer was prepared to have it produced.

With a target price being about $1.40, it was extremely on the low end. The customer had approached a couple of European producers for a quote, but they had all given prices more than double what he could afford. However, his product had the potential to be mass-produced, with units exceeding one hundred thousand with each order, so there was huge profit potential.

We recommended the customer sign a confidential agreement with our agent in the Far East. The agent was a specialist in this part of the world and immediately worked to find the customer someone to manufacture his product.

There was a particular plastic required to make the product. Furthermore, the product needed to be blow moulded (blowing air into the plastic) to create the desired shape. Also, flexibility was a huge requirement for the product’s functionality. But it needed to bear heavy loads with the minimum dimensions as well.

About three months later, after talking to every specialist who could manufacture this kind of item based on the customer’s specifications, we were told by the specialists that the best they could guarantee, in terms of production, was up to 70 per cent. The very thin walls of the construction, inconsistent blow moulding and pressure load would cause approximately 30 per cent of the products to be defective.

We gave this information to the customer, along with other potential solutions. He didn’t want to go another route, so he declined them all. I had no choice but to wish the customer all the best.