Manufacturing a new weapon

[Spartyboy]

We are making a sling-arrow. It is essentially a slingshot that shoots arrows instead of rocks and what not. This weapon also has one main purpose; to help with eradication of the invasive Burmese Python from the Floridian Everglades. We are wondering if it is a good idea to start in the current state of the US economy. We have the design and the funds to start it up, but we are not sure if we would be able top keep it going. Please reply.

[Freelancier]

1. Your liability is not going to be based on what it's "supposed to be used for", but what it can be used for. Only gun manufacturers seem to get away with having a product where it's considered "working" if it kills someone. You won't get the benefit of the doubt here if your product is used to accidentally kill or maim someone unless you get a good lobbying organization together.

2. It seems like the market is pretty small, since there's only a limited number of python hunters working the swamps. That means your potential profits will be pretty small after manufacturing and start-up costs. Unless you can sell enough to get a good manufacturing scale going, you're putting a lot of capital at risk for a thin profit margin in a small market. That doesn't seem like a smart business plan.

[Spartyboy]

i appreciate the help

[Spartyboy]

thank you for your help

[Paul]

I agree with Freelancier that your narrow target market probably would'nt support much business. However, the hunting market in general is huge. If the product can be used for other forms of hunting it could be successful. 'm not sure where it would fit in between firearms and compound bows but maybe there is a niche.

[Harold Mansfield]

I started my business at the end of 2008, right smack in the middle of the Great Recession. If you recall, the entire U.S. and most of the world economy had collapsed. No one was buying. Credit was non existent. Unemployment was high. And Financial Institutions were still closing left and right. Foreclosures were skyrocketing. It was bad.

So if you think this is a bad economy, and that is causing you to question whether or not you can make a go of it, maybe the economy is not the problem that's really holding you back, because the corporate world is reporting record profits.

There are no guarantees and things will never be perfect.

[Paul]

Harold is right that the economy shouldn't be the issue in this kind of business. The alternative is to wait around until the economy changes...don't hold your breath on that.

the question here is does the product have a market.

[Harold Mansfield]

In every economy, even the Clinton economy of the 90's, people complained about the economy. Those who weren't constantly blaming the economy, were busy becoming millionaires.

And that pretty much sums it up.

[Brian Altenhofel]

I could see a possibility of cross-marketing it as a hunting tool, but many states would require changes to the hunting regulations to allow it, as most states' hunting regulations that can be pretty much summed up as "if it doesn't say you can, then you can't" when it comes to protected and/or managed game. (Non-protected/managed game, such as many varmints, typically have no restrictions.)

To do that, you'd also have to be able to demonstrate that the device is capable of an ethical kill in the average user's hands for the type and size of game.

As for where this would fall on the spectrum, it'd be between a slingshot and recurve bow in most states. Some states treat slingshots as toys.

[KristineS]

Do your market research carefully. I was once involved with a hunting product that I was told was going to be a no-brainer for the hunting community and everyone would want to have one. As it turned out, product interest and potential purchases were very much overestimated. Make sure you test the product with the group who will be the end users and that you have a realistic estimate of your potential market. Doing the research on the front end can save you a ton of problems later.