One idea I’m very in tune with is the need to let my new product development journey unfold with the least amount of micromanaging as possible. Why? Well, mainly because my attempts at micromanaging in the past have led to the realization that such a strategy just doesn’t work for me. I function best when I’m allowed to organically flow in my imperfect creative process (with some flexible structure applied in all the right places, of course).
So, it really doesn’t come as a surprise (to me, anyway) that I would start rethinking my whole mindset of dealing predominantly with digital products. Now, I have a very good reason for wanting to do so, and that reason has been heavily influenced by COVID-19. Check out this blast from the past excerpt from my blog post, entitled “New Product Journey: A Close Call and Warning“.
But, I say “CLOSE CALL” to say that COVID-19 was actually a wake-up call to me in so many ways. It was that inhibitor that basically prevented me from pursuing a direction that really wasn’t meant for me at that particular time in my new product journey. I’m a novice at creating products right now. I’m what you’d call a solopreneur (with some artistic assistance from her babies), basically a one-woman show with one self-published book under her belt and little-to-no experience in supply chain fundamentals.
Supply chain is a pretty intricate beast and I have a huge learning curve to go through in this area of expertise. Seems like I have a lot of huge learning curve opportunities to explore at Degrees of Maternity, but it’s all right with me. I absolutely love it. It’s my growth potential being realized, and all I have to do is just kick my creative flow into gear and get going already. But, I want to make wise decisions, practical moves, and work within the realistic variables I’ve been dealt. And, one thing I’m fully aware of is the fact that supply chain is out of whack for pretty much every industry out there with this whole pandemic in full force.
Hence, the reasoning for my focus shift to the digital product route. And this direction seems to be the appropriate route for me to pursue in light of the times we’re currently living in. At least for now, anyway. No buying raw materials, no need for manufacturing processes, no packaging, and no shipping necessary.
My mindset on May 4, 2020 (when I wrote the blog post above) was simply to stick with aspects of the new product development process that I could control. And, I personally think that’s very sound judgment in spite of the fact that there’s a lot we mere mortals can’t quite micromanage or even attempt to get a strong handle on, during this pandemic.
My goal was to attempt any new product with the capabilities within my power to control and that meant bypassing the whole supply chain (manufacturing and distribution network) I would need in order to acquire the raw materials necessary for my products.
With manufacturing stand stills and shipping delays, I just simply wanted to avoid any hindrances to my product planning. In a nutshell, the previous statement was my whole reasoning for moving toward the digital product realm. And, here’s what I communicated in that same blog post regarding digital products:
Here’s the thing with digital products: I’m looking forward to creating automated systems and setting them in place (UPFRONT) so that I can create beneficial product offerings that run on autopilot. For a novice solo entrepreneur (solopreneur), like myself, I think that’s the wisest route I can take in 2020. Who knows what the future holds? I’ll never say never to physical products (I still offer the print option for my self-published book), but I won’t put any further energy into them at this point in time.
So, it’s pretty obvious to see the direction my product philosophy took on May 4th, going into the creation of my first digital products. And now, we’re at three months later; and my mindset has shifted a bit. I know that times are still tough, but I’ve had three months to see first-hand that shipping products is still a thing. For instance, my family’s purchased a thing or two from Amazon since and haven’t had major delays in arrival time. Of course, the items we purchased weren’t any of those in short supply.
But I also know with 100% certainty that some items are still resulting in no shipping to extremely delayed shipping outcomes. On the other hand, some workers have been able to return back to work on production lines (for items in great demand or highly critical for daily functioning) with some adjustments for more socially-distanced work environments.
So, the mighty dollar tends to win in the end (even over the better judgment of how to protect and preserve human life). The whirring of big business is still on the move and manufacturing and distribution haven’t come to a complete stop. Therefore, as the production wheels keep a-turnin’, I’ve decided to re-evaluate what I can safely and responsibly do in terms of providing a physical product version of my digital products.
And the main reason I’m even contemplating providing physical products once again is because I have no desire to alienate a potential customer base that may be interested in what I have to offer.
As I’ve been watching Etsy sellers on YouTube, showcasing their packing and shipping processes (even to this day), it’s made me keenly aware of the fact that there are people out there who enjoy ordering physical products online and receiving those products at their homes. Customers are still buying and sellers are still selling. And if you’ve never watched a YouTube video of Etsy sellers (or sellers of physical products on any platform) package and ship their orders, you’re missing out.
I used to think that I was weird because I totally can watch video after video of just that very thing — entrepreneurs shipping out their goods — and it’s totally entertaining and therapeutic for me. I don’t know why, but it is. However, I found out that I’m not the only weirdo out there. In fact, I’ve heard many a YouTuber state how “the shipping orders” videos are some of their most popular and requested videos out of the bunch.
Don’t knock it till you try it.
Anyway, I’ve come to the understanding that there’s a customer base who enjoys the physical product market and I want to expand my horizons to accommodate this audience as well as the digital product market customer base.
As a matter of fact, I even thought of the following analogy:
All students will not be able to do the virtual school or online schooling option for many reasons that are too numerous to mention here. Some students will be participating in in-class (in-person) instruction at their brick-and-mortar schools. So, a lot of school systems will probably provide means to cater to both student groups (expand their options to accommodate both groups) — those whose circumstances will allow for school at home and those whose circumstances will lead them to school at a school building.
So, my mindset shift is taking me to the place of understanding that not every potential customer may have access to certain pieces of technology that would make my digital products a viable choice for him or her. Some individuals will not have access or easy access to computers and printers and printer paper and ink cartridges. And, I’m keenly aware of how expensive some home office products can truly be (not just for the entrepreneur but for the consumer who likes the digital products idea but the digital format isn’t readily-accessible or monetarily manageable in reality).
I hope you see where I’m going with this.
I know I can’t be all things to all people, as an entrepreneur; but I’d like to try to appeal to as many people out there as I possibly can — people who are looking for digital and/or physical products to assist themselves or assist their children in growing with learning opportunities. And, I thought I’d take baby steps by putting my self-published book, Playground Instruction for the Growing Adult (paperback version), out on Etsy to get my feet slightly wet with the whole shipping out physical products process. I also have some other products completed and some in-the-making that I would like to eventually add to this line-up. We’ll just have to see how it goes.
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