Assemble A Product

There are scores of new opportunities in the growing market in packaging products for convenience . At one time when a person wished to put up two shelves, it was necessary to purchase a board, a box of two dozen screws of one size and another of two dozen screws of a second size (though you may only have need for half a dozen of each for the two shelves) and a package of a dozen shelf supports. Now any building supply store will be happy to sell you a two shelf kit, in one package containing exactly what you need, no more, no less.

People are quite willing and even happy to pay a premium for the convenience of finding all the parts packaged in one kit. Assembling these kits involves a little ingenuity and using your purchasing skills to buy parts or components in bulk and assembling them to produce the finished convenience kit/items. It can also entail providing an assembly service for parts purchased by others.

Some Examples

1. Kits are appearing on the scene in all fields; there are first aid kits, wilderness survival kits, wheel replacement kits for in-line skates, log home kits etc.

2. A mechanic offers an assembly service for customers who purchase car kits while many computer hackers offer services adding components and configuring computer systems for users.

3. A company formed by a recreation student brings in playground equipment kits consisting of pipes in various shapes, and assembles large custom playground structures.

How To Do It

1. Look for products which are made of several parts and meet one or more of these conditions:
   • the assembly process is cumbersome and expensive for individuals, and there could be an interest in a central assembly service;
   • the product is assembled from parts made in different locations and you are centrally located to become a convenient assembly point;
   • the product needs to be assembled into its finished form before being shipped from your area to other locations;
   • it is too expensive to ship the assembled product into your area as a completed unit, but the unassembled parts can be shipped less expensively and then be put together by you; (customs duties for imported components are considerably lower than those for finished products);
   • the product is sold unassembled to consumers, but the average person is not
   • willing or able to assemble it; or
   • the assembled product is a bulky item which is difficult to transport, but the separate parts are easy to ship.
   
   
2. Analyse various products and assembly operations to find situations where you can save yourself or someone else time, effort or money by setting up your own assembly operation.
    
3. Identify and talk to potential customers for the assembled product to determine whether there is a need for the item.

Key Questions

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