Kubit2me - Game

When my husband Brad and I decided to take the risk and move forward with our plans to self produce Kubit2me, we immediately started to sock away his commission checks so that we could fund the project without having to take out a loan or secure investors.  It cost us about $100K, which included costs for product development and design, attorney & other legal fees for patent, trademark and copyright protection, marketing and promotion, website design, and product inventory.

SHOESTRING LEADS TO CREATIVITY

As you can imagine, we’re on a tight budget.  Even though we’ve only been able to afford a 10x10 booth, that isn’t exactly in a “prime” location (I guess they typically put first-timers like us in the nosebleed section!), our goal is to convey the fun, physical, and socially charged elements that are Kubit2me!  We’ll be using plenty of colorful plush, and tossing around tons of Kubit2me’s.  The great part about Kubitme is that we can accomplish our goal with lots of creativity and little money!

IT’S ALL ABOUT NETWORKING!

Mary Kay Russell, inventor of the tossing game Kubit2me, tells how her passion for her product brought lots of help her way.

What’s been truly amazing through all of this is the way family and friends rally around to help out any way they can!  As our excitement about the idea for Kubit2me grew, so did the excitement of those close to us. 

• One of my neighbors is a very high-priced Chicago attorney.  Although he was too expensive for us, he was able to connect us with more affordable trademark and patent attorneys.  He also gave us basic start-up legal advice.
• Another neighbor, a high-level executive for a leading plush manufacturer, gave us invaluable insight and advice on how to bring our invention to market, including product design, manufacturing options, market trends, product placement and retailers’ mindsets.
• Another friend, a CPA, was so excited for us that she handled all of the necessary paperwork for us to incorporate, and now helps us with our company’s tax returns. 
• Our CPA friend introduced us to one of her clients, a small start-up warehouse/fulfillment center.  We now use this company to warehouse Kubit2me and fill our orders.
• Another neighbor, who owns a payment gateway company, offered to set up our merchant accounts.  She educated us on the process and we were up and running before we knew it!  She also introduced us to a web design/host company, who designed and developed our website and online store.
• A friend who owns a print company handled all of our initial print work, including sell sheets, business cards, and signage. 
• One of our friends, an interior designer, helped us decide on colors for our logo design.
• My sister-in-law is designing our booth for Toy Fair.
• Our neighbor, also an entrepreneur (That Pickle Guy), provided us with lots of free advice on starting up a business. 
• Our sons helped us build content for our website’s free downloadable games.
• We hosted a launch party in September ’07 at a local restaurant to thank everyone who helped us get here.  Free Kubit2me’s were handed out to all 100 folks who attended!

OUR GOALS FOR TOY FAIR

By exhibiting at Toy Fair, we hope to develop contacts within the toy industry at all levels, including buyers, sales reps, comparable manufacturing companies, etc.  We’re also hoping stimulate media buzz for Kubit2me.  We plan to accomplish this by distributing press kits and product samples major newspapers in key areas of the country.  We have not hired a PR agency to help us in this endeavor, but we’ll considering it based on the feedback we receive from Toy Fair.