What are Custom Boxes?

I've used Bana Boxes for years. They have a massive plant in the middle of rural Texas, right no 287 near I-35. This means their prices tend to be orders of magnitude lower than other companies + close I-35 access means shipping is cheap + fast. Ask for Marshall Boenker @ 817-919-3589 for assistance. They also do box printing, so you can print Amazon AISN numbers or UPC numbers right on boxes, to meet box pull requirements of large companies.

I have experience running an ecommerce store on many different platforms including Amazon FBA, Etsy, eBay, and Shopify. Each have different nuances for what is required for packaging and shipping. Could you share more details about your situation or I would be happy to discuss this further and how you can optimize your supply chain.

If you have your CAD design done, you can get it printed in plastic first using inexpensive printers at 3DHubs for example. Do tweaks to the design and reprint. This can't cost more than $5 or so per print. Once you're happy you can then send your design to shapeways or i.materialise to be printed in metal. These services will likely charge a fee $100 for a metal print.

1) Designing Your Invention (CAD Software): A) If you just want a shell of your invention, then learn to use Rhino3D, or some other 3D design software. B) If you want to have the entire mechanical internals of your invention be a part of your prototype, then use something like Solidworks which has a physics engine to be able to simulate actual mechanical functions. 2) Showing your invention (3D Rendering or 3D Print) A) After designing your invention in the CAD software you can now make very realistic looking 3D renderings of it (if done right it can be made to look like a photograph of a real thing). You could use these renderings in an indiegogo campaign or demo video or pitch deck. B) You could also print your design as a physical 'thing' that you could actually place into investors hands. To do this you could buy your own 3D printer, or use a company like Shapeways which will print it for you in your material of choice. Alternatively, you can collaborate with a freelancer do help you with those steps. If you'd like more specific advice tailored to your unique invention, or if you have other questions about the early startup process let me know, Lee

That's a common fear, but you are better off putting that aside and just going for it. Instead of worrying about someone taking your idea, have any manufacturer, pattern maker, etc sign an NDA, and move forward with your idea. And most importantly, work with people you can trust. Even if your idea is revolutionary (and I'm sure it's excellent), the people you talk to are most likely busy enough with their own endeavors to copy someone else's project. Not to mention they aren't going to be as passionate about it as you are. I'm happy to help if you need advice or a contract. Good luck and take action!