Cost/ROI
Very simple as to why it is not being done commercially in the USA.
I would beg to differ....
That would be the typical approach of your standard business mentality...the reality is that this would have to be done by someone willing to accept that it is an investment that would not receive instant gratification. The majority of boneheads in business need "instant gratification" because they don't have the money to begin with....so they aim to the masses and avoid the niches. Simply put....not the way Springtail was constructed.
It is my belief that whomever manages to produce and distribute this type of product will in the end have both the satisfaction of supplying a real need and also a fair profit to boot.
IMHO: There are multiple factors why this product does not flourish.
a) promises made but never fulfilled...what good is it to be #45 in line for something that will likely never be constructed.
b) Poor quality....not that this would stop many people here, many are willing to buy a piece of junk and would rework it the best they could.
c) Website tease....why have a website that has no product to sell??
There are simple tricks to getting a project like this off the skids.
1)
No need for large volume orders
Initially, do it as locally as possible and find someone who can do it well. Make sure that you give them the lions share of the profit with the agreement that as orders increase...the price goes down.
If it is super successful....have a quality manufacturer do it overseas for volume discounts.
2)
Don't reinvent the wheel...why would you even think of making bows when someone already makes a quality set.
3)
Accept the fact that building a quality product is not going to be cheap and neither will the selling price. If it is a good product and your pricing reflects the effort put into it...customers will pay for it.
4)
Not everyone will get what they want....probably one style (at first) and a couple of colors. Custom work jacks up the price and slows production. Seriously, I'd be happy just to find a friggen top.
No doubt it is a big project that others have not faired so well, but their efforts should serve as lessons for those who may follow the "cursed" path of FST
I am not saying that I can actually pull it off....just saying that I am willing to use my connections to try. Now if I can only find a damn top to cut up
Doc
