From Product Idea to a Thriving Business

We're going to talk about how you can lead your project team without having authority. As a project manager, you often are not the boss of the members in your project team. So that means you don't have authority over them and cannot tell them what to do. The only thing you can do is work with them together as a team and try to motivate them as much as possible to contribute to your projects. And t...

Let’s talk about an efficient way on how to collect and evaluate new product ideas. For all business owners and product managers, who like to get some tips on how to do this in a fun but efficient way, keep reading! When you are creating a new product idea most of the time, this list is based on product ideas that you get under the shower or while driving to work or while working out or whatever a...

Let’s talk about why Evaluating Your New Product Development Process will benefit Your Projects When your new product development process is not organized efficiently, you will lose time and money along the way when developing new products. For example, you are always going back and forth in adjusting product specifications, not meeting the quality standards you require or not being able to make y...

Bringing structure and processes in your projects and your business, maybe that doesn't seem like a very sexy topic to you. But it's still very important if you want to run your projects smoothly and efficiently. So let’s talk about a few steps you can take right now in your current daily activities to make your work in your project much more easy and much more structured so you feel confident and...

One of the most important input files in new product development is the Product Specifications Overview.  You know the saying “garbage in, is garbage out”. If you don’t have your product specification clear, validated and aligned, chances are your end-product does not meet your customer requirements or isn’t technically feasible.  I have 3 tips for product managers on how to define their...

Do you ever feel stressed when you can’t find the document you’re looking for on your computer? Or do your hands get sweaty when you see various planning files but can’t tell which one of them is the latest version of the project you’re working on? In this case you might like to learn more on Organizing Your Projects and How to Become a Master. Tune into this episode and let me take you through th...

We're going to talk about three great systems to use when you are creating new products. Do you carry the hat of product manager or project manager in your new product development projects? It's a challenge to be responsible for creating and maintaining a product portfolio and managing the development and manufacturing of your new product idea.  I have three great systems for you to use when...

In this episode, we are going to dive into five practical habits for product managers in the manufacturing industry. Or if you have a product based business, and you want to hire a project manager, then this is episode is something for you. Have you ever thought about a career in project management? But then your inner critic whispered to you away? No, no, no, you'll fail? What if you don't know w...

There are a few things you can do to mitigate the unexpected  Christmas delay. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year,  your project planning still looks reliable. Your project is on schedule and you’ve nothing to worry about. You’ve  taken the Christmas period into account in your planning and there’s no  reason to worry. By November things start to change, your pr...

Feeling like your head is exploding with all kinds of small project  tasks, issues that you need to solve, team members that need to be  motivated and some firefighting to keep your project on track? Keep  scrolling and check out the 3 Important tasks every project manager  should schedule in her calendar. I hear you; it can be overwhelming and tiring to ‘run’ all day,  ha...

Often have I carried the  ‘product management hat’ and at the same time the ‘project management  hat’ during a new product development project. Was this difficult to do?  No, not really, as the responsibility of both roles was very clear and I  had a lot of experience in both roles. Was there ever a friction in  time management between both roles? Did one role sometimes ge...

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the small administrative tasks you need  to do for your business and your personal life? Declutter your business  and personal administration is the way to feeling in control again. These administrative tasks vary from paying taxes, updating  business or personal insurances, paying dentist bills and business subscriptions and keeping your business and...

It can be so exiting when a very important package arrives at your  desk containing your first prototype! When you open the box and take out  ‘your baby’, you’re thrilled, happy and proud of the result of hard work and putting all your energy in this new product. But it can also be a big disappointment ……. Your prototype looks far from your amazing product concept drawing.  The plas...

Whether you’ve been developing products for some time or start your  business from scratch, there are some actions you can take at the start  of your new product development that bring efficiency and speed in your  process. You probably experienced it yourself or heard stories from others  about new product development projects that costed a lot of money but  were put on h...

It’s quite a challenge to keep the review process of these materials smooth and efficient. When reviewing marketing materials for your new product, usually  there are a lot of opinions involved…..because who doesn’t have an  opinion on a commercial or ad? Team members from different disciplines review and give comments in  multiple review rounds. And often new comments pop-up all th...

Do you regularly think that you’re going crazy with all the things that need to be organized around your business and your personal life? You probably have a family to take care of or you have other obligations to loved ones and need to help them out. Sometimes you wish you could wave your magical wand and fly smoothly through your day, while being super-efficient at work and get all the things do...

When you start up for the day it is so tempting to quickly check your email. Before you know it, you are drawn by all the urgent topics waiting in your inbox. Your focus is away from the priorities you have set yourself and the day flies by….. Do you recognize this? To break with this bad habit, I’ve created a morning routine that works for me. Perhaps you’ll love it as well! Tune in to this episo...

Are you also looking to optimize your work processes and to work more efficient? When you are active in a technology-oriented, tangible product-based business, there are a lot of moving parts in new product development. No matter what stage you’re at in your business, the right tools can: Save you dozens of hours per week and a whole lotta stress. Automate new product development activities like p...

Are you an entrepreneur and do you have a great new product idea? Of course, you have a vivid picture of it in your head. And it does look amazing, right?  But a picture can say more than a thousand words . That’s exactly why you need to show your great idea in the form of a picture as well. Lots of people have a visual focus and grab the content better when they can see what you mean instead...

As it is quite a challenge to brief marketing communications on a project that is still in the first phase of the development process, and a lot of aspects are still unknown or unclear, some guidance might be helpful. When you are developing a new product, your focus is first on the technical, financial and commercial feasibility of the project. When all those boxes are ticked, and product develop...

Do you recognise the sad feeling of having to update your project planning every week? Moving your milestones further and further away because of unexpected time consuming activities? Activities which you might have overlooked? Then you might like this 9 step approach that enables you to include all the important deliverables of your project team and helps you to create a reliable planning for tec...

I hear you thinking: “my calendar is already fully booked, if I need to add a regular core project team meeting in my busy schedule, I’m going nuts. Why not only meet when there is an issue?”. And here is the truth…. you’ll prevent going nuts, feeling stressed or overwhelmed if you align with your core project team on a regular basis. That’s why core project team meetings are a must. By checking i...

When preparing for the selection of new product ideas, one thing you need to know is how big the investment into this new product development is going to be. Making money on a new product is one of the key parameters in the decision to start a new product development. The required investment money you need, to realise your new product idea, is needed to calculate the profit and the pay back time....

Running a product-based business comes with l ots of moving parts. It can be complex and challenging sometimes. If you want to stay in control, keep overview and be focused on your business goals, you need structure in your new product development. Structure brings overview, control, and efficiency and that’s exactly what you’ll benefit from when you’re defining, developing, manufacturing, and lau...

Have you ever experienced that product samples and communication materials are missing on crucial moments during the development of your new product? That you need to show a sample of your new product online or on a show and that you are empty handed? Or that when your product is ready to sell and people want to know more before they buy, but you have no leaflet or brochure to show them. That’s is...