new product development
After I took my husband’s last name, Engel, I began to hear “Laura Engel, like Little House on the Prairie?” – over and over and over again. After decades of hearing the reference to “Little House”, I was surprised the comment could be replaced by anything else. But it has.
Now, when I meet someone for the first time and they start to grasp what I have done, it doesn’t take long for them to say, “Wow, you should be on Shark Tank!” They say that is because I have developed over 35 patented, copyrighted or trademarked items. And several of them have been very successful.
Following are just a few of the products that I have developed.
No matter what stage of the product development process, I can help you bring your ideas to life.
BraBaby®
- Protects bras in the washing machine and dryer and eliminates hand washing.
- Over 3 Million units sold. Featured on NBC Today, Wall Street Journal, Rachel Ray, Fashionably Late with Stacey London, Allure, CBS Evening News and more.
- Sold through national retailers like Bed Bath & BEYOND, Walmart, Walgreens, Ross and Maidenform Outlet.
- Special markets include lingerie stores, mail order catalogs and online retailers.
Bible Search®
- Test your Bible knowledge with 1200 trivia questions.
- Over 500,000 units sold. Manufactured exclusively for Avon Products Inc.
The shUVee®
- Cleans shoes and boots with ultraviolet light.
- Over 20,000 units sold in mail order catalogs, such as Sharper Image, Herrington’s, Whatever Works and online retailers like Walgreens.com, BedBath.com and Amazon.com.
- In addition to retail, 300+ licensed podiatrists dispense The shUVee® to their patients suffering from athlete’s foot, nail fungus and hyperhidrosis.
PeacekeeperTM
The Stealth SSA®
- Original personal sound amplifier disguised as a cell phone ear piece.
- Over 900,000 units sold through direct response print advertising campaigns including SkyMall, Parade Magazine and Sunday FSI (Free Standing Inserts) in all major newspaper markets.
- During peak product sales, the item rose to #1 in the Personal Care category on Amazon.com.
- The Stealth SSA® inspired several “As Seen On TV” products including Silver Sonic XL and Get Loud-N-Clear. The item is still on the market 9 years later including Walgreens.
Testimonial
Laura’s advice was amazing! I already developed my product, but didn’t know what to do next. She immediately began helping me on day one. She guided me through the process of naming my product, hiring models, photographers and even graphic designers. Within two months of our first meeting, I had a functioning website, a patent application in process, was funded on Kickstarter and featured on Good Morning America’s Shark Tank! After a year, I still consult with her weekly on everything from trade shows, packaging, manufacturing and more. She is my secret weapon.”
– PJ McGuire, Entrepreneur and Creator of the Wrapperoo
Product Innovation
I inherited three things from my mother; my complexion, my sense of humor and my ability to have a vision and see it through. Although I appreciate the first two, it is the last that has served me the most in my career.
I grew up the youngest of six kids in rural Indiana on a poultry farm. We didn’t have money for basics, let alone luxuries in life, so my mother taught herself how to reupholster furniture. On a daily basis, we took our garbage to a landfill on the other side of town. We examined the trash and looked for discarded furniture and would bring pieces home for repair.
Entire couches were stripped down to the wooden frame and springs. We would shop for materials at various manufacturing plants that were located in Southern Indiana. I remember going into the back rooms where they had their remnant fabric and running my hands over all of the textures and colors. My mom could take fabric that was designed for men’s pants and envision it on her new sofa and knew how much to buy based on width and grain.
We would come home and start working and within a week or so produce a lovely new piece of furniture for our home. By the time I was ten years old, every chair, table, dresser and couch was refinished by my mother with me at her side.
New product development is exactly like refinishing furniture. First there is a need, then a vision. Functionality must match design. Materials must be sourced from different suppliers and then assembled. For the finished product to be successful, it must solve the problem at the lowest possible cost. My mom did it on a small scale. My innovations have impacted millions of people around the globe.
If you think you have the next big thing and want to see it become a reality, I can help.
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