New Member, implementing AMSB strategies

SO, I'm a newer member although I've been listening to the AMSB pod-casts for about 2 years. I started to seriously work on my business in August, when I lost my job. As good a reason as any right. I think that is what it took for me to stop tinkering and making excuses and do it.

This isn't really a direct question so much and an update as to my progress on my business. Most can be attributed to what I've learned listening to Matt and Brandon (over and over). I will share what I've implemented and what is next and what surprised me. Please feel free to comment and add some recommendations or suggestions.

I have build a solar charger for USB devices; cell phones, mp3 players etc. It is portable and is stitched into vinyl from recycled billboards it also contains no on-board battery like most of the others on the market. You can see some photo's on the site www.recycledsolarcharger.com

I built the first few prototypes myself, from research online and how to sites. I did have to buy a soldering iron and circuits. These would only work briefly with my iphone 4. I learned a lot from the local library especially from the book Electronics for dummies.

I realized 1/3 through that book that (also from the AMSB podcast) there might be an easier way. A blind pig will find a nut eventually it just might take a while.

Using elance I hired a certified PE to design my circuit build 3 prototypes and provide me with dummy instructions to build my own. The final circuit ended up have 13 different components to provide the right charge signature for an iphone.

I then used 99 designs to have a logo made

Then to alibaba to find chinese solar cell makers.

I made the first 10 circuits with a magnifying class and tweezers then went back to alibaba to find someone to make them for me. That was for the birds. Drop one resistor in the carpet and it is gone forever.

I quickly discovered that I could have the circuit built and shipped to me from china for less then I could build them myself. Wow!

I downloaded word press and build my site myself again with help from the library and you-tube for instructions.

Back to elance to hire a writer from Australia for content for both onsite and offsite. I know that writing is not my strong suit. Plus I loath it.

I am using Google adwords, analytics, trends, keyword tool, mail-chimp.

Here's what I've learned: building a product is the easy part. Marketing is the hardest part. I recently spent the last 10 years of my life as the Director of Marketing for a local non-profit with an expense budget $1M+ so I though marketing was my strength and would be easy. Nope. I've been selling units consistently although mostly through my own personal network, a few purchases from adwords, but this I'm counting on being bigger. Much more work to do. I plan to work on some split testing, although with wordpress and using prebuild theme's, I'll either have to learn php or go back to elance and hire someone who does.

My next plans are to continue with link building and hiring a VA to work for me for a few hours a week building back-links. I have a plan for social media and an official launch early spring as my product does trend with the seasons.

I am enjoying the ride for sure.

Please comment, suggest or ask if you'd like.

Thanks, Josh

• startup
• product
• learning
• marketing