H
ave you ever thought, "Oh if someone would just
make it this way, then it would be great?" or, "This is a
great idea; maybe others would like it too?" Four and
a half years ago, my husband, Chad, said, "Oh, I wish
someone would make a better pitching rubber." After
hearing this same statement for more than a decade, I finally
said, "Well, let's make it!" In the summer of 2011, our entrepre-
neurial inventors' journey began. What a journey it has been.
During the past few years, we have often been asked, "How
did you do it?" Others have inquired, "I have a great idea, how
do I get started?" We want to share with our journey with you,
and some tips that we have learned along the way to turning
our idea into reality.
There are five major areas to focus on when developing
your idea: protecting your idea; marketing and researching;
financing; manufacturing; and establishing mentors.
14 SportsTurf | December 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com
TURNING YOUR PRODUCT IDEA
INTO REALITY
FACILITY & OPERATIONS
■ BY CATHY AND CHAD KROPFF
Cathy and Chad Kropff.