Contract Manufacturers - Update

I have now talked with three contract manufacturers. Of those three, one essentially will not be able to do it, but was good enough to put me in touch with their independent design person if I wanted to pay them to design a prototype. One is currently having their product engineer take a look at the idea and figure out how and how much it would cost to produce. The third one I am meeting in person at their design center this week.

The one mistake I did make with the first two, is not getting a Non-Disclosure Agreement in place. It is quite easy and you can either 1) find one online or 2) alot of companies have general ones in place that they will sign with you. This is particularly important for companies that produce product overseas.

The biggest thing I underestimated was tooling and die costs. One company quoted me close to $5,000 just for tools and set up which surprised me. I will see what the other companies have to say. I will keep you informed.