Rolf wrote:
Ah - hahh, perhaps a bit time consuming. But consulting on setup and use.
Might be a bit of a minefield and take more time than it is worth away from
developing the product. But if money is scarce..
I think that’s the basic problem with all of the things that have Bar working
with people one-on-one (or even, to some extent in a class, although the money
may be enough better there, and the class leads to a lot more new users than
one-on-one)
Dvaid Lang
Absolutely. And there are some “political” issues there to consider as well.
One-on-one should be priced accordingly IMHO.
Depends on how much income is trickling in through other sales I would guess in the total cost/benefit analysis. As the most valuable resource we have is our time - so how to spend it is a critical decision. Sales of physical inventory, digital content etc. scales and can be automated. Sale of a persons time does not scale 
Who would make money by using a Maslow? What can people make with it for money? How do you advertise or get them to see maslow? What do you offer them? What kinds of scaling make sense? Only one Bar. Employees are expensive. Warehouse is expensive. Is there a way to grow with a franchise or affiliate model of trainers or salespeople? Make money by selling service? Training? Or products? Accessories? Patterns? Already selling kits and parts.
Is Maslow good enough for CNC building construction? Could you partner with wikihouse, or construx or blokbuild or a adu construction company? Many have big CNC at their main site. Does Maslow fill a gap for CNC at a job site?
Marketing and paying for advertising are definitely necessary. Algorithms are very good at bringing together the right people for each product. When running an advertising campaign, it’s more efficient to have a community or database of consumers. With this, the algorithm gathers consumer search criteria and targets those with the same tastes and habits online. Maslow already has a customer database that Google can use to target that type of audience on the search engine. I understand that one person does everything here, but delegating this matter will be crucial to success.
I think that these are all excellent suggestions. Than you everyone!
My biggest takeaways are
We should probably do some marketing. It’s not one of my strengths, but I will look into it
We should work on making things easier and less frustrating to use. That’s obviously always a priority, but I think that having an easier to setup/use machine is a pretty key part of attracting more folks to want to buy one.
Explore other options for things that we could sell or ways to reduce costs. That one is a little bit tricky because there is a lot there and most of the things in that category probably involve some initial investments to get started, but very much worth looking into.
Hey @bar, my walk-in basement area, and workshop (you visited before OpenSauce 2024) are available if you’re not happy with cost of office space and bridge commute you do currently.
Thank you! That is incredibly generous!
I’ve mostly been working out of my garage (although we do have a small office space for when I need to do sit down clean computer work without distractions). I will 100% keep that in mind.
[quote=“bar, post:28, topic:25031”]
work without distractions
[/quote]
Totally understand that one, basement has 3 bedrooms, heavily noise insulated. You’re welcome to stop by and see, and/or just meet up and chat. Other local Maslow owners welcome too.
Another idea I had for marketing.
Research the top woodworking websites and YouTube channels/blogs and see if they are willing to interview you and your product.
I think you have a unique product with a good story behind it and your mission of providing an affordable cnc machine.
This could result in some free awareness/advertising by getting the Maslow name and hopefully the link to the site out there across many venues.
Tim Seidlitz wrote:
Research the top woodworking websites and YouTube channels/blogs and see if they are willing to interview you and your product.
I think you have a unique product with a good story behind it and your mission of providing an affordable cnc machine.
This could result in some free awareness/advertising by getting the Maslow name and hopefully the link to the site out there across many venues.
My only concern would be that we aren’t quite there in initial setup yet. We
need to simplify things a bit more (which we are working on) and we need to test
the accuracy claims (what is on the website is really a precision claim, and
accuracy is still far below that)
As an idea, how about offering assembled maslow units? how much would assembly
cost and how much more would shipping be? (I would not include the router, but
have a placeholder in it’s place to hold the machine together). The websites,
magazines, and youtube creators will mostly a fully assembled unit to review,
and just comment that you can get it as a kit to save money.
support for other spindles. there is the makita sleeve approach, who has done
this? there is the router-b-gone approach (and my CAD models for other spindles)
on the two machines that I’m putting togeher with the router-b-gone approach,
I’m hanging the router power supply on the outside of one of the towers, the
speed controller on the other side, and powering the maslow board itself from
the same power supply (one cord to the router)
this would address the international dewalt availability problem
router-b-gone mounts the board on the top clamp ears, but those parts are
fragile (as me how I know), it would be better to have longer wires and mount
the board to the top of one of the towers.
David Lang
Make and sell project kits. 2-3 materials, and a downloadable gcode file, with good instructions and troubleshooting. Reference Animatronic Kits and Parts by Bottango. You’d have a markup, but if the instructions were clear, and you were honest about what you’re selling (not just materials but a project) people who can afford to, would be glad to buy. Bottango has the “introduction to animatronics” angle, you have the introduction to CNC/Routers/Woodworking angles. Speaking of Bottango… I wonder if they’d consider doing a partnership… it would be an awesome kit; fabricate your own animatronic [thingy], build, and program the animations.
I bet shop classes (high school or college) would be interested in doing a Maslow (or a few Maslows) plus a kit for every one in the class. Cha-ching.
Even just a simple birdhouse, with some customized elements (pick a pattern, pick some text, add an SVG) would make for a fun project. I realize shipping would be expensive, but as a person who has a Ford Fiesta (tiny) I already have to pay for shipping when I need a new material (maybe it’s renting a truck, maybe it’s paying a big box store to deliver).
I second some of the ideas mentioned here: Sell them fully assembled for a significantly higher cost, give them to people who will get you more exposure and do some advertising/get reviews directed at woodworkers and finish carpenters in something like Wood magazine. I think the woodworking community will pay good money for a tool with this much potential even just to make router templates. When you are comfortable that you can fulfill more orders, then give some to school wood shops, maker spaces, woodworker’s guild shops and YouTubers like Four Eyes Woodworking, 3x3 Custom, Stumpy Nubs, Izzy Swan, The Wood Whisperer, Lincoln Street Woodworks, etc. Once people have used one that works, they will want to buy one.
But great job so far!
Andy
Bar..
Instead of trying to sell the machine, sell the idea of finished products… sort of an IKEA diy. Market interesting and useful projects on various sites… complete with files, material lists and a Maslow4 included??
Furniture, van conversion, tiny house, boat… whatever. It could expand your visibility??
Figure a portable frame setup for quick onsite work?? Market to industrial companies, cabinetry, etc…
Maybe try other places?? Australia and New Zealand are big on CNC projects. It seems lots of young people know how to work with CAD/CAM. A lot of campervan conversions done on street corners in front of hostels with jigsaws. A diy kit might go over well.
Try to get in touch with a few people I’ve dealt with:
info@wetaworkshop.co.nz… Peter Jackson from LOTR fame’s grassroots operation…
enquiries@fieldcraft.co.nz
Tim @ Cutting Innovations • tim@cutting.co.nz
Sell fully assembled kits with router… they could even be precalibrated possibly if frame is built to recommended specs
Bar,
You should have my contact information: I would be willing to assist. I would recommend getting with places like Woodcraft “Woodcraft Supply | Woodworking Hand Tools, Power Tools, Wood, Projects”, maker clubs like “GIZMO-CDA - Home”, and colleges that have community classes like “Recreation Classes - North Idaho College Workforce Training Center”, and do a quick class or demo. I have some contacts in these realms and would be happy to help; we are not too far from your headquarters.
Before launching community classes or demos, I recommend establishing a strong partnership with a user-friendly CAD software provider—such as Millmage, SolidCAM, or similar platforms. These tools can significantly streamline the design process and make it more accessible for new users. I have a few contacts in this space and would be happy to help initiate those conversations.
Once you’ve run a couple of successful sessions, you could develop a standardized model class and offer incentives to experienced Maslow users to lead workshops or demos in their local communities. During these sessions, attendees could be given the opportunity to purchase a bundled package. Many venues would also allow you to charge a fee for the class and offer a classroom kit that includes all necessary materials.
One additional consideration: the frame-building process may deter some potential users. I recently came across a promising alternative—the BORA Centipede 30in Folding Work Table Set (CK15S) BORA Centipede 30in Folding Work Table Set - No Assembly 15-Strut Collapsible Table 6000lb Weight Limit - 4x8ft Mobile Work Station with Storage Bag, Foldable Work Bench Table - CK15S, Orange: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement. It’s a no-assembly, collapsible 4x8ft mobile workstation with a 6000lb weight limit and comes with a storage bag. While I’ve built my own frame, I’ve struggled with calibration and plan to test this solution for improved stability and ease of setup.
You are going to have a limited market if only targeting the “build and troubleshoot a robot” market. Somehow you need to get closer to a turn key product. I agree with selling a fully assembled kit (basic kit) along with a router, step by step instructions and a pattern for a standard simple frame. Add a few files for a few initial projects such as a bird house, bird feeder or something else simple that could be done with that size frame all ready to go with the goal of being able to make something in a short time. Sell it with a stable version of the firmware so it’s predictable if someone new needs help since with differences in the frequent firmware updates, assembling, variations in a frame, etc that makes it so much more difficult to easily troubleshoot and longer before making something. As it is there are too many variables to get it up and running quickly and have success before tweaking it if desired to make it better for a specific situation such as different frame, frame size, stowable, portable etc. Now, after buying it we have to assemble it, figure out how to make some kind of a frame, update firmware, find a cut file that may or may not work on the Maslow or learn how to design a part and figure out what software to use, all before being able to have success in making something.
Develop a group of beta testers for the firmware to test and work out the bugs instead of releasing bleeding edge firmware updates to the public so often.
Develop a repository for files known to work with the “basic kit” and standard frame size along with other ones that work on the Maslow so people who are not able to design their own, or don’t want to, can make things similar to 3d print sites to just download, “slice” for Maslow and cut.
Everyone has strengths and if yours is creating the next generation Maslow, the firmware part of it or even software, then protect your design and license someone to make and sell a kit that is more turn key which will help it become more widely used and help sell more units becoming a more continuous money stream. There could be a plus version with a frame to assemble, included, shipped as a package. Maybe frame kits for different size frames?
I do like the idea of classes or virtual paid workshops. Also several versions of the same product, such as a basic with print your own parts where possible and maybe a top tier one (with spare parts?).
I’m going to take a different approach looking from a seller point of view for more than 30 years experience, and I think what bar needs is far more international exposure, the machines that he makes are reliable enough and cheap comparing to other brands, but I will try to focus more on national and international retail stores related to woodworking and CNC machinery, what I mean is make more international effort also, for instance in 2019 maslow was already a hit but in my country with 30 million people i was the only one at the time to have a machine like this, when people saw maslow one at work they believed it was crazy to have a machine like that because a lot of people work the traditional way, but those are the potential buyers, bart just need more exposure and that’s it.
Tag team with other CNC influencers
I follow Garrett Fromme
CEO & Founder
IDC Woodcraft
He does a YouTube cast where he invites other makers to discuss everything CNC.