Do you have an idea for a new product or brand and want to take it to market?  Do you already have the product ready to sell and want to maximize sales and profit? Want to know what to expect once your products are being sold at retail?

If the answer is "yes" to either of these questions...  congratulations! There is no more rewarding feeling than developing your own product or line of products and successfully selling them to customers. Although this can be a very rewarding endeavor, you probably already know it is not an easy one.

While you most likely have anticipated a number of issues and decisions you will face, no one can plan for them all. Below are just a few examples of areas that will need to be addressed:

• Is my product truly ready for market?
• How will customers find out about my new product?
• What will customers be willing to pay for my products?
• How important is branding and "PR"?
• What is the best way to advertise my product?
• What channels should I use to distribute my product?
• Will retailers be interested in carrying my products and what can I expect from prospective retail "partners"?
• What's it like to actually do business with retailers like Sephora, Nordstrom, and Amazon?

Having the answers to these (and so many more) questions comes with experience, and experience comes from having success and making mistakes.  The trouble is a critical mistake and poor choices can cripple, if not kill, a new business venture.

Please keep in mind that this fact is not meant to scare you, but to give you a true sense of what lies ahead.  It's important to remember that "you don't know what you don't know."