For sure. Like, seriously, this is the BEST chunk of advice in this thread. starting a decent business is alot more work than just coming up with a name, an idea, and some graphics and expecting it to happen. I can recommend a book, I just looked it up for you: Entrepreneurship: Successfully
Launching New Ventures. Its an awesome, interesting, and easy to read text book. there are plenty of books out there, but this one that Ive learned from first hand, and its KILLER.
Also, you'd best have some of your own money. The sad reality of starting a business is that if you want anyone else to invest in your company, you have to be willing to invest a respectable chunk of your own earnings.
Sooo, step one, is get educated. I know i know, schools wack and all that shit, but dont expect to make it if your not willing to put some time and sweat in to learn the basics.
fourthly, whoever suggested the snacking poles has a GOOD idea. that shits clever, and patentable. You guys should get involved together, and make this happen. that idea is most likely patentable, and since you just disclosed it on the web, you have precisely one year to file a provisional patent application for it, which i really think one of you should do. The first step in this arena is to get onto Google Patents, and search for a long ass time, looking for anything thats similar. Search like your trying to find it, not like your trying to NOT find it. look for things that describe a ski pole with a removable grip, a secondary SNAP closure on the grip portion, a sterile interior volume for food storage, etc. your likely going to find a number of patents on similar stuff, Coldpoles, Leki, and armada all have similar stuff, but im not sure that the patents describe anything for FOOD storage, its typically liquid. Also, everything that ive seen screws on, not snaps. DL and save anything that looks remotely similar.
Once you do that, Come talk to me. I work at an Invention/Design Firm. We provide very, very very reasonable rates on patent work, Industrial (product) design, licensing services, graphic design, and could potentially hook you up with manufactures, however most of the stuff we do is with China, and I agree, you should try and keep this American made. We make some bitchin aluminum, and when it comes down to it, durability is what matters most in a pole, so dont dont cheap out.
I think theres potential here, and Id love to help you guys out, (Id love to get more ski projects in our doors, as the last ski project we did for a client was LAME, and is gonna fail). but I would need to see that your serious. Put some serious effort and time in, get the fella who suggested the snack pole on board (as he really should be at least acknowledged, even if hes not really involved later on as that was his idea, and he should rightfully be compensated if you want any legitimacy), and then hit me up.
If you have any other serious Q's, I'd be more than happy to answer them, but I'm not going to bring this up in the office until I see that your serious. best of luck man!
