My answer to As someone who has no previous CAD or engineering skills, what are good business ideas that I can quic…
Answer by Scott Tarcy:
I feel qualified to answer this as I run a business (http://CADdesignhelp.com
) where we do CAD drawings and manufacture using 3D printing. Ok so you don’t have the skills to design a model…that makes it more complicated but there are still options.
Some other people here suggested that you download models and print those to sell. I don’t particularly agree with that strategy because with that you can only compete on price as anyone else with a 3D printer can do that. A better option is to come up with a solution to a problem that can get solved with 3D printing. Then make that. And in terms of getting the model for the print, that is easy. Hire someone (like my company) to make the model for you and then you have what you need.
Take this example (my invention). I got this Yeti cup as a gift and when I was out walking around with it on my backpack, water splashed out of the hole on every step.
I designed a 3D model of a plug (show below) that presses into the hole to stop that splashing. It took a few revisions of the model before it fit perfectly. Later on, I had the idea to add the cord so that the plug could not be lost.
Now I am selling these on Ebay and it’s going well. While it is not impossible for someone to copy this, it takes a lot more work than downloading a model from the internet. And that alone will stop 99% of people from bothering.
