Venture Concept:
The opportunity imbedded in my venture concept
is focused upon a niche in the headset and portable audio market. There is an unmet need in the headset market
and it directly pertains to the tangling of most all headphone wires. There really is no solution to tangling and
hard to manage headset cables. The
people currently searching for a solution in the market are hungry to buy and
open to adapting to a new idea. This
leads my invention to be very desirable.
Furthermore, the customer audience is very wide and diverse. Essentially anyone who currently owns a
headset or is looking to use a headset in the future is a customer. This embodies a massive audience. Apple sells their phones and iPods with
headphones that tend to tangle very frequently.
This alone is a large market that can adapt my idea to improve the user
experience. Plus the nature of the need
is located upon a current platform. The
headphone market already exists and is very competitive. Beats headphones and Bose for example own a
large share of the customer base. These two monster companies competing allow
for very high returns if one is able to enter into the elite market. The fact that I have a patent on my idea
protects me from any of these companies using my innovation. I can wedge myself in and implement my vision
without worry of theft. Adding to this,
the headphone market is expanding. Older
generations are jumping on board with the technological age and accepting the
new norms. This expands the market in
both directions, as young generations are a “give in” for adaptation of new
technology. Customers are very loyal to
their headphones and the industry is not going away any time soon. Music has been around since the stone ages
and will only flourish more in the future.
So if the work is done right, the opportunity is massive because of the
nature of the industry. The window of
opportunity is only affected because of the growing Bluetooth market. This
market is negative because of the harmful radio waves associated with the
function of Bluetooth as well as the lower quality that this alternative
possesses. Sooner rather than later will help so the movement to Bluetooth can
be avoided. Customers are running to
Bluetooth because there is not another solution to tangled headphones.
My innovation is the Recoil
Device for Mobile
Phone Headsets. Here is a description
brought directly from my United States Patent:
An enclosure which provides a storage of mobile phone headset
cables as well as a means to extend and retract said headset cables is
disclosed. The enclosure allows the headset cables to be wound internally onto
a large diameter reel while a mobile phone connecting cable is wound onto a
smaller spool, thereby allowing a greater length of headset cables to be
extended. A button enables said cables to be retracted to eliminate slack while
the device is in use, or to completely retract the cables when the device is
disconnected from the phone. The retracted cable portions may be contained
within the enclosure which further comprises a plurality of nests along
external surfaces for the storage of ear buds, a microphone, and the phone
connection plug in a flush manner, thereby avoiding the entanglement of exposed
loose cables. Furthermore, here is a
description of the background of my invention:
Many people have grown accustomed to the convenience afforded by
wireless cellular telephones. Many people, including young children, carry a
cellular phone on their person at all times or know where they can get their hands
on one at all times. To further the functionality of such phones, manufacturers
have recently added the ability to sync a wireless headset using a BLUETOOTH®
connection or equivalent protocol.
Even with the
availability of such wireless earpieces, many users prefer wired headphone
solutions due to their reduced RF exposure, higher fidelity, lower cost, and
ease of use.
One (1) drawback
associated with the use of wired headphones is that the cord is unruly and
annoying to manage when not in use. Many users place the headphones into a
pocket or purse where they become knotted up. This causes difficulty the next
time they headphones are need, and can damage the headphones and wiring over a
long period.
In some cases, to
avoid tangling, the cord is just left dangling from the user's head even while
they are not using it. This has obvious downsides such as posing safety
hazards, diminishing the user's ability to hear environmental sounds, looking
strange, and increasing likelihood of damage to the headphones due to contact
or snagging.
Various attempts
have been made to provide cord take-up devices for earphones. Examples of these
attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents, including U.S. Pat.
No. 3,798,389; U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,617; U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,957; U.S. Pat. No.
5,684,883; U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,098; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,611. However, none
of these designs is similar to the present invention. While these devices fulfill their respective,
particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of
the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such devices are not sized or designed
for constant comfortable connection to a cellular phone or similar device. Many
such devices do not work with a wide range of audio devices. Many such devices
do not provide convenient attachment or carrying means adaptable to a user's
preferences and particularly suited for portable connection to a cellular
phone. Many such devices do not include provisions for microphone assemblies as
are necessary for cellular phone compatible headsets. Many such devices do not
provide convenient concurrent operation of headphones, microphones, and plug
assemblies in a quick and ergonomic manner. Accordingly, there exists a need
for a recoil device for mobile phone headsets without the disadvantages as
described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs
from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.
Lastly the Venture Concept will apply to all of
the customers looking to trade their headphones for something that will actually
make the user experience more enjoyable.
Ultimately this is beneficial to both the customer and myself because I
am offering a legitimate solution. It shouldn’t
be hard to get customers to switch because my headset should cost roughly the
same amount as a standard headset but offer a better solution. The competitors
are other recoiling companies but they cannot use my dual spool technology so
they have a disadvantage in the market.
Their headsets will dangle in the center while mine can be flush and
stowed away in a pocket or on a belt. My
venture is currently diving into the market aspect. The next thing that I want to accomplish
regards making a static prototype, then a functioning one and eventually putting
them up for sale. In the next five years
I want to be selling my invention even if it is just locally, that way I can
get an idea if it is working and also receive feedback regarding the
functionality of it. In the next ten
years I want to be producing on a massive scale and selling in stores like Best
Buy to a major audience. Ultimately, I want to revolutionize the
headphone industry.
