Monday, March 17, 2008

backround Overview

The purpose of this blog is to tell the story of Average 9, from it's foundations to it's success. Average 9 has been started to carry my creative ideas in design and technology to market, and to help others do the same along the way.

A little over two years ago I started working with Uptime Electronics, and after havening a successful but short lived period selling preventative maintenance contracts and other machinery maintenance solutions, I decided that I needed something a bit more sexy. At the next two trade shows I investigated and re-discovered rapid prototyping, and ultimately signed us up as a Z Corp sales channel. (It is probably worth mentioning that Uptime Electronics is a predominantly family owned business.) Uptime 3D, the resulting department was a limited success, but due in large part to the melt down in my marriage and subsequent divorce, I chose to hand over the leadership of the department to Warren, my Father, and help train Travis as my replacement Z-Corp salesman.

Predictably, this led to me handing over my salary position, and along with it, I was now free to build something the way I wanted it to be built. Originaly, Uptime 3D was intended to be spun off as it's own department which I would own, but as the department progressed, the opposite happened and our cutting technological edge was melted back into the Uptime collective culture, which didn't exactly appreciate my visionary goals for the department. Unfortunately, it's difficult to build a greater rapid prototyping department without any capital. Again, predictable. This brings us to present day, more or less.

I've been working with with my network to put together a business plan, and I think I've got something ready. I've come across a Sensable demo Jock through a mutual friend and have been having discussions with Sensable about carrying their Technology. I also have an appointment today with Envision Tech, which has a high resolution, fast, and castable Rapid prototyping solution. The two solutions together, combined with some other scanning solutions a friend is bringing to the table could position us very well for the medical market, the dental market, and jewelry. Combine that with a bit of the mold making market and the casting market, and I think I might have a very nice product line put together. Now if only I can get the contracts signed, get trained, and move a bit of product before we run out of cash. Even then, not a problem. All of us are very hireable people, and we can pick up some part time work to carry us until we get this ship off the ground. No business liabilities, Exciting.

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