Are you planning to invest $35,000 or more in a fragrance?

When I plan any project, just like you I start by assembling the facts and raw data. When I start on a new fragrance I use a simple checklist to help me assemble the facts and guide me.

Having this checklist and making myself use it (even though I've gone through the steps again and again) forces me to properly organize my project and be clear about what I am doing — before I start releasing money.

My checklist has evolved through use but continues to be short and simple. The "hard" part about using it is that it forces you to answer questions with specifics. All the hazy cobwebs get blown away and you can now decide with clarity, "does my plan make sense?"

By looking at this bald assessment you can now decide whether you want to plunge ahead, walk away, or rejigger the project so that it does make sense. Notice you do this before you start writing checks and purchase orders.

My checklist is so short and simple that I could give it away free or perhaps offer it for a dollar. But, if I did, the only people who could use it constructively — people who are really prepared to invest money to develop a fragrance — wouldn't take it seriously.

So my checklist is priced at ten dollars — a stiff price for casual curiosity but nothing for a business. Think what it costs to park a car in New York City for two hours, or just have a business meeting over coffee and Danish at Starbucks.

Do you really need it? You won't know until you get it. But I promise that, if you are spending $35,000, $70,000, $100,000 or more, you will find it keeps you focused and it helps you keep a tight grip on your money.

Philip Goutell
Lightyears, Inc.