A case study in Covid-inspired creativity

INC. THIS MORNING A case study in Covid-inspired creativity Good morning, A couple months ago, Mike Bradford faced a dilemma. The founder and sole employee of Wonderffle, a 4-year-old waffle iron vendor, had some time on his hands: His Chinese supply chain had shut down, leaving Bradford without inventory to sell. It was the perfect opportunity to finally build the prototype for his company’s newest product. But the lack of sales also meant a shortage of funds, and the cost to make his prototype added up quickly: $15,000. It was a Catch-22 without an easy answer, until Bradford used some Covid-era creativity to cut his prototype’s cost in half. In doing so, he learned a few crucial lessons about how pandemic-inspired operational tweaks can help your business in the long run. Bradford’s saga is surprisingly gripping as he experiments with different materials and less than ideal solutions. And just as he figures out how to lower his costs to $8,000, a new problem emerges: his 3-D printer breaks. Catastrophic, right? Nope. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, ultimately saving him thousands of dollars and helping him keep his startup alive. I don’t want to spoil the ending, so check out the story to learn [how to find those efficiencies in your workflow that will strengthen your business long-term](. SPONSORED CONTENT [This Innovative Fitness Membership May Be the Key to Unlocking Your Best Performance]( This [fitness membership]( gives you the analytics you need to elevate your performance. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: A Minnesota startup [eliminated a host of fees]( to help clients during the pandemic. Now, its founder wants her peers to do the same. --Inc. Covid-19 didn't kill the business lunch--[it just pushed it online](. Here's how some companies are wining and dining clients remotely. --Inc. Ex-basketball star [Magic Johnson is offering $100 million]( in loans to minority-owned businesses left out of the Paycheck Protection Program. --CNBC Walmart says it’ll discontinue [Jet.com]( which it acquired for $3 billion in 2016. --TechCrunch On the latest [What I Know podcast]( how to eliminate distractions, resist social media, and manage your other habit-forming pursuits. --Inc. Here’s how these [10 founders]( landed great advice, investment, and support from other, successful women. --Inc. --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback for Inc. This Morning at [calbertdeitch@inc.com](mailto:calbertdeitch@inc.com?subject=) or on [Twitter](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](