Venture Concept No.1 (The Sleep Belt)

• Opportunity 
• Many people, myself included, travel on long road trips pretty frequently in their life. Those who travel as a passenger, not a driver, may occasionally have the urge to lie down in the back seat to either take a nap, or stretch their legs out, etc. 
• People with certain medical conditions can find sitting difficult, and so traveling can prove to be very difficult if not impossible without going through special modes of transportation.
• My product is designed specifically for larger vehicles, with a row in the back seat, rather than individual seats, and with no tray/cup holder, etc. application in the middle of the seat. While this limits my potential market, I still believe that a substantial portion of vehicle owners in most of the world do have a car that would be suitable for my product.
• As of 2009, it is a state law in all US states except New Hampshire, for motor vehicle passengers to be wearing a seat belt. Circumventing the law and trying to wrap your seatbelt around you, while somewhat uncomfortable, is also a reason to be charged, for wearing a seatbelt improperly.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 1-54. Most crash-related deaths occur to the passenger of the vehicle. Seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to save lives and reduce injury in the event of a crash.
• Currently, passengers who sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, would not have the need to use my product, because they can solve the problem of lying down by simply reclining their seat. This tends to be a solution for such passengers.
• Innovation
• My product is a solution for a rather obscure need. It is a need for some people, but it could also be seen a luxury item for others.
• My product is a seatbelt attachment, and not a replacement for the standard seatbelt. It does however, disable standard seatbelt use while it is attached, and is meant for the back seat of a vehicle, for one passenger. It has two latches on opposite ends of the car that lock onto the standard seat belts, utilizing the locking mechanism that exists with a normal seatbelt. These are also adjustable. The locks are attached to straps that come down towards the seat, which effectively are what will wrap around a person. About halfway down the strap there is a junction, where the belt extends from one side of the car to the other, creating what I can only describe as field goal or U shape. This belt connects the two sides of the attachment. It also has two belts extending inwards, that wrap over and under a person towards the underside of the attachment, where it buckles. Then, the attachment is composed of a fabric material that is thick, but also soft. It acts as a cushion, and wraps from the junction, to the underside of the belt. Towards the middle on the underside of the fabric there is a component that contains two seatbelt tongues. It is adjustable, and locks into both standard seatbelt buckles on opposite seats. 
• The product only works with standard seat belt features, and so in that regard, it is fairly limited. While it is adjustable for different lengths, it will only be applicable in a car or RV that has comparable standard features.
• What I am selling is the one-piece attachment. It is going to sell for $150, and will be sold online through an individual website, as well as through other online retailers. It will also be sold in aftermarket car part shops, and specifically, aftermarket seatbelt retailers.
• Venture Concept
• My innovation is designed to solve the need of people to lie down in the backseat of a vehicle while traveling, but to do so safely, legally, and comfortably.
• Current similar products are limited to harnesses for young children, and medical harnesses for use in medical transport specifically. None of these can do what my product does, to allow any person (limited by certain physical features and vehicle size), to lie down in the back seat of a vehicle safely, legally, and comfortably.
• There are multiple aftermarket seatbelt manufacturers, but I wouldn't consider them competitors simply because they do not provide a product that does what mine will do.
• Packaging is not very important because the product will be purchased for its ability to solve a need or serve a purpose, not for its image. 
• Customer support is extremely important to me, and so it will be a high priority when it comes to defining my business.
• "Secret Sauce": My business's most valuable resource will be customers curiosity towards a unique and relatively unheard-of idea. Because my product will be the first of its kind, its name will be what people think of first when they feel the need to find a solution to the problem. This will give me an advantage over competitors who make comparable products once mine is established. 
• Whats Next?: Now that I have the idea for my product, and a general understanding of who I will be selling to, and the possible market I could be successful in, actually manufacturing a prototype would come next. I have a basic vision for the design of the product and, will have to test and improve on it over time to get it right. 
• For Me: Like all entrepreneurs, I want to be successful. Not necessarily financially, but seeing through an idea to a point I am satisfied with. In the next five years, I hope to come up with an idea that inspires me, and in ten years I hope to have succeeded in making an idea reality. This first venture is a starting point for me, and although it is nowhere near perfect, or even possible for that matter, it is a step in the right direction.