Maker Faire, the annual geek show celebrating DIY culture, was held last weekend in Silicon Valley.
We attend each year because it's fun - and to better understand the roll DIY culture is playing in small business formation and innovation.
A couple of small business related things stood out for us this year:
1. We noticed a definite up-tick in the small business orientation of the show. Make Magazine has recognized the business side of the maker movement and is actively supporting it. They've created an online marketplace, Makers Market, "a curated marketplace of wonderful science, tech, and artistic creations created and sold directly by some of our favorite Makers from around the World."
There was also a stage area, called the Innovation Stage, that was - more or less - dedicated to Maker business issues. I say more or less because we really enjoyed the rope tricks at the end of one of the business presentations.
2. There was a larger corporate presence than in prior years. Both Ford and GM had booths, as did a number of large tech companies.
I think this enhanced the event. I enjoyed seeing GM's hydrogen fuel prototype and Ford's new Fiesta, which is very cool. The corporates did a nice job of keeping with the Maker Faire ethos and fitting in.
But it is clear when folks like Ford and GM start showing up that the show is shifting a bit towards business.
3. A number of Makers we've been following over the last few years have "productized" their offerings. Jelly Fish Art is a good example. They started as a customer business building one-off jelly fish tanks costing thousands of dollars. They now have a product line of manufactured desktop tanks starting as low as $249.
The shift to products takes an arts and craft business to a new level, expanding market opportunities. It is a shift we see as becoming increasingly common.
4. The number of small business enablement firms also seemed larger this year. These companies provide services, tools and equipment that make it easier for Makers to create and sell products.
Examples include manufacturing service companies like Shapeways and Ponoko. Both these firms turn CAD files into products so Makers don't have to invest in manufacturing plant or equipment.
5. The growth of Maker coworking facilities. Tech Shop, of course, had a large presence at the show. We also visited Hacker Dojo's booth. Philidelphia-based Next Fab was not there, but it is another example of a Maker coworking facility.
These shared Maker facilities and communities make it easy for small business Makers to get started with their projects and businesses.
For more on the trends driving the growth of small business Makers, see the Intuit Future of Small Business research report Makers as Hobbypreneurs.
For those who aren't familiar with the show, or haven't had a chance to attend, the SF Chronicle has a very good highlights video that includes the always popular giant, motorized muffins.
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