I am bored because my GF is down with broken carriage wheels. SSSSOOOO here are some product and service pitches for GF corporate to think about.
Glowforge Pro Uptime Service
Glowforge extended warranty and premium customer service for GFPro users. In order to better support professionals a subscription service is created ($50/month? $60?) Each user is now enrolled in a special service program. All service emails for these customers are responded to in under 8 hours. Resolution target should be less than 24 hours. Low cost consumables (carriage wheels, cables) are replaced at no cost. High cost consumables are offered with a deductible, but it is significantly lower cost than out of warranty costs. Offer of sending back a refurb unit instead of replacing parts (such as the tube) to minimize down time. GF Premium included. Long term plans would place a certain number refurbished GFPros at the flagship JoAnns that users could do an exchange.
Advantages:
Low cost to implement, image for reliability for business use goes up, instant revenue stream
Glowforge Design
GF Premium is offered as an online design service with SVG download. Literally what is there now, but download only. $20/month retail? More design features would be needed.
Advantages:
Low cost to implement, instant revenue stream
Products:
Glowforge Mini
A small GF. 8" * 12" cut area with a 30W tube. Uses off the shelf parts (not a custom tube) that is mounted similar to the GF tube is now. This should reduce costs of manufacturing while maintaining ease of use. New molds will be required for housing, as some new internal parts, but items like the controller can be recycled from the current GF. 3 month warranty, $999 cost.
New revenue stream could be custom sized materials.
Glowforge Ultra Pro
GF Ultra Pro is a true pro machine. Comes in 2 sizes, standard 12" * 20" and a larger size like 20" * 28". A sturdier frame of aluminum extrusion is used. Metal outer case. Comes in 60W and 90W, but neither are size dependent. Exhaust on back OR side (seriously, why isn’t this a thing on more machines). Removable internal fan. Touch based auto focus. Onboard machine movement calculations, but server based help for things like pass through. No forced firmware upgrades. No professional user likes being forced into a software update when they are on deadlines. Upgraded motion hardware with linear rails. External air assist source. Almost everything is user replaceable, including the tube. Removable side panels for easier service. Option to run the tube at a lower power for extended life or high power for fast cuts but lower life. Screw holes on the bottom and in the frame for permanent mounting. Still fits through an office door. Enough parts are kept in stock for a 24 hour ship. Comes with a sticker.