Top_ten_Tips_for_inventors_&_New_Poduct

1. Come up with a realistic & new way to solve a problem.		How? Pay Attention. Seriously, nothing is perfect...so everything can be improved . Be realistic in your solutions. Read books about inventing & creativity. They actually might help!

2. Read & own the book, Patent It Yourself, by Daniel Freeman. Published by Nolo Press. Absolutely the best and easiest to understand resource I've found on the subject. I have two patents and a third pending. I've saved thousands because of all the work I've been able to do before consulting an attorney. Please note: I sincerely believe in this book and get nothing but good feelings by recommending it.
		The Hold-It!. Patent Pending.
2. Test your idea by making a prototype if at all possible. A prototype often gives insights crucial to the decision to carry forward with an idea.		When I prototyped the above product, I simply stapled cloth around a strong magnet and played with it. Later, I got mom to sew a cover for it. From this, we learned that sewing is not a good way to manufacture the project. The magnet really messes with the workings of a sewing machine - even an industrial one. This forced me to research and finally use RF Welding. Click here to see more pix and info.

3. Do a product and patent search immediately. Use the internet search engines and other resources to search for your idea. For a patent search, Go to www.USPTO.gov and do a patent search. If you are persistent, can read, and are comfortable using computers, you can do this. If you don't feel sure, pay a reputable patent searcher. Read "Patent It Yourself" for detailed advice.		Whenever I have an idea I search Google and the sister site Froogle and Yahoo -at least. Don't just look on the first page of results. Delve in. Be creative about what it could be called and how it could be classified. On 3 different occasions I've found an existing patent on an idea that I thought was new. Very valuable because you don't need to waste anymore time or money. Also, just reading patent abstracts can be an idea generator.

4. If you want to show your invention to others and talk about it before you pay several thousand dollars on a "Regular Patent Application," look into a PPA (provisional patent application). Clearly explained in "Patent it Yourself" referenced above. Don't be so paranoid that you forfeit important opportunities. Protect yourself and forge forward in an intelligent way.		For a nominal fee (less than $100) and a complete description of your idea, you can get a PPA. If at the end of the year, you file for and get a Patent, your protection/ownership of your idea will extend back to the submission date of the PPA. Read in more detail in the book I mentioned above. Once I've done my PPA's, there is a fire lit under my butt to actually do something to move it forward. I know that in a year, I have to file a regular patent application. Also, I feel freed up to show my ideas with the knowledge that - as long as my patent issues - I am covered by my patent.

5. Try to get exposure for your invention through press releases, trade shows, magazines, invention contests, etc.		My Bit-Grip product (see below) won the Home & Garden category in the search for Invention contest in 2000. This helped get a lot of exposure and - indirectly - led to negotiations with Craftsman (that finally fell through due to cost issues). I recently wrote several magazines and web-sites to see if they would review my product. I got a very good review for my Hold-It! product from onlinetoolreviews.com. Click here to read the review.

6. Do not send money to anyone wanting to do commercials or managing of your invention without checking them out to the nth degree!		How do most invention marketing companies work? They take several thousand dollars (I've seen fees range from 4K to 15K for services) and get lots of clients and hope one gets some kind of deal that they can tout to get more inventor's money. In other words, the % of successful clients is usually miserably low:(

7. After learning the ins & outs of your product, decide if you want to be a manufacturer & distributor (loads of headaches but higher profit margin) OR if you want to license it and/or work through distributors.		Distribution is Key. Like location, location, location to a real estate agent. Wholesale Distributors can offer established channels that may take you a lifetime to build. Sometimes the question becomes something like: Do I want to sell 10,000 of these and make $2 a piece and endure the headaches of manufacturing & distribution OR do I want to license it and let someone else sell 300,000 of these while I make 30 cents on each. I know which one I'd choose.
		"Best Home and Garden invention of 2000" Hammacher Schlemmer Search for Invention Contest.
8. If a deal for your product/idea emerges, read all agreements/contracts with the greatest of care and then give to an attorney to read.		I was once offered a deal for my Bit-Grip (pictured above) by a fairly successful invention marketer. If I had agreed to the contract, I would have agreed to 15% of the profit while paying for all manufacturing and incidentals and being solely liable for any mistakes. This is unfathomable! I broke with him immediately.

9. Remember that you probably understand your invention better than anyone else. Take all advice, professional & otherwise, with this grain of salt. Learn how to show it and explain it.		I rehearse how to explain my ideas. I write it, say it and then seek feedback others. I want to be ready if I ever get an opportunity to tell my idea's story.

10. Learn everything you can about the overall process. If you have actually invented something useful once, you are likely to do it again. Don't panic if your first attempt doesn't work out. Everything new you do is an exercise in learning. Embrace it and try to learn as much as you can about inventing, product development, exposure & distribution. It all feeds into itself.		I never feel like I'm ever going to have another good idea but then one comes. It's exhilarating! After working on the Bit-Grip - pictured above - I have been through almost the entire process. (What a trip! To learn more about the Bit-Grip click here.