Browsing Tag
invention
32 posts
7 Steps to Successfully Launch a Product
There are thousands of companies creating and promoting thousands of products in the global marketplace each year. You probably haven’t even heard of the vast majority—many of which failed on arrival. According to Harvard Business School research, 95 percent of new products fail in their first year. You may have a great, ground-breaking product idea,...
So, You’ve Got an Incredible Invention… Now What?
It's taken weeks, months, maybe even years to conceptualize and perfect your extraordinary invention. You know it's a game-changer. Your creation is ready for the world, and you can't wait to unleash it. So, now what? The creative process is one thing; the business side is an entirely different animal. Don't worry. As an entrepreneur,...
10 Reasons to Patent Your Startup’s New Invention
What would you do if your biggest competitor said your startup’s product infringes on its patent? What if you learned that the process your competitor uses to make its product infringes on a patent you own? Patents can provide powerful leverage for your business. Patents are versatile: a patent can cover your products, the machines...
What You Need to Know Before Applying for a Patent
What should an inventor do almost immediately upon creating a new invention? They must file a patent application. A patent, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the grant of a property right to the inventor. Once a patent has been granted to its inventor, the term may last for up...
To Patent or Not to Patent: A Guide to Protecting Your Products
Every company that is inventing new products faces one all-important question: should you patent your idea? Unauthorized use of your business’s intellectual property can seriously undercut your profits, which is why many entrepreneurs believe they must patent any product they create. However, the issue isn’t always so cut and dry. Startup environments are highly competitive,...
Securing Your Startup’s Intellectual Property Rights: Patent vs. Trade Secret
Entrepreneurs and emerging companies often look for ways to protect their valuable assets. They want to secure their ideas and ultimately enforce their rights around them. Traditionally, there are four types of intellectual property rights: patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. Patents and trade secrets are the two types of intellectual property rights that protect...
Entrepreneurs, is Your Product Fit For the Market?
As an entrepreneur, you may think that some of your ideas are pure gold. In these scenarios, it's easy to jump the gun and start planning your product's name, marketing campaigns, various features, etc. But before putting in any of this work, there's a crucial step that needs to be taken: determining whether there's a...
Will Your Good Idea Be a Good Business?
A good idea and entrepreneurial spirit are certainly required if you want to establish a new business. But many entrepreneurs find out the hard way that the most critical success factor is opportunity. Great ideas arise all the time, but as a potential business owner, you must be able to translate your idea into a...
5 Ways That a Kickstarter Campaign Can Launch You Into Retail
Seven months. That's how long it took from the day our Kickstarter campaign ended until we were delivering a purchase order to Toys R Us. And soon after came Bed Bath & Beyond, Hobby Lobby and Michaels, distributing our invention called Walkie Chalk, a standup sidewalk chalk holder that allows you to “Stand Up and...
Are You Creating a Product or Building a Company (or Both)?
The following is excerpted from "Shortcut Your Startup: Speed Up Success with Unconventional Advice from the Trenches" by Courtney Reum and Carter Reum. Copyright (c) 2018 by M13, LLC. Published by arrangement with Gallery Books/Jeter Publishing, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Not all ideas can turn into full-fledged companies. For instance, we know...
Quick Facts (and reality check) for inventors
Quick facts (and reality checks) for inventors based on my 20ish years helping inventors and working in the industry... It will take twice as much time to see your invention idea dream realized - from idea to concept to prototype to manufacturing to packaging...it all takes time and expect bumps in the road...totally normal...but it...
Why being second to market can make you a winner!
Wal Mart, Kroger, and Costco all have one thing in common that can teach all inventors a great lesson - being "second" to market can make you a winner! I just read an article about how Whole Foods has been losing ground to the likes of Wal Mart in the sales of organic foods -...
5 Tips for Pitching Your Invention to ‘As Seen On TV’ Companies
Do you have an invention that is ready for prime time? Have you ever heard of the Snuggie, Total Gym or Ped Egg? All three were mega hit infomercial products and inventions that generated hundreds of millions in sales making their creators very rich in the process (Total Gym generated over a billion in sales)....
InventionHome Product Spotlight – Tipsy Tower
Memorial Day has come and gone. The holiday signifies many things…a time to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our country, as well as a time to visit the gravesites of our loved ones to pay respects. In a much less ‘official’ manner, this day also marks a changeover in the season making it...
Inventors: UIA & Mark Reyland driving positive change in the invention industry.
For independent inventors, navigating the invention process can often times be a scary and difficult challenge. Knowing where to turn and the steps to take to drive an idea through to commercialization is not always easy for inventors. One organization with a mission to educate and help inventors is the United Inventors Association (UIA). The...
InventionHome Product Spotlight – “Spin-n-Stor”
Here comes November! Gone are the lazy days of summer and the relaxing autumn evenings. The holidays are now bearing down, and it is officially “busy” season! Time is truly precious, and that’s one reason that we see many inventions that were designed to SAVE TIME. One such invention comes from Ruth G. of San...
InventionHome Product Spotlight – “Spin’nStor”
Here comes November! Gone are the lazy days of summer and the relaxing autumn evenings. The holidays are now bearing down, and it is officially “busy” season! Time is truly precious, and that’s one reason that we see many inventions that were designed to SAVE TIME. One such invention comes from Ruth G. of San...
InventionHome Product Spotlight: Jagged Jeans Design
It’s back-to-school time! This means back-to-school shopping and for many it also means back-to-school JEANS. The problem with brand new jeans is…well…they aren’t broken in to look and feel “old”. But don’t worry ~ we have an invention for that, and it comes from our client Ronda E. from Iowa. The name of Ronda’s invention...
Pitch Your Invention to QVC Sprouts
On March 13, 2012, QVC Sprouts is officially launching at the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show in the InventionHome.com Inventors Corner Pavilion. A panel of QVC buyers will be on hand to listen to inventor pitches. If you have a product fit for TV, submit it for a chance to be selected to attend...
Do Inventors Need 3D Designs or Prototypes?
If you are an inventor in the early stages of development (you don't have finished samples) and you are looking to sell or license your invention to a company for ongoing royalty payments, you will more than likely need some form of prototype or design to showcase your invention to prospective companies. In reality, most...