How to invent something new

How To Invent Something

So I take it you are wanting to know how to invent something. So let’s cut to the chase.

In this article I’m going to give you some techniques that you can apply almost immediately in order to invent something new, original and potentially brilliant.

Follow the process below.

How To Invent Something Right Now

You are more likely to invent something in an area or topic that interests you than some random field or topic you haven’t given much thought to.

You are also more likely to be innovative around an expertise you already have, because you (often unknowingly) have in-depth knowledge that others don’t necessarily have.

So to start I want you to start off by getting an old-fashioned notepad and pen.

Step 1: What Inventive Areas Interest You

Got it (seriously you need to get it and do this right now). This is your canvas. Now write down 5 fields or areas that interest you. You can be quite general for the moment. Golf, football, cooking, anything that comes to mind.

Don’t whine that you have no interests; everyone has interests.

Write down the first 5 that pop into your mind.

Step 2: Choose The Best One

I want you to look over that list, and seize upon one of the keywords that gives you the most excitement. You should actually feel this excitement as you look at it.

If you don’t get an immediate rush, then rush over to the next keyword.

Choose one right now.

Step 3: Get More Specific

You are wanting to know how to invent something specific right? So you need to get more specific. You need to drill-down. Go to the next page on your notepad, and write down sub-topics that fall under the main topic you chose. So for example, say you chose ‘Golf’. Sub-topics might include ‘golf putters’, ‘golf balls’, ‘golf shirts’ and the like.

Write down as many as come to mind, there’s no limit, but try get down at least 10 sub-areas here.

Step 4: Choose The Best One (again)

Similar to Step 2, you should now choose one of the topics you wrote down that generates the most excitement.

You’ll be amazed at how some sub-areas of something you think you love are completely boring to you, and others generate interest and excitement.

So choose one that does for you.

Step 5: Draw On The Visuals

Ok now you’ve chosen the niche area, and I’m going to show you how to invent something in your chosen niche. It all starts by thinking visually. Your subconscious brain, the place where ideas and inventions flow from, is an incredibly visual system (think of your dreams).

So I want you to go back to your notepad, and start drawing. Drawing you say, aghast? Yes drawing (or sketching or doodling). There’s no one watching you, and no-one cares if you’re not Rembrandt.

Sketch out several pictures of your chosen topic. So if you’re chosen ‘potato peeling’, then sketch out what comes to mind for a potato peelers. If you’ve chosen ‘dog snacks’ then sketch out some of those.

Already you might start getting some invention ideas coming to mind. But don’t worry if you don’t, they should come soon enough.

Got those sketches handy?

Step 6: Improve Upon It

This is really the crux of the entire how to invent something process. How can you improve upon what you have just sketched?

Ask yourself the following questions (and try and answer them). Do this slowly and carefully. This is the part where you are most likely to learn how invent something from your chosen niche.

If you go through these thoroughly, ask yourself these questions and ponder them deeply, something inventive should come of the process.

Conclusion

I hope you have learnt how to invent something new from the process above. Repeat it as often and as much as you like. You’re likely to get better and more creative each time.

Steps on How to Invent a New Product – Complete Guide

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Steps on How to Invent a New Product – Complete Guide

How to Invent a New Product: Let’s face it, coming up with an idea or inventing a product isn’t really easy. It’s is a process that takes commitment, dedication, and self-belief because you would encounter set back, this is inevitable but persistent is an attribute you need to have to succeed. In this article, I’ll be showing you step to step on how to invent a product

Step 1: Believe in Yourself

According to Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University, it’s important to believe in yourself, because the “growth mindset” that comes part and parcel with doing so, literally changes your brain chemistry.

You can invent a new product by cultivating a growth mindset (a mindset in which your brain is very active), and by working hard, your brain can grow and change, making it easier for you to solve problems and find new solutions.

If that’s not enough to convince you to get on the self-help bandwagon, almost every inventor I spoke to when researching this article told me that being obsessive and sticking the inventing journey through was what got their idea or product invented.

Ken Beckstead, the inventor of the Butts only Box, and a recycling company that produces electricity from cigarette waste says, “Never give up. The rough times are what weed out others from achieving their goals. Watching the Simpsons is fine, but only after you’ve done your work for the day!”

With that in mind, let’s move forward to figuring out how to come up with great ideas that will help invent a new product.

Step 2: Find a Problem Worth Solving

If you’re reading this, probabilities are you’re someone who’s got ideas, and probably a lot of them but don’t know how to use them to invent a new product.

If you are indeed an “idea person,” you know that coming up with ideas isn’t the hard part. It’s sticking with just one of them for long enough, and seeing it through from vision to reality, that really is the trial.

Ultimately, to invent a new product or coming up with an idea means one thing: solving a problem, whether it’s your own or someone else’s.

Here are some examples of problems and their commoditized solutions:

The best part about inventing new things is figuring out which of your problems, or other people’s problems, you’d most like to solve. If you can find a problem that hasn’t been solved, or a way to solve a problem better, you’ve hit upon something you may want to pursue.

Of course, you don’t have to solve a brand-new problem; you just have to come up with a solution that is all your own. If you want to invent a new solution to oily hair (shampoo), no one is stopping you.

The trick then is figuring out what your exact solution is, and whether or not there will be demand for it on a scale beyond just yourself, or whether or not you’ll be able to compete, if you’re entering an already-flooded market, like the shampoo market. We’ll talk more about this in step three.

How to find Problems that Actually Need Solving:

To come up with a really great idea, all you need to start doing is tuning into your own frustrations. Doing this is easier than you think, especially if you have a job, hobby, or pursuit that you’ve been doing for years. This sort of in-depth experience gives you unique insight into the daily workings of a particular industry.

Boris Wertz, founding partner of Version One Ventures, believes that if you’ve worked in an industry you’re passionate about for a long time, you may know something about the market that nobody else knows. He calls this “the secret of the market.”

Do you know a specific market’s secret?

For example, I’ve been making my own jewelry for years. Though I’ve really only been a hobby jeweler, I’ve been doing it for so long, I’m already deep in the marketplace. I know all the jewelry suppliers, and I know what products and ideas are currently trending.

When I wanted to start making more professional metal jewelry, I started shopping for a jeweler’s workbench. I needed a desk that had features that would give me quick access to a variety of tools; that was large enough for all my mixed media projects; and that was also sturdy enough it could take hammer blows and an occasional brush from a blow torch.

Step 3: Do Basic Market Research (before investing money)

Once you’ve hit upon an idea you think you’d like to move forward with, it’s time to validate it by doing your market research.

According to Patricia Nolan-Brown, author of “Idea to Invention, “there are six primary reasons you do market research. I’ll expand on each of them, and offer you some additional, useful resources

The essence of market research;

1. Do market research to know if it’s already selling and who your competition is

If you do have competition, pay special attention to your product name, price range, materials used, what the product claims to do, packaging, and who the manufacturer is.

You can do a lot of this research online, but you can also do it in-person. Drop into a store that you think would be a great candidate for stocking your product in the future.

Check out what merchandise is taking up shelf space and figure out where your product might sit within a similar store.

2. Do market research to minimize risk

If you find similar products exist when you’re doing your research, look for patent numbers. That said, not every product that has been patented can be found in stores. You will still need to do an online search to make sure you’re not infringing on someone else’s idea.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a great resource to help you learn more about intellectual property. In fact, they’ve created a 39-minute step-by-step video course to guide you through the process of conducting a preliminary U.S. Patent Search. You can also use Google’s Patent Search to see if similar ideas have been patented.

If you do find a patent similar to yours, worry. How the patent is worded can make all the difference. If you need help at this stage, contact a patent attorney and get their opinion. Don’t confuse a regular lawyer with a patent attorney. Only the latter is licensed to practice before the USPTO.

To find a patent attorney, use the USPTO’s search directory to find qualified help.

3. Do market research to see if there’s interest

Also known as asking people whether or not they’d buy your product. Make sure to ask people that can be objective (mom and dad probably won’t be) so that you can get honest feedback. Try to sample your ideal audience, and not just anyone.

If you want to explain your idea to someone in-depth and are worried potential theft, you can get them to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)—a legal document that states both parties intent to keep information confidential. You can create one for free on the RocketLawyer website.

If you’re trying to gauge interest through online surveys, be sure to be more vague about your idea, as at this stage you likely don’t have a patent.

For example, if your idea is a new way to remove cat sand from a cat litter tray, you could ask people what bothers them most about the process of doing it. This way you don’t give away your idea, and you get information related to people’s pain points.

How to Invent Something With No Money and Make Millions

Are creative, calculative and flushed with ideas? If YES, here are 50 ideas on how to invent something useful with no money or experience and make millions. Who doesn’t fantasize about inventing such a great product that makes you a millionaire within the first month after its launch?

It’s agonizing when you see a product you had thought about creating for years in the market doing very well commercially and making someone else wealthy. The more successful the invention the more gut wrenching it would feel as you go down the “it could have been me” lane.

Table of Content

What is an Invention?

The term invention is used to describe a unique device, idea, method, composition or process. Indeed it can be an improvement upon a machine or product or a new process for creating an object or a result. It is believed that a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. The invention being buttressed in this article may exceed the boundaries of science into the field of business and entrepreneurship.

Ideas are being established and claimed every day in the world, with each one defining an ever growing industry. Indeed there is this blissful satisfaction you have once you complete your invention, move back and realize you have created something new and exciting – something that has never existed before. Indeed a lot happens between your completed creation, the license and sale of that invention.

It involves a lot of processes for your invention to turn into a lucrative business. This is why you will need help evaluating the commercial potential of your product and then creating a means of profiting from that invention. Even though inventing can be inspiring, but running a business can be tiresome and sometimes dispiriting. But irrespective of how you see it, you will have to understand these two options.

If you plan to start the invention business yourself, then you will handle every step of the process-from creating a working prototype to overseeing the manufacturing to devising a marketing plan to sales and to distribution. Running your own business demands a greater commitment and tolerance for risk with the promise of greater rewards, while licensing your idea minimizes your risk, and also your financial return. This article would help in guiding you every step of the way.

5 Ways to Know You Have a Million Dollar Invention idea in Your Head

1. The Market Test

The first and most important thing about any product idea is to find out if there is a market for it out there. What is the point of spending time and money to come up with a product or service no one wants to buy? You must first find out if there is a market for it; if there are people willing to buy this product.

Now, for a million-dollar idea, your market wouldn’t be limited to just a few people or to your local market, your product/service idea must be such that people all around the country or all around the world might need or benefit from using it. It doesn’t have to be a new product idea; it could be something as simple as you creating a niche out of an existing product.

Before disposable diapers were invented, cloth diapers were being used and they were very popular too. But someone thought “Oh, what if I can create something that would be completely stress-free for mothers?” And hello! Meet the disposable diaper. The concept of diapers wasn’t a new one but the inventor was able to carve out a niche; a billion dollar product idea now used by at least 50% of mothers all around the world today.

2. The Availability Test

The next question you need to ask yourself in order to identify a million-dollar idea is “Is there something like this in the market? Now, you are not trying to see if no single person is currently making or selling the product although that would be a plus, but what you are really looking for is a product that can beat all others in the market.

Your product idea must be able to easily stand out from others in the market for it to become a million dollar idea. For instance, there was coffee in the market before someone decided to come up with the concept of decaffeinated coffee and then another person came up with Alkaline coffee to beat high acidity concerns. To identify a million-dollar idea, you must ensure that it is one that beats all others in the market if the product idea already exists.

3. The Patency Test

Not all ideas are available for you to explore. That product idea you have in your head might have been thought up by someone in the past and the person decided to patent or trademark it so that no one else explores the idea. Inventors do this when they cannot afford the capital to make their ideas a reality or when they are not yet ready to work on their ideas.

You can actually find out from the united states Patent and Trademark office whether your idea might have been patented or trademarked by someone else. If you are unable to visit their offices, you can check their website on www.uspto.gov. If there is no patent, then you know you have a great original idea on your hand.

4. The Excitement Test

Are you able to generate some excitement about your idea? When you tell your idea to friends and family, what do they say? How excited are they about your idea? One sure-fire way to identify an idea that would make you a lot of money is to do a pre-launch test to see if people would be interested or excited about your product. You don’t have to spend money on making a product prototype for this.

You can simply perform a dummy test to see how excited people would be about your idea. What you should do is to get your product/service designed on paper; come up with attractive photos of your product and write out the features and benefits. Use these details to create an opt-in form with a ‘buy now’ button or a ‘learn more’ button. Host this on your website, social media and any other digital marketing platform you can find.

You would be able to see just how many people are clicking on your buy now or learn more buttons and this gives you an inkling on the level of excitement your product would generate, and potential sales you would make when your product is launched. This strategy is perfect because you literally spend nothing and you are able to test your idea to see if it is a million-dollar idea worth pursuing.

5. The Conviction Test

The next test you want to perform is the conviction test. You really need to look inside of you and ask yourself “How convinced am I about this idea?” Sometimes, you may be the only thing standing between your idea and your success story because you are not exactly passionate about your product/service idea.

Most of the time, the things that you would become very successful at are the things you are passionate about. If you are not passionate about your idea, you might not be able to give it all it requires to turn the idea from a basic idea to a million-dollar idea.

How to Invent Something With No Money and Make Millions

1. Brainstorm ideas

The first phase in creating an exclusive and valuable product is to brainstorm ideas. Ponder on the area you want to invent in and also what are you most interested in, as you will need to think through a whole lot of things. To effectively do this, you may consider making a list of all the things that catch your attention. These could be pastimes, jobs, or products that you use on a regular basis. After that is done, you would need to look at the problems that exist in these areas and think of how they can be solved through your inventions.

2. Keep a journal

One of the things that you would also need to do this period is to keep an active journal. This is because you would need to continuously add new items to your possible-invention list, while keeping your ideas all systematized in one place. One other beauty in keeping a journal is that it helps you to remain intellectually clutter-free and allow you to review your ideas at a later date.

3. Resolve on an idea

After you have done a lot of brainstorming, now you can be satisfied that you have got options. You now have to look at choosing your best idea for an invention. To achieve this, you have to spend time thinking through the details of the project.

You will need to ask yourself some very important questions like; is the invention special that people will feel compelled to bring it into their lives? Why is your invention so great? Think about changes that might need to be made. What parts of your invention are superfluous or unnecessary? Is there any way to make it more efficient or cheaper to produce?

4. Sit under the Tutelage of an Expert

One of the ways to possibly set the ball rolling for you to invent something useful is by sitting under the tutelage of an expert. You may want to consider choosing an expert in the field of invention that you are looking at. It is very vital that you choose a similar field so that you can be watched at a close range by the guru.

5. Create a prototype

You can’t just say you have invented something useful if you don’t have a prototype. Indeed you need to have proof of when you came up with the invention idea. This is why you need to write down everything you can think of that relates to your invention, from what it is and how it works to how you will make and market it. This is the first step to patenting your idea and keeping it from being stolen. You will need to research your idea from a legal and business standpoint.

Report has it that more than 95 percent of all patents never make money for the inventor. So, before you invest too much time and money into patenting your invention, do some preliminary research on your target market. You need to ask if this is something people will actually buy?

Once you know there is a market, make sure your product can be manufactured and distributed at a low enough cost so that your retail price is reasonable. Have it in mind that you can determine these costs by comparing it with similar products currently on the market.

6. Ask Yourself Some Pertinent Question

7. Protecting your ideas and invention

Immediately you believe you have come up with a unique idea for a new product, you should take steps to protect it. A lot of people who want to protect ideas think first of patents. There are good reasons for this. Indeed you will find it hard to license your idea to other companies, should you wish to do so, without patent protection. But, getting a patent is a lengthy, complicated process, and one you shouldn’t embark on without professional help; this makes the process expensive.

If you wish to pursue a patent for your ideas, contact a registered patent attorney or patent agent.
A lot of businesses choose to protect ideas using trade secrecy. Note that this is simply a matter of keeping knowledge of your ideas, designs, processes, techniques or any other unique component of your creation limited to yourself or a small group of people.

Have it in mind that a lot of trade secrets are in the areas of chemical formulas, factory equipment, machines and manufacturing processes. The formula for Coca-Cola is one of the best-recognized and most successful trade secrets. When planning to protect your idea or product, your IP needs to become legally protected. A range of options are available and you should get professional advice.

8. Research your market

When planning to start a business that sells or markets any useful product or idea you must have invented, you need to make sure that your product fills a need and has a competitive advantage. You also need to evaluate its viability. Things to consider may include;

9. Choosing your Business Name

When you are about to sell a product or idea you developed or invented, then you need to know that your business name is your public name – the moniker that consumers and other businesses will use when contacting you. Note that once you have picked a legal name, you must decide whether you also want to use it as your trade name.

For a lot of inventors, the simplest thing to do is to use the same name for legal and trade purposes. This is especially true when you haven’t even begun marketing your invention. If you are a sole proprietor, this means you will use your personal name as your trade name.

If you are a partnership, corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC), you will use the name you have chosen as your legal name. But, if you are more concerned with the marketing and sales of your invention and you think your legal name is too dry, you may want to create a trade name that is more attractive and exquisite.

10. Financing your business

Note that as an inventor that has plans to sell or license products based on your inventions, you will need to pay various up-front costs before getting your business off the ground. Start-up expenses are expenses you incur before you actually begin your invention business.

Such expenses have tax ramifications. Unlike business operating expenses, start-up expenses cannot all be deducted in a single year. This is because the money you spend to start inventing, or any other business is considered a capital expense. It is, in other words, an expenditure that will benefit you for more than one year. This is where you can get proper financing.

The truth is that most people have the ability to invent something during their lifetime but only a few people get to achieve this feat. There are a lot of people who have had successful ideas in the past but they couldn’t do much with it because they lacked the required motivation and gave up somewhere along the line.

Inventing products/services is not an easy feat because there are a lot of ups and downs involved. There are times that things just wouldn’t work the way you expect them to, even after giving in your absolute best and it is during times like this that most would-be inventors give up on their ideas completely. However, the inventors that are able to stay focused and motivated are the only ones who make it past this stage to become very successful.

5 Ways Successful Inventors Stay Motivated While Working

i. Always Prepare for the Unknown

One of the challenges that make would-be inventors lose their motivation is facing challenges or plateaus that they were completely unprepared for. The best way to beat this challenge is to prepare for anything that may happen along the way so that if anything goes wrong, you would be able to handle it.

You can start by making a list of all possible challenges you may face during process of working on your invention, and then have a game plan for handling the challenges. You should also remember to make allowances for uncertainties too and make sure unexpected challenges do not end up derailing your plans.

ii. Have a Detailed Action Plan

Before you start working on your invention, ensure that you have a detailed action plan. Make a list of all your goals, break them into milestones and then have a detailed plan on what it would take to achieve the different milestones. There is just something about setting milestones when working on your invention ideas. For one, it simplifies things and makes it look less cumbersome.

The entire process would appear uncomplicated so that it would motivate you to continue to work on your project. It also helps you to clearly see how far along you have gone, and how closer you are to achieving your goals so that you don’t give up along the way.

Don’t forget to have a budget too as lack of finance to keep working on your project after you have started is one of the challenges that would-be inventors face. It helps to make a detailed list of everything you need along with how much it would cost, then create a budget and be sure that you have a source of getting all the money that you require before you start working on your project at all.

iii. Get an Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone you tell about your plans and goals; someone who can continue to remind you of what you need to be working on and who is able to cheer you on when you are about to fall off the wagon. When you keep your ideas and plans all in your head, it is easier to give up because no one knows about it; no one can look at you as a failure.

But when other people know about it, you wouldn’t want your ego to take a hit or for someone to start seeing you as a failure so it is only natural that you would want to keep working on your project so that you can prove to the world that you are not a failure. An accountability partner can also help you celebrate little milestone achievements and cheer you up to do more.

They can give you the much needed thumbs up and pats on the back at different points in time as you keep working on your project. You wouldn’t need to go through setbacks and challenges alone either, you would have someone to share them with and who knows, they just might have the much-needed solution to your problems.

iv. Take Time off For Inspiration

Inspiration is an on-going process when you are working on an invention. You might have had an initial inspiration that gave birth to the invention idea but don’t expect the inspiration to stop coming. You can expect to continue to receive inspiration along the line and it would mostly come when you are in a relaxed and less tense state.

So from time to time, you should take some days off work to relax and unwind. Do not do anything that is related to the project, this time should just be a period of relaxation for you. It would refresh you mentally and your mind would be more open to receive new inspiration and ideas to help move your project forward.

v. Reward Yourself

Don’t take any milestone achievement for granted. No matter how little you achieve, it is worth celebrating as celebrating your results make you want to do more.

You should attach an attractive reward to each milestone and plan on what you intend to do for yourself should you achieve a specific goal. It is this reward that would urge you to keep working on your project because you just can’t wait to give yourself a special treat to celebrate your achievements.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How To Get An Invention Idea And Invent A Product?

2. How Do You Invent A New Product?

What Is The Process For Prototyping Your Invention Idea?

4. What Is A Working Prototype And How Do You Make One?

A working prototype represents all or almost all of the functionality of the final product. The following are the processes to make a prototype;

5. How Do You Make Your Invention Come To Life?

6. What Is The Most Profitable Invention Ever?

The telephone is the most profitable invention ever in US history.

7. What Are New Product Ideas?

8. What Can You Invent To Get Rich?

The following are some of the inventions that can possibly generate millions;

9. Can You Sell An Idea For An Invention?

Absolutely yes! You can sell your invention idea, or you can even outrightly sell the invention itself for one large lump sum as compensation for your idea. The second option is to enter a licensing agreement, so you would collect royalties each time your product is sold.

10. How Do You Bring An Idea To Life?

The following are the tips you need to bring an idea to life;

11. How Do You Mass Produce A Product?

12. How Do You Invent A Game?

Rather than playing the same old games every day, you can create your own game. Devote time to developing your game. For instance; brainstorm ideas, assess potential concepts and name your game. Create the various components of your game, such as a playing field, equipment, accessories, and player roles. After writing a set of clear, brief, and complete rules, then start playing the game.

13. How Will A Prototype Help The Invention Process?

14. How Do You Get A Prototype Of Your Invention Made?

These are the three possible ways to get your invention made;

15. What Is A Good First Step In Prototyping Your Invention?

The first step in the prototyping process is to design the piece. Note! Solid work allows users to create parts from the ground up. So, if the prototype is a member of a larger assembly, you can bring the entire assembly into the software to see how everything will fit together.

16. What Is A Crude Prototype And How Do You Make One?

A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. In some design workflow models, creating a prototype (a process sometimes called materialization) is the step between the formalization and the evaluation of an idea.

These are the process of making a prototype;

17. How Do You Sell An Idea?

18. What Is The Definition Of A Consumable In Marketing?

A consumable in marketing is a term for a small everyday item in accounting. These consumable items would be posted as a day-to-day running cost of your business, so they reduce its profit in the profit and loss account.

19. What Are The Advantages Of Being A Market Inventor?

Being a market inventor can help with everything from getting your idea or creations legally protected to creating a prototype and getting your invention seen by the right people at the right time.

20. What Is A Final Prototype And How Do You Make One?

The final prototype is referred to as the starting of mass production, and it is called the pilot – essentially the first unit to roll off the assembly line. It’s constructed using mass-production manufacturing methods and could also be sold.

These are the process of making a prototype;

21. Can You Get Rich From An Invention?

Of course yes! You can as well get more money than usual if your invention turns out to be popular. However, you get less money at first in exchange for that leverage. For instance, a first-time inventor can expect a royalty rate of 3%, while an experienced inventor may see up to 25% of the gross profit.

22. How Much Does It Cost To Bring A New Product To Market?

23. Do You Need A Prototype To Get A Patent?

The simple answer is no! A prototype is not required before filing a patent application in the U.S. patent office. While prototypes can be valuable in developing your invention, they can also be costly.

24. How Much Can You Make Off A Patent?

25. How Do You Find A Manufacturer To Make Your Product?

The possible way to find a manufacturer to make your product is through NAICS. Sometimes manufacturers and suppliers list products by their (NAICS) code, which can make manufacturers and suppliers easier to find, especially if you are using professional directories. Note! The NAICS directory can be found at your local library or even online.

26. Can You File A Patent For An Idea?

The short answer is no—you cannot file a patent for an idea.

27. What Inventions Will Change The World?

The following are some inventions that can possibly influence the world;

28. Why Do You Need Prototypes Of Your Invention Idea?

Prototypes help people accurately visualize your app, understand what problems your app intends to solve, and how it plans to solve them. While your ideas can be profitable, having a prototype helps you avoid common pitfalls in app development.

29. How Much Do Prototypes Cost?

30. Which Product Is Easy To Manufacture?

31. What Does Positioning Mean In Marketing Strategy?

Market positioning is a strategic exercise used to establish the image of a brand or product in a consumer’s mind. And this is achieved through the four Ps, which are; promotion, price, place, and product. The more detailed your positioning strategy is at defining the Ps, the more effective the strategy becomes.

32. Can You Get Paid For Invention Ideas?

Yes! You can get paid for having an invention idea. Some companies can pay a reasonable amount of money in buying invention ideas.

33. What Inventions Will There Be In 2050?

The listed below are some possible inventions in 2050;

34. How Do Inventors Get Paid?

Inventors usually authorize a manufacturer (the licensee) to make and sell the invention in exchange for paying the inventors royalties. The royalties may be a percentage of the net revenues or maybe a payment for each invention sold. The license may be for the duration of the patent or for a shorter time.

35. Can Inventors Who Are Employed By A Company Patent Inventions?

Of course yes! Inventions belong to the inventor. The company does not own the invention.

How To Invent Something New

The process of invention is talked about everywhere, but how many people actually know what an invention is? To understand how to invent something new, we must first answer this vital question.

Our definition of an inventor and their inventions is different than what we see in those advertisements. You know, those ads that are claiming to help you bring your invention ideas to market. Just because you come up with great ideas this does not mean that you an inventor. And precisely, what do we think counts as an invention?

Our definition of an inventor

It is our feeling that you are not an inventor unless you are capable of seeing those ideas through and turning them into a reality. We all have great ideas, but very few of us can take the concept beyond our brains. An inventor must come up with ideas and then be able to apply them to real-world applications. It doesn’t matter if you have a patent or even just a sketch, you are still just an idea person if you can’t take it any further.

Inventors can get those ideas out of their heads and bring them to life so that people can benefit from them. It doesn’t matter if you sell your patent, licenses the idea, or go as far as building the products on your own. You are a true inventor if you can get this far.

It won’t be easy getting to the point of having a real invention to put your name on, but if you do, the rewards will be well worth the effort.

What is an invention?

While our definition of an inventor is narrow, our definition of an invention is much broader. In our eyes, an invention is any product or service that you can create that people will use. Your invention does not have to solve a problem or even make money. It does, however, have to have a real demand by people beyond your family and friends.

Things we consider inventions:

Inventors and money

In our current world political climate, the discussion about money can be a difficult one. Our stance regarding earning money from your invention ideas depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

If you have an amazing idea and claim that it will help solve world problems, that is great. The problem is that you need to be more realistic and understand that the invention process itself is timeconsuming and costs money. If you want to save the world, you must first manufacture your product and ship it around the globe. How will you accomplish this lofty feat if you don’t make any money in the process?

How to invent something new

Now that you understand the requirements as an inventor, you can begin to think about how to invent something new. It may sound difficult so far, but this is because you haven’t learned the secrets that those invention help places will never reveal.

How to invent something new the correct way

We discuss each of these steps closer in The Twelve Steps of Inventing HERE. This guide should be a great start in helping you change the way you think of an invention. Once you do that, you probably will never run out of real ideas that you can turn into a reality and, more importantly, make money.

In all honesty, there probably aren’t too many truly new or unique invention ideas. Most of the time, as inventors, we are just trying to improve something that already exists or that makes life more comfortable or enjoyable.

Misinformation and inventing

You will see all kinds of bad advice on the internet about inventing. Here are a few of the things that get copied and pasted over and over in the Google search results. This advice is obviously coming from people who have never invented anything!

Sounds simple enough, so go ahead and follow these tips just like they are listed. A word of warning, if you do decide to follow them without the proper knowledge, you will, in all likelihood, fail with your first invention idea.

Cultivate the idea

Let’s look at the order of this list first. You are told to cultivate the concept before understanding the marketplace for which your idea will be available. Very rarely do successful inventions start as ideas before the creator understands the market. There are exceptions like Post-It Notes, but more often than not, the inventor has a clear sense that there are people out there ready to buy the product once manufactured. So as we learned in The Twelve Steps of Inventing, make sure you identify where the customers are from the beginning.

Believe in yourself

Did someone really use this as an invention tip? Are you not confident in your abilities to succeed in life? If not, being an inventor shouldn’t be your first career choice. You can expect to fail many more times than you succeed. If you plan on knowing how to invent something new, you will have to prepare for many possible outcomes.

Find a problem worth solving

Probably the most misinformed advice of all. With the advent of technology and the internet, very few new inventions solve problems. Most of the time, invention ideas start as part of the inventor’s hobbies or interests and grows from there. There are millions of products that get released over the years that do nothing more than entertain our children and us. Beyond that, there are even less exciting products that have made millions doing nothing other than being an Elf sitting on a shelf.

Another excellent example of a completely useless idea that made its inventor a millionaire was appropriately named the Pet Rock.

Do research

Design, patent, and market research are crucial steps in the invention process. You will analyze your potential market further, look for existing patents, and begin to change your design based on what you discover. The idea that you originally envisioned may turn out to be very different when completed. Telling you to do research won’t be very helpful unless you know what answers you are seeking. For one, you need to find any existing patents that are similar to your idea. You will likely find a few patents that seem to conflict with your idea, but you will learn how to design around them.

File a patent

I believe that your boat has floated down the wrong river. If you are reading this article, I assume that you are on a budget and just trying to learn the truths of the invention process. The most significant piece of misinformation regarding inventions is from all of those, so-called, invention help company scams.

Filing patents the correct way is a time consuming, complicated, and expensive process. If you plan on spending a few hundred dollars on one of those “provisional applications.” be warned that they will do little to protect your idea. It’s not that we are against patents, it’s just that we have seen the lies and exaggerations by all those invention help places. Here is an article we did about how you can protect your invention idea.

Build a prototype.

How do we define a prototype? Invention Therapy is very different in its approach to inventing. You may think that a prototype is some crude, duct-taped cardboard version of your invention idea. In our view, it must be 99% ready for manufacturing when the prototype is complete.

With the advent of 3D design software like Fusion 360, Solidworks, and Eagle PCB, we can create the entire design in the virtual world. There we will work out most of the bugs and issues. Low-cost online services can then 3D print our parts or make a few test circuit boards for us. The services that we need are only a few mouse clicks away. It isn’t that hard to learn how to make your invention idea a reality.

While Solidworks and Fusion 360 licenses can be expensive, there are more reasonably priced alternatives for a few hundred dollars.

Turbocad is the first 3D CAD program that I learned and it allowed me to design my original products with ease. As I began to improve my industrial design skills, moving to Solidworks was easy due to the experience gained from Turbocad.

We may have to build a few versions of the prototype over several times. Once we get it right, it will be an easy jump directly to manufacturing and release our first one hundred units.

Protect your idea.

You may think that a patent somehow magically protects your idea. If you receive a patent, it could get expensive for you to protect it. Legal battles are costly, and lawyers never take these cases without some money upfront. Promises of a share of the profits will get you nowhere because they have heard those pleas many times before. If you have the money to protect your idea and are willing to bear the costs associated with defending a patent, this may be an option for you. You need to understand the realities that you could be facing.

Manufacture or license your idea.

We are not fans of licensing and believe that this is a concept, for the most part, leftover in the days before the internet and easy access to worldwide manufacturing. Most of the people teaching this concept haven’t licensed product ideas since the1980’s.

We have heard of a few licensing success stories from our viewers. Those deals were all done by people who knew how to find the companies on their own. They were also able to close their product licensing deals, on their own, without paying all those invention help fees. In the end, their licensing agreements were for a thousand or even a few thousand dollars with no residuals. The cost in time of writing the patent, filing it, and finding a company willing to pay for the license quickly ate up any real profits. If you choose to license an idea, understand that your idea may have much more value if you build it on your own.

Test the market.

We save the worst advice for last. The only way to test the market is for you to manufacture the product, create a website, and start selling it online. Asking friends or businesses if they like the idea or would be interesting in buying some, will not answer the real question. That question is simple: Will people be willing to spend money on my product? You will only find the answer out once you have them for sale.

You can be a successful inventor

The key to success at being an inventor is to use your instinct to guide you in the beginning. As you learn and get experience, this part will get easier. You will start to recognize opportunities in marketplaces without even looking for them. You will know when you are onto the right idea that is worth investing your time and money.

You may think that you already know how to be an inventor. Unless you have done it before and aren’t listening to those so-called experts, you will have a long road ahead of you. Invention Therapy is here to guide you and save you from all the challenges that come up during the invention process. It is our goal to help you to invent something new without going broke like Charles Goodyear.

Are you ready to become an inventor?

Getting your idea out of your head and into your hands is only the first in a long set of steps towards becoming a successful inventor.

First Steps To A Successful Invention

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The thing that separates a real inventor from somebody that has ideas is that an inventor knows how to envision a product by identifying the potential of a market first. They then build.

So you’re sitting on a great invention. You’ve worked out the kinks, sketched your design, or maybe even made the prototype. Now you’re ready to secure patent protection for your hard work. Before.

Invention Therapy

The place where you can stop getting ripped off by those so called «invention help» companies and start making money by manufacturing your product ideas on your own. You have all the knowledge, skills and services you need at your finger tips via the web. Stop dreaming of being an inventor and get started today.

I am always happy to help new inventors.
Richard Haberkern

Legal Disclaimer

All the information on this website is based on my inside knowledge and personal experiences as a successful inventor. These posts represent my many years of learning through trial and error. When deciding on how to best protect your invention idea or product be sure to seek professional legal advice.

How to Invent Something That Will Sell

A question i keep being asked is how to invent something new. And i can’t stress this enough, it’s not just about inventing something, as in anything, as long as it’s innovative. It’s about inventing a product that will have an audience, generate interest, and hopefully bring you sales and money!

Don’t get me wrong and don’t get upset. Yes, it’s not all about the money. Inventing something should be first and foremost about innovating and creating something that helps people and improves on what is currently available. However, once that step is behind you, it is as important to make sure your invention will sell.

Why? Even if you put your own need for making it big financially, aside, there is a more altruistic reason you should want your invention to become a commercial success.

Assuming your new invention is a great addition to the world, solves a problem and brings value – you will want it to be bought by as many people as possible, so that they can all enjoy the benefits.

If you invent the best product in the world, but no one knows of it and no one buys it, the impact you have is so much smaller, and you are actually preventing people from enjoying a great solution that they might have had access to if it was more properly marketed and selling well.

So even if you are in this for reasons other than making a financial gain, it’s always worth making sure your invention will be marketed properly, and has the best possible chance of selling well.

How can you make sure what you invent has enough of an audience, has demand and will sell and not accumulate dust on store shelves or worse in your garage?

Here are some ideas to keep in mind on how to invent something that will sell:

Make sure your idea is original

Research the market to make sure no one else is offering a solution like yours. Look at other solutions that solve the same problem your invention idea is trying to solve and make sure they are not better and cheaper than yours.

If your invention answers a need, is original, but frankly there is a better, cheaper available method to do the same thing – no one is likely to buy your invention idea.

Competition is good, as long as your solution is unique and better than any of the other solutions out there.

Look out for competition

This might sound very counterintuitive but even if you have an invention idea that is ground breaking, new and completely innovative competition to your product idea is a good thing. Why? It’s a sure sign that there are enough buyers for what you want to invent.

If others are selling similar solutions, and they all manage to make a living in that market, it means people are looking for solutions in that area. That’s a great sign that there is demand. If your invention is original, or improves on existing product by doing something better or for a lower cost, you can probably compete well in the market.

It’s quite scary to think about a great new invention, and find out no one else came up with anything similar. You might be truly excited to find out you are the first, and indeed in some rare cases you might really be the first to come up with a great idea for a well known problem.

However, more often than not, it’s better to find out that people have tried to solve this problem before you, but in a different way. Improve on their offering and capture a share of an existing market.

If you can’t find any competing products at all, don’t panic. Check that you are searching for the proper terms and in the proper places. Inventions similar to yours might exist, but have been sold under a slightly different definition than the one you were thinking about.

Still can’t find any other products? Wondering how to invent something that has never been invented before and sell it to an audience who doesn’t know he needs it?

To grab a share of a new market you will most likely need to educate your potential buyers that they truly need this product. It can be done, but is often more complicated and requires marketing expertise.

Lastly, If your product is really ground breaking and clearly solves a problem, and no one else is offering anything like it, you might really be on to something big. However, these cases are usually very rare.

Get real feedback for your invention idea

How to invent something people will buy? Talk with your potential customers about your invention idea.

It’s important to get feedback for your ideas from a large selection of people, not just from family and friends.

No matter how objective you think your acquaintances are, unless you are aiming to sell to your family and friends only, you should get feedback from others as well.

Clearly define who your potential customer is. Where does he shop? What else does he buy? Then design a plan to where you can approach people that are part of this group. Ask them questions to measure their interest in an invention idea such as yours.

Don’t limit your questions to the obvious ‘would you buy such a product?’. People might say yes, but it doesn’t mean much. Ask general questions, from which you can infer how important finding a solution to their problem really is, and how committed they are to finding something that will improve their life on that specific issue.

Wondering how to invent something that will sell? Getting feedback on your original invention idea is crucial, since it can save you time and money, if your invention idea is not being accepted with enthusiasm.

Even the smallest tweak to your design can sometimes make all the difference from one more ordinary product to a truly helpful invention, and one that can generate real profits.

How to invent something that will sell? educate yourself!

If you are serious about inventing something that will truly sell and make you the income you envision, one of the best most affordable resources currently available on the process of inventing and monetising your invention is Ken Tarlow’s online course: «Invention code: How to make money with your invention» on Udemy.

Tarlow has 81 US patents to his name and has developed 400 products worth over 1 billion dollars in retail sales, so you know he knows what he is talking about.

The course is very affordable considering the wealth of information he provides, and you get lifetime access to 47 video lectures (more than 6 hours of quality content) on topics ranging from coming up with an invention idea, figuring if it would sell, to easily licensing it to make money through royalties. It is a truly great resource for anybody interested in inventing. Check the course outline to see all the topics covered!

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