Basics - How to Become a Successful Inventor
By Mary Bellis, About.com Guide
- Making a Prototype
- Keeping an Inventor's Logbook/Journal
- "To Patent" or "Not to Patent" That is the Question
First Steps
How does an inventor turn their new invention ideas into money? This is probably the single most often asked question I receive from people who have no clue as to how to proceed. They often hope that they can sell their brilliant new idea to somebody who will hand them money. Sorry, it just does not work that way and you often end up handing a fistful of money in the other direction. The best answer I can give is to get educated in how the whole process works
- Lessons on Turning a New Invention Idea Into Money
- Top 10 Ten Top Ways to Fail as an Inventor
- Understanding & Protecting Patents, Trademarks & Copyrights
- Before Hiring a Promotion Firm
Finding Great Ideas
How to start and keep the creative juices flowing and create great inventions. How to decide which of your ideas are worth pursuing.
- Improve Your Ability to Brainstorm
- Invention Idea Survey
- Why You Might Want to Get Your Invention Idea Assessed
- What is Invention Assessment and Why is it Invaluable?
Business Start Up
If you have decided to establish a business to manufacture or sell your own invention, you will need a business plan to raise money or/and help your new business flourish.
- Business Plans 101
- Tutorial: Creating Business Plans for the Independent Inventors
- How Do I Raise Money?
Want to Sell Your Invention?
How to succeed at selling and marketing your inventions. The most fundamental piece of advice I would give a newbie trying to sell his/her invention is this; conduct yourself in an appropriate businesslike manner. The tutorials below will help you achieve this and more.
- Do I Make It Myself or Let Someone Else Make It?
- Tutorial: Creating a Marketing Plan for the Independent Inventor
- What Are Patent Assigments? Patent Licensing?
- How To License Your Patent
- How To Find People That Want to Buy or License Your Invention
Making a Prototype
An outline of the basics of making a prototypes - why make a prototype. By definition a prototype is a full-size working model of your invention suitable for use in the complete evaluation of form, design, performance, and material processing.
Keeping an Inventor's Logbook/Journal
Detailed records of the concepts, test results, and other information related to making an invention should be kept in a logbook. You can start a logbook from the very first moment you think of an idea.
- Before You Start an Inventors Log Book
- Proving You Were First to Invent: Keep a Logbook
- How To Keep an Inventors Log Book
"To Patent" or "Not to Patent" That is the Question
"I want to make money before/without having a patent." This is a controversial issue, however, many successful inventors do follow this path. On the other hand, many experts and patent lawyers consider it foolish. This is not a path for the faint of heart, you need to be business savvy and have some experience to pull it off.