10 Tips for Inventors
Tamara Monosoff, Ed.D
- Gain Knowledge
Save countless hours and money by investing in yourself. Learn about the inventing process and the myths versus realities surrounding it.
- Hold onto Your Money
There are many things you need to do before you start spending money on your invention. Take the time and invest your own energy doing these things BEFORE spending money.
- Set Realistic Expectations
Successful inventing is about developing a product and taking it to market. It is essential to view your product as a business from the very beginning. It can, and should be profitable and gratifying and there are a variety of ways to do this. However, it is not an easy, get-rich-quick scheme.
- Avoid Invention Promotion Companies
In three years I have had countless inventors tell me about spending thousands of dollars with companies who have offered terrific assurances of success backed by thick “marketability” reports, never to hear from them again once their check has cleared. Not once have I had someone call to tell me about their terrific success with one.
- Search Everywhere to See if Your Product Already Exists
Make sure that you look extensively in the marketplace before you spend money developing your product. Here’s how to start:
- Search the Internet – Do an extensive search using multiple key words to describe your product (Great tool: a Thesaurus)
- Visit small independent stores in your area that would likely carry your product
- Visit mid-size chain stores in your area again visiting the section that would likely carry your product
- Visit big-box and department stores like Target, Walmart, Sears…
- Do a preliminary patent search at the United States Patent and Trademark Office ().
- Don’t Wait for a Patent
A patent can be a useful tool but it is not required. Even if you choose to file a patent there are many steps to be taken first. The absence of a patent should NOT be a hindrance from making progress.
- Make a Prototype
Creating a prototype is a fun and creative process. The purpose of a prototype is to test the functionality of the product. In other words, does the product work? Often a product works perfectly in your mind or on paper but needs to be revised many times when actually put into practice. If your product is simple: start out by using household items. If your product is complex: start out by hiring a handyman, a student studying Industrial Design, or a machinist. If you need an engineer be prepared with sketches and a rudimentary prototype in hand so that you can communicate effectively to save time and money.
- Take Action Today
Rest assured that if your idea truly solves a problem or meets a need, someone else has thought of it. Often the only difference between a successful inventor and someone who never takes her product to market is action.
- Read the Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing.
The Mom Inventors Handbook gives practical step-by- step advice for putting inspiration into action. The book takes inventors from idea development to marketing and sales covering everything from market research to prototype development, manufacturing and licensing and debunks some common myths. It simplifies the invention process; even providing stories from real mom inventors sharing their 'aha' moments and lessons learned.
- Join the Mom Inventors Community
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Tamara Monosoff, Ed.D
Founder & CEO
