Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:47:52 PST http://www.allbusiness.com/4969065-1.html AllBusiness.com - Inventions and Product Ideas en-us Copyright 1999-2010 AllBusiness.com All Rights Reserved. http://www.allbusiness.com/asset/image/general_site_image/3472344.gif http://www.allbusiness.com/4969065-1.html 46 144 http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13885841-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13885841-1.html Are you reading this blog because you truly want help in doing so? I want you to seriously answer these questions. I receive an overwhelming number of calls from inventors each day. Most of these inventors are incredibly passionate about their ideas. Passion isn’t the problem. Many of these inventors think they want to bring their ideas to fruition, but I’m not convinced. The eagerness is there, but patience isn’t. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-services-applications-internet/13828782-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-services-applications-internet/13828782-1.html The final roadblock that I’ve discovered inventors suffer from the most is a fear of the unknown. They’re unsure of what do to next. They don’t know how to call a company. They don’t know what company to call. Their lack of information prevents them from moving forward, as well as their inability or unwillingness to get informed. But ultimately, you’re never going to know as much as you wish you did. A lack of information isn’t a good enough reason for ... Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13828781-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13828781-1.html The fourth roadblock that prevents inventors from achieving their dreams is their fear of rejection. When I began inventing some thirty odd years ago, I too shared this fear. In fact, most people do! It’s in our nature to shy away from situations in which we may be rejected. But most inventors don’t realize that rejection is a common, frequent, necessary aspect of inventing: its simply unavoidable. And oftentimes, it can even be helpful and educational. If you want to license your ... Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13828780-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13828780-1.html The third roadblock that deters inventors most often is the fear of being ripped off. So many inventors are plagued by this fear! I’ve met men and women who have been working on the same idea for 10 or 12 years. I ask them, “How many companies have you called?” The majority answer, “Zero.” At best, some have called one or two. They’re too afraid of another company poaching their idea to attempt to license it. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/science-technology/engineering/13770467-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/science-technology/engineering/13770467-1.html What’s another roadblock inventors let prevent them from moving forward? The belief that they need to create and possess a perfect, working prototype of their idea. This is not true. You don’t need a prototype as much as you think you do, and you definitely do not need a beautifully, professionally crafted one. Many inventors do not have the funds to spend on an expensive prototype, so they believe they can’t go any further with their idea and give up. Please, don’t let ... Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13770466-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13770466-1.html The process of bringing a product to market is fraught with obstacles. Inventors must overcome uncertainty, anxiety, and misinformation, to name a few, to realize their dreams. I’ve identified the five most common roadblocks and bumps for people with ideas. In the next week and a half, I’ll teach you how to get over (or around) each. Have you stopped trying to bring your idea to life? Are you confused about what to do next? Convinced that you don’t have enough capital? If ... Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/operations-customer/13770459-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/operations-customer/13770459-1.html I recently had the pleasure of reading “BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World.” Great customer service is of utmost importance to me, and I pride myself on providing it. But after reading the book and interviewing author Barry Moltz, I realize how much more I could (and should) be doing. As Moltz makes clear, offering customers great service isn’t altruistic or moral – it’s one of the easiest ways to make your business more money, now. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:45:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13748644-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13748644-1.html If you’ve ever declared yourself to be an inventor to friends or family, you’ve probably been the recipient of more than a few raised eyebrows. The image of the “wacky” inventor persists. To be sure, there are some incredibly unique inventors out there who fit the bill. But in my thirty years of experience, the average inventor is far from wacky. To put it simply, most inventors think about the world differently. And they all the need is a little education and support to ... Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:45:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13705826-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/product-management/13705826-1.html Are you having difficulty coming up with new ideas? If you think you’ve exhausted all your creative resources and you’re anxious, don’t be. More often than not, what you need to do to invent a new product is simply identify a problem. Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13705825-1.html http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/intellectual-property-law/13705825-1.html The complaint I hear from inventors most inventors is, “I’ve got this great idea… but I don’t have any money.” Honestly, I hear it all the time. And sometimes I can’t help but feel a little exasperated. Bringing a product to the marketplace doesn’t have to be fiscally expensive. It definitely can be, if you rush to hire an attorney, file for patents, and design an intricate prototype. What most inventors don’t realize is that equally, if not much ... Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT