Do you have a passion for inventing products and gadgets? Each year, millions of inventors work hard to bring the ideas they have to life. Without a great deal of hard work and focus, taking an invention from concept to completion will be very difficult.
Seeking out the help of professionals in the world of patents and prototypes is a must. Read below to find out more about how to turn your inventions into actual products.
The first thing you need to do when coming up with a new invention is to document everything. You need to have paperwork that shows things like how the invention works and how you plan to mass produce it. The main thing you need to work on after coming up with the initial idea for an invention is to get a patent.
With a patent, you will be able to avoid having your idea stolen. Creating an inventor’s journal and getting a witness to sign off on your initial design is vital. Once you have this type of paperwork, you need to schedule a meeting with a legal professional who is familiar with filing for and obtaining patents.
Most inventors fail to realize that just because they haven’t seen their invention before doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Prior to hiring a patent attorney, you need to perform a search of your patent idea.
Websites like uspto.gov will allow you to perform a non-patent “prior art” search for free. If you do find a design or artwork related to your idea on file, you will be unable to file a patent for it.
Having a prototype of your invention built is the next logical step. If you lack experience with this type of work, hiring prototype manufacturing professionals is your best course of action. Prototypes are essential when trying to pitch your invention to potential lenders or licensees.
Some inventors make the mistake of filing a patent before actually having a prototype built. This will usually cause problems because you will almost certainly discover a flaw in your original design during the prototype building process. Working out these kinks before you file a patent will allow you to avoid problems.
Once you have filed for and obtained a patent on your invention, you will be ready to market it. Creating a business plan for your product will allow you to figure out things like how you will get money to bring your vision to life and how to mass produce the invention in question. Some inventors would rather license their product instead of manufacturing it on their own.
Generally, licensing an invention will allow you to get a two to five percent royalty fee. While this may seem like a low number, you need to realize how much financial burden licensing your invention can help you avoid.
While bringing your invention to life will be a lot of hard work, it can definitely pay off in the end. In most cases, you will have to market your invention to a number of entrepreneurs and businesses before finding the right fit.
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