Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

All I have is a great big idea about home storage and decorative. I think I can build one/two of the product at home. I might start with it.

But I hear all the stories of people selling to big department stores and setting up mass production.

Whom should I contact about it? Is there any information about? Are there genuine experienced people with good track record of encouraging inventors with whom I can setup some form of partnership?

Sorry guys for asking theses questions but I do not have anyone who is in the business field, all I have are you all that can help.

Here is my plan in the mean time.

1) Build the product at home

2) Sell on ebay (worried to sell as someone might copy the product)

3) If response is good worth to pay for a patent, file a patent

But stuck up with commercialization plans

4) Find a reliable experienced partner to help with expansion plans of mass production and dealing with big department stores.

What do you think?

 

i think you need to file the patent application first - selling first can kill the patent process.  do patent first or forget about patent and preventing others from copying.

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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com

The other thing to look into is trade shows. Eric, a long-time community member, was very instructive on taking an idea from invention to prototype, then to selling it, getting a distributor, and marketing. He`s still in that process, running all over the place with his brother.

Bottom line: You need a proof of concept---a prototype that proves the idea will actually work, can be manufactured, what are its initial costs, and can it be patented.

If you build it they will come . . . eventually.  I think if you can build it do it, but don`t worry about selling it.  Build it so you can closer to your product; refine it.  If it truly is unique and patentable then listen to patentandtrademark and apply for your patent.  You can market a product with patent-pending status.

Thanks you buddies for helping and encouraging.

Yes, my plan is to built the product myself. In the mean time I am gathering all the information.

What is the id of Eric who have been insturctive to memeber here?

God bless ya all.

Just look up posts by Eric.

oooooooooooooo, I like Eric`s website a lot.  I usually don`t like lots of movement, changing colors, etc. but this one is well done.  When you get into the site a bit & come upon the tabs in the middle of the screen, they "play" like Tom Hanks playing the "piano" in Big. 

The website alone makes me interested in his ideas!

 

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