Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Word of mouth can be one of the most effective tools of marketing. Once you have been in the market for some time it starts acting. I feel marketing companies underplay it.
The iPods are a clear example of an inferior product in terms of features selling higher numbers because it is perceived as a lifestyle product.

Patenting has its place in the process. Sometimes that place is not as soon as you get the idea.  Many Inventors get an idea and rush to the nearest patent attorney and start throwing money at it. The problen is that as synthesislabs stated earlier the product you start with and end up with can be two different creatures. It is what I call "What started out a dog ends up a cat."

I have several products licensed in the toy,tool, kitchen, eyewear,and nuclear industry. I got them to market spending less than $100 on each and some for as little as $8. I did not have them patented when I approached the company. We used an NDA for the initial presentation and proceeded from there. If I had patented two of the items prior to contacting the company my patent would not have covered the final products and I would have had to start the process all over and lose the initial patent investment.

Plus, some items due to its shelf life don't warrant the expense and time of a patent.

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http://www.rogerbrown.net http://www.looking2license.com

 

 

Nice to see you posting here on SuN ... I've followed you on EN and a few others (and it will be interesting to read your book when it comes out) ... SuN is a wee-bit different creature (imho) as it's not pure "inventors" and tends to get a little more into the facts of life a startup business deals with on the journey ... just saying, taking a product to market for $8 is how realistic!?!

Back to "topic" ... won't a provisional cover (provided it's "domestic, four legged, lap-sitter") the morph from Dog to Cat?  And in that same light, if the creature you pitch changes that much, are you covered on your N.D.A. and/or how much are you trusting your licensing company to honor what's right vs. what's legal?

(The above is posted with the understanding of the conventional wisdom of being, "don't invest your time/money past a "sell sheet" when it comes to an "invention" you have no intention or means of bringing to market on your own" ... even to the point of not filing a provision patent until you have a nibble on your idea.  Corrections and perhaps a new thread greatly welcomed; this topic being "make your product marketable" ... ergonomics and all that jazz!~)

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Chris Miller, a simple taco maker:
The Tiger Taco home in the U.S.A.
Tiger Tacos in Australia
Tiger Tacos in the United Kingdom

Hi Tiger,

You stated "And in that same light, if the creature you pitch changes that much, are you covered on your N.D.A. and/or how much are you trusting your licensing company to honor what's right vs. what's legal?"

That falls under the title of this thread "Making your product marketable" The purpose of the changes was to make the final product more vaible/profitable. The NDA covers all discussions of the product between the two parties, which would include any improvements, since the end goal is to make a more marketable product.

 

You stated "as it's not pure "inventors" and tends to get a little more into the facts of life a startup business deals with on the journey ... just saying, taking a product to market for $8 is how realistic!?!"

I agree it is not typical, but on the other hand it is a different approach that many may not have considered. I have shown it can be done and repeated. As you are aware a large number of startup businesses fail because they follow the the same path of others before them, but don't execute it as well. Others succeed by thinking outside the box and trying an avenue others failed to notice. There is no one size fits all when it comes to business. You have to be flexible and consider all your options.

 

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http://www.rogerbrown.net http://www.looking2license.com