Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

When looking into getting a prototype made - is it best to go to an invention company or seek out an individual to help?

The "invention company" is generally a scam.

I had contacted one company about 2 years ago, they wanted $2500+ dollars to get started, patent and possible licensing assistance. I didn't see their desire to help license the idea since they have already been paid, I would have had more faith if they wanted a portion of any licensing fee as payment versus me paying them out of pocket.

Smelled like a scam to me and I never moved forward with them.

Rachel,

One option for you might be to first find a designer to draw something up for you.  Then, find suppliers who manufacture similar products. Once you find a manufacturer you like and who's willing to work with you, they should be able make a sample/prototype.

Assuming that this type of product is manufactured overseas, then for finding the best supplier, do the following:

1. First you need to get the HTS#  (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) of your product. Every type of product imported into the US has a HTS #.  Check the following link to find your HTS # - http://usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm

2. Once you've found the HTS closest to your product, go to http://dataweb.usitc.gov/scripts/user_set.asp.  Create an account to create a report for your HTS #. This part gets a bit involved.  For now, just enter your HTS # in the specified field and select the last 5 years for the report to run against.  Leave other fields as is.  You may want to study the meaning of some of these fields more to get an idea of what exactly the report is telling you.  Ultimately, you will see the most popular place where your type of product is manufactured.

3. Contact the commercial attache of the embassy of the country and ask them to send you a list of suppliers for this HTS #.

How do you plan on bringing this product to market once a prototype is made? Do you already know that there is a demand for your product?

Good luck!

I believe that not all inventory company are scammers. You can still find companies that offers good services when it comes to making inventory.

Dear Rachel,

I did a project on invention companies and less than 1% of people that hire invention companies make a profit that excites their expense.

You may want to check this governmental website

http://www.uspto.gov/inventors/scam_prevention/complaints/

Best regards,

Ervis

http://wenovate.org/

I had contacted one company about 2 years ago, they wanted $2500+ dollars to get started, patent and possible licensing assistance. I didn't see their desire to help license the idea since they have already been paid, I would have had more faith if they wanted a portion of any licensing fee as payment versus me paying them out of pocket

I had contact one company about 2 years ago, they wanted $2500+ dollars to get started, patent and possible licensing assistance. I didn't see their desire to help license the idea since they have already been paid, I would have had more faith if they sought a portion of any licensing fee as expense versus me paying them out of pocket.