How to be an Inventor: A Guide to Turning Your Idea Into a Product
Written by Henry Han Tuesday, April 10 2012
From 'Just an Idea' to 'Full Blown Small Business'
So you’ve thought of the next big thing since sliced bread. You believe you have the next product that will make millions and change people’s lives.
But need a little help in getting started and heading in the right direction? This guide will help you navigate the process and point you in the direction of helpful resources for your endeavor.
So you’ve thought of the next big thing since sliced bread. You believe you have the next product that will make millions and change people’s lives.
But need a little help in getting started and heading in the right direction? This guide will help you navigate the process and point you in the direction of helpful resources for your endeavor.
Part 1: Check for Patents
Before you even do anything, it’s important to make sure your idea is original and not patented already by someone else. Remember, just because something hasn’t been invented and marketed yet doesn’t mean it’s already patented. Luckily, It’s simple to check. You can go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office or Free Patents Online and check for it yourself. Or if you’re able to, it’s best to hire a certified patent agent to search for you.
Hiring a patent agent is a better option for you if 1. You’re lazy to read and 2. If by chance there is already a patent similar to your idea, your patent agent will help make alterations to your product in order to let it be cleared as a separate patent. But make sure at the very least that you have some rough sketches and dimensions of your future product.
No need to hire a professional artist right away, just enough so that your patent agent will understand and be able to help you to the best of their ability. But don’t patent it just yet. Patenting is not cheap; you want to first make sure that your product is developable.
Below is a list of recommended patent agents that will help you on your way to getting your idea into a reality.
• Red Chalk Group
• Legalzoom.com
• DLC patents
• Global Patent Group
Part 2: Design and Development
Now that you know your idea is patentable, it’s time to start designing and developing. If you’re an engineer with superb illustrating skills, give yourself a pat on the back, because you can do this without hiring someone. But if you’re like the 99% of the population, it’s time to hire some designers.
This is the time to really start making your product come to life. Designing is not a part you want to rush. Make sure you have everything detailed and follow any alterations your patent agent may have given you, whether it’s supposed to be a certain size, color, or shape it’ll be harder to fix later when development has started and you realize you’re violating someone else’s patent. Most flaws in your invention will come out in this stage of design on development, so before patenting and mass production starts, this stage is crucial for getting rid of any kinks.
The biggest benefits that come from hiring a proper designer is that they can help you maximize the success of your profit. They can optimize your invention to be more durable and customer friendly, therefore increasing customer satisfactory. The cost of a product can depend heavily on its manufacturing cost. Hiring a proper designer can lower the manufacturing costs to decrease the retail price without losing money for you.
Many product development companies assist you in designing as well as developing products. Below is a list of recommended product design and development companies.
• 99Designs
• Slingshotpdg
• Bressler Group
• Jamproa
• Focuspdm
• Quirky
• Designmyidea
Part 3: Patent Your Idea
Now that you’ve developed your product and know it’s possible to manufacture, patent it. Patenting isn’t cheap and you’ll want to hire a patent agent or a patent attorney for this step. This maybe costly, but it’s cheaper than hiring a patent attorney. The difference between a patent agent and attorney is that patent attorneys can take part in the legal dispute of a patent and put a dent in your wallet. While a patent agent can help you avoid all legal disputes and cost significantly less.
You may first be inclined to doing this patent work by yourself, but that’s advised against. The penalty for making a costly mistake is the loss of your patent rights and you may have to hire a patent attorney, which would cost more money. With a patent agent or attorney at your side, you can better argue why your patent should be approved if anyone objects to it. Someone may object to your patent if they believe you are using a previously approved patent.
The cost of a patent will determine on your actual product. Naturally, the more intricate your product is, the more your patent agents will charge you. Patenting takes an extensive amount of time to learn and file yourself and as stated previously, any errors can cost you the loss of your patent.
• Legalzoom.com
• Red Chalk Group
• DLC patents
• Global Patent Group
Good luck! Please share your experiences and feedback in the comments below.
-Henry Han, Contributing Editor, EntreRev.com