What I learned from the Inventors at the Minnesota Inventors Congress

Product For Profit — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:24:11 -0700

I just came back from speaking at the Minnesota's Inventor's Congress (MIC). For those of you who don't know, the Minnesota Inventors Congress is one of the oldest and most established inventor trade shows in the country. And I have to say, I learned more from the inventors who attended MIC then I ever thought possible. It was so inspiring that I felt compelled to write this article and share.

First Step Toward Invention Success - Ignore The Naysayers!

Product For Profit — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:49:39 -0700

As you begin your path toward bringing your invention to market, you might become keenly aware of how many naysayers suddenly show up in your life. And when I say naysayers I mean people who don't share your vision, don't believe you can make things happen or let you know that for some reason or another you cannot actualize your invention dreams.

Understanding the Buying Process at Major Retailers

Product For Profit — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:56:29 -0800

If you’re new to the game of selling to major retailers, then you’re probably wondering how their buying processes work. It’s a question that comes up all of the time in my workshops and classes. And this important topic rarely gets discussed, so I thought I’d take a minute to review!

Bringing a Food Product to Market - The TERRA Chip Success Story

Product For Profit — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:22:30 -0800

The story behind the success of TERRA Chips is truly inspirational for any entrepreneur interested in bringing a new food product to market.

Here’s their story…

The Ultimate DIY Inventor Success Story!

Product For Profit — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:09:55 -0800

Since founding her company, Sara Blakely has donated more than $10 million dollars, employs 100+ people, has been on Oprah, was featured in a reality show with Sir Richard Branson, and met former President Nelson Mandela!

How did Sara Blakely reach such success? The story goes like this…

Bringing Your Inventions to Market in 2011!

Product For Profit — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:46:25 -0800

Today I'd like to discuss the topic of Taking Action and bringing your inventions to market in 2011! I have been in contact with many inventors over the last year and it has been a wonderful experience. However, I've noticed patterns in that many of you start moving toward your goals of bringing your inventions to market, and then somehow get stuck along the way.

Packaging Your Product For Major Retail Success

Product For Profit — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:04:21 -0800

Packaging is essential to your success with Major Retailers. Therefore, it is imperative that you spend more time and effort on packaging! I've seen amazing product concepts not get realized by Major Retailers because of packaging. Truly, packaging can make or break a buyer's decision as to whether they buy your product or not.

Should I Manufacture or License My Invention?

Product For Profit — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:06:53 -0700

I recently attended my local Inventors Association (Inventors Alliance in Northern California) and noticed that Inventors kept asking Andrew Krauss (President of Inventors Alliance) about the differences between Manufacturing and Licensing a product. New Inventors were confused about what these terms meant and wanted to learn more about the factors to consider when deciding which way to go for their own product. So I thought I'd take a minute to discuss both options as this comes up all of the time in my workshops and classes as well.

Can Small Scale Really Sell Products to Major Retail?

Product For Profit — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 03:38:59 -0700

A common misconception about selling to Major Retailers is that you have to be a large established company in order to sell to them. This is absolutely not the case! The truth is that there are many small start-up companies with just one product SKU that have gotten their products into Major Retailers.

Inventor Creates Product on Kitchen Counter and Makes Millions!

Product For Profit — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:41:21 -0700

Imagine coming up with an Invention on your kitchen counter and soon becoming a millionaire and having your Invention sold all over the world! That's what happened to Debbie Barker, the Inventor of the FlipFold!

Selling Your Inventions To Major Retailers

Product For Profit — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:53:38 -0700

Selling Your Inventions To Major Retailers: What Not To Do (And What 95% Of People Tend To Do!)

Mom Inventors Make Millions With Kids 'Boogie' Product

Product For Profit — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:35:18 -0700

Ever come up with a solution to an everyday problem that was driving you nuts? The Boogie Mom's did and they made millions!

Mom Inventor Turns Millionaire With Simple Product Idea

Product For Profit — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:28:08 -0700

Imagine being a stay-at-home mom, coming up with a brilliant idea, creating a quick prototype with a sewing machine, and then generating millions of dollars in revenue from that simple idea? That's what happened to Kim Levine, the creator of the Wuvit

Inventor Success Stories That Inspire: The Slinky

Product For Profit — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:52:52 -0700

Every Kid Wanted One: Ever heard of the Slinky? The fun toy that sold more than 250 million units worldwide!The creators of the Slinky were just ordinary people that came up with a simple product idea. And that simple product idea produced more wealth then they could have ever possibly imagined!

Inventor Success Stories That Inspire

Product For Profit — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:18:58 -0700

People are funny. They hear stories of how ordinary people make millions of dollars from their simple product ideas and then chock it up to being ‘lucky’ or ‘being at the right place at the right time.’ But the truth is, luck is only part of it.