June 2016
Never be satisfied with anything,
everything can be done better than it is now being done. —
Eli Lilly, Jr.
RonJackson (president, Jackson Systems; longtime member of the Indiana
Inventors Association; and holder of several patents) left his HVAC company and
inventing long enough to share his unbridled enthusiasm for them with us. “Controls Done Right”— his company’s
trademark—conveys Mr. Jackson’s inventive spirit. Here are some of Mr. Jackson’s suggestions
for inventors and innovators.
Inventing
If you can, invent for contractors
or original equipment
manufacturers. You won’t spend time
and money educating them on the value of your invention; they already
know. Keep your inventions simple so
that users will like them.
Look at items or methods throughout
your day and ask: What’s wrong with them?
How can I improve them? Write
down your answers so you don’t forget them.
Develop a portfolio of inventions
in each technology you work with. A
group of products is easier to license or sell than is a single product.
To avoid reinventing the wheel, see
if someone has already developed your idea.
Search for your idea on Google’s Images
and in patent documents available through FreePatentsOnline.
Licensing
Unless you want to start your own business, licensing may be the best way
to profit from your invention. Receiving
5% of the wholesale price is typical.
Before trying to license your invention, file a patent application
(provisional or nonprovisional) and, if a manufacturer is already making your
product, have the manufacturer sign a confidentiality agreement. Doing so will make your licensing discussions
more definite and relaxed.
One way to start the discussion with potential licensees is at a trade
show. Dress up and make a list of
exhibitors who might be interested in your invention. When one of their booths is nearly idle, ask
the representative if his company works with individual inventors. If so, ask for the name of the person in
charge of national sales and ask that person if you can send him information
about your invention.
Potential licensees will want to be sure that they can profit from your
invention before you do. Be able to tell
them how customers will use your product and, if possible, show how your
product will increase the sale of the potential licensees’ existing products.
Especially if you decide to give one licensee exclusive rights to sell
your invention, be sure that your licensing agreement contains a performance
clause. Companies often want an
exclusive license so that they can keep your product out of the market.
Marketing
Innovation is 20% inventing and 80%
marketing. Give your product a memorable
name and develop an attractive brochure describing the benefits it provides.
Don’t ask friends and relatives to
evaluate your invention. They usually
won’t tell you what they really think.
Buy a comprehensive set of online
domain names that will drive potential customers to your Web site and that will
keep those customers from sites selling knockoffs of your invention.
Filing a provisional application
for a patent gives you the right to sell products marked “patent pending”
during the year your application is active.
That notice might deter competitors from developing your invention.
Prepare for disappointment and
expense when you file a nonprovisional application for a patent. USPTO patent examiners often reject an
application until prosecution persuades them that the application has
merit. Prosecution can easily cost more
than writing the application.
Psychology
Innovation is all about having
fun. If you aren’t having fun, you
probably won’t succeed because the challenges are so great. Enthusiasm helps build teams. Protect your ideas, but share them too
because you will learn a lot.
Thank you for energizing us with
your enthusiasm and expertise, Mr. Jackson!