Indiana Inventors Association

Abby Appelt (president of BlingToGo and owner of Out Of The Box Thinking, LLC ) helps heal people by lifting their spirits.  Her ornamental wraps return to ailing people some control of their lives, by helping them turn their institutional medical equipment into a fashion statement.             Invention      The Need Finding herself on crutches for the fourth time, Ms. Appelt decided to cheer up herself and her commiserating friends by decorating her crutches.  The warm response and good feeling she received led her to explore ways of extending that benefit to others.  Why settle for decorating crutches when you can also beautify bed rails, canes, IV poles, hospital tables and trays, and walkers?      The Solution A nurse told Ms. Appelt that any ornamental wrap used in a hospital would have to be sanitizable and removable, easily and without leaving a residue...

Inventors usually need to describe their inventions - to other inventors, to business associates (designers, distributors, engineers, investors, manufacturers, marketers, patent office examiners), and to customers.  A detailed drawing of an embodiment of an invention (object or process) is one of the clearest and most concise descriptions of what the invention is, how it is made, how it works, what result it produces, and how it is unique or better than similar inventions.  Mr. Jerry Mandell of Sandhill Crane Design described the drawing services he provides to inventors by showing us some of his computer-generated 2- and virtual 3-dimensional images and animations. Still images can be presented as exploded, cut-away, or transparent views.  The steps of operation and of assembly can be animated.  An invention can also be described by a virtual 3-dimensional prototype (rendered or photo-realistic), multimedia presentation, or video for a trade show.  Draw...

Inventors often license their inventions because they understand technology, but not business.  That’s fine if you just want to get paid for inventing.  But what if you also imagine a world transformed by your invention, and want to create that world by using business?  Business professor Mark Motluck of Anderson University offered us some advice on how to get started. First, realize that not every great technical idea is a great business opportunity.  Not many people will buy a cart if they don’t have a horse to pull it.  So find out whether your invention has, or or can be modified to have, economic value by using a:      Survey . Ask people whether they would buy your product, and how much they would pay for it. Ask them in person at places where they would buy your product (say at a shopping mall), or indirectly by mail, telephone, or through your website.      Focus group . Bring people to a neutral site and ...

Mr. Patrick Turley (president, ballsystems technologies ) told us about a very useful service that his 40 year old company offers to an independent inventor -- affordable help with the customized design, low- to mid-volume manufacturing, or detailed technical description of an invention (e.g., electrical, electronic, firmware, mechanical, packaging, software, 3D animation, or data packaging for service level agreements). Talented engineers at the company are practical (all having worked at companies such as Delphi, IBM, and Raytheon) and spend most of their time working on projects for Fortune 500 (e.g., Allison Transmission, Delphi, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, or the U.S. Air Force), and other, clients worldwide.  But between those major projects, they help individual inventors. Mr. Turley offered us some advice on how to minimize the cost of those services. Do as much work as you can, before hiring the company, and be flexible about timing.  Quick projects that fit nicel...

Although each independent innovator's path to market success is unique, successful innovators tend to share 2 complementary traits - the ability to act on incomplete or inconsistent information, and resilience.  We help manage risks to our market success by learning from other innovators and participants in the innovative process, by networking at trade shows with representatives who can open doors for us, and by thinking carefully.  But we can never eliminate risk.  For example, the timing of getting a new product to market is important to market success.  The market's rule often is "first come, first served."  In order to synchronize our innovative efforts with market demand, sometimes we must act before we have a perfect plan, before we have all the answers.  So we sometimes hit unexpected bumps in our path.  When that happens, resilience (keeping our eyes on the prize) helps us to learn from our mistakes, to recover, and to continue on our path. ...

Want to realize the market value of your invention?  Create an image of your invention that attracts the market (people willing to buy and invest in your invention, products and services that embody your invention, and a small business that connects your invention to the market).  Rachel Jackson (of Peacock Publicity & Marketing Services ) offered us practical advice on how to develop and manage relationships with credible reporters (bloggers, broadcasters, and journalists) who can help us to create forceful meaningful images of our inventions and to relate those images to the public. Start with a business that gives meaning to your image. Stock enough service capacity and products for expected sales, provide a convenient ordering system based on current technology, and use a robust customer service plan.  Predict risks and plan solutions for them.  Most importantly, communicate!   Tell your customers what to expect from you (and tell them if you are temp...