Ask John Lynn... he seems to have been able to do it for quite some time now...
Seriously, just kidding...
I don't know CW... but thinking about it, if I were trying to do it... I'd look on the internet for "Grants"... to try and get some money behind me. Then I'd try to look up folks/businesses that are doing something in the same field that my idea was in... and before I talked with them, I'd consult a patent/copyright attorney...
Maybe that's the first step... consult a patent/copyright attorney, check out the local bar and see if anyone offers free consultation, or consultation for a minimal fee...
Ok, I know something about this, having started my own business, having some patents with my name on them and having a couple of great ideas in progress.
Unless you get exceedingly lucky, ideas themselves aren't worth anything. If they were, I'd be very comfortably retired now. At the very best, you *might* get a company to hire you if you gave them your idea and offered to develop it for them.
An idea and a prototype and a business plan *might* land you an investor to start a company to produce and market your product. The investor would expect to own at least a majority share of the company and would expect you to work for peanuts until the product became profitable.
An idea turned into a profitable ongoing business is worth money. Maybe 2x yearly gross sales.
"check out the local bar and see if anyone offers free consultation, or consultation for a minimal fee..."
I think this is really good and sound advice. I used to go down to the "Dew Drop Inn" where I could get all the consultation I could ever need for the price of a few beers.
You can find a wealth of information at "uspto.gov".
That's the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Be wary of companies that help you get your own patent. Many will simply take your money and get a "Provisional Patent" for you. This is a bit like a "learners' permit". It is good for one year and allows you market your idea and use the term "Patent Applied For". It can not be renewed so if you don't do something with that idea and get a full fledged patent within your year, that idea might wind up being up for grabs to someone more savvy in developing it. You can can get a provisional fairly easily yourself by just using uspto.gov. Of course, a patent attorney is the best route to take but it can be a costly pursuit so it's best to do some research of your own first.
Also: USPTO offers big discounts for those who wish to utilize the internet filing process.
TYVM for your input. Experience is a good adviser. There's just no way I'd be interested in making a business of my own with this idea.
It's just an idea that blends a whole bunch of other things into one thing. I'm not reinventing the wheel...just looking at different ways to use it with other things like the blender. :)
Any suggestions now? LOL
***********************************
The Dew Drop Inn is just down the street from me...maybe this weekend I'll drop in...hehehehe....
***********************************
polarbear and waysider, thanks! Great info! Will be going to those sites pretty quick!
If you'd like to PM me with some more details, I might be able to give you a little more constructive advice or point you to someone who can. Rest assured I'd keep your information secret and not use it. I have plenty to work on as it is.
Ideas...hmmm it seems I've had a few of them. One turned into a KidsPeace facility, others helped rebuild a ravaged non profit, oh and another one laid the groundwork for a sustainable agriculture network to sell produce in the big city. I never got paid a dime for any of those but it is sure nice to setback n look at whats developed and to know I had a hand in it.
Now for the one idea I AM getting paid for, the Growers School, it's not been easy cuz 1) most folks didn't see the need for a local stable food supply (until 9-11 and Katrina that is) and 2) there were very few programs to model after and 3) folks weren't willing to invest in something that hadn't been done before.
That said the idea did sprout and I'm currently developing the project (assembling the course materials, instructors, developing the demo plot on campus) and most importantly getting paid to do it.
This project started out three years ago with an errant email and has taken alot of my personal time getting it to this point but since its the first of its kind in the southeast and possibly the nation I'm ok with that.
So you asked how to go about doing it. That depends on what you mean by *selling* an idea. Do you want to have an idea accepted without pay or do you want your idea adopted and make some $ from it. Selling as in salesmanship or selling as in making tons of money.
I knew I wasn't going to get paid for the things I wasn't gonna get paid for but I was dammed sure determined I was going to for the school project. That required me to assemble a 7 member partnership of federal, state and local group. This meant I had to sell them on the idea first and then get them together to hash out the details. Not all of them played nice. I did alot of internet research and worked the program through several decision making tools (logical, rational and my own version) to ensure that the result of program enactment would match the desired outcome.
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Tom Strange
Ask John Lynn... he seems to have been able to do it for quite some time now...
Seriously, just kidding...
I don't know CW... but thinking about it, if I were trying to do it... I'd look on the internet for "Grants"... to try and get some money behind me. Then I'd try to look up folks/businesses that are doing something in the same field that my idea was in... and before I talked with them, I'd consult a patent/copyright attorney...
Maybe that's the first step... consult a patent/copyright attorney, check out the local bar and see if anyone offers free consultation, or consultation for a minimal fee...
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pond
Start a mall business. take a course at the local college, some cities will sponsor for the start up, learn how to market and then go.
or hire a marketing firm .
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CoolWaters
Yeah...patent...I think that's the first step...patent the idea.
I don't want to do anything with the idea myself...couldn't possibly do it myself...but want to sell the idea to a particular company.
Thanks!
OH...that was FUNNY...ask jal...hehehehehe...maybe I should wait for a dream first...?
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Jim
Ok, I know something about this, having started my own business, having some patents with my name on them and having a couple of great ideas in progress.
Unless you get exceedingly lucky, ideas themselves aren't worth anything. If they were, I'd be very comfortably retired now. At the very best, you *might* get a company to hire you if you gave them your idea and offered to develop it for them.
An idea and a prototype and a business plan *might* land you an investor to start a company to produce and market your product. The investor would expect to own at least a majority share of the company and would expect you to work for peanuts until the product became profitable.
An idea turned into a profitable ongoing business is worth money. Maybe 2x yearly gross sales.
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polar bear
Ask twi-they are a bunch of dreamers.
Try google search on patents.com or inventions.com. There are web sites out there who buy ideas.
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Ron G.
Tom suggests...
"check out the local bar and see if anyone offers free consultation, or consultation for a minimal fee..."
I think this is really good and sound advice. I used to go down to the "Dew Drop Inn" where I could get all the consultation I could ever need for the price of a few beers.
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waysider
You can find a wealth of information at "uspto.gov".
That's the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Be wary of companies that help you get your own patent. Many will simply take your money and get a "Provisional Patent" for you. This is a bit like a "learners' permit". It is good for one year and allows you market your idea and use the term "Patent Applied For". It can not be renewed so if you don't do something with that idea and get a full fledged patent within your year, that idea might wind up being up for grabs to someone more savvy in developing it. You can can get a provisional fairly easily yourself by just using uspto.gov. Of course, a patent attorney is the best route to take but it can be a costly pursuit so it's best to do some research of your own first.
Also: USPTO offers big discounts for those who wish to utilize the internet filing process.
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CoolWaters
Jim,
TYVM for your input. Experience is a good adviser. There's just no way I'd be interested in making a business of my own with this idea.
It's just an idea that blends a whole bunch of other things into one thing. I'm not reinventing the wheel...just looking at different ways to use it with other things like the blender. :)
Any suggestions now? LOL
***********************************
The Dew Drop Inn is just down the street from me...maybe this weekend I'll drop in...hehehehe....
***********************************
polarbear and waysider, thanks! Great info! Will be going to those sites pretty quick!
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ex70sHouston
Its very hard to just sell a idea. Ideas in and of themselves have no value.
If you aren't willing to start a business its just talk.
Sometimes you can start a seminar series and get it going.
Excitement sells. If you aren't excited don't waste your time.
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Jim
Cool,
If you'd like to PM me with some more details, I might be able to give you a little more constructive advice or point you to someone who can. Rest assured I'd keep your information secret and not use it. I have plenty to work on as it is.
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herbiejuan
Ideas...hmmm it seems I've had a few of them. One turned into a KidsPeace facility, others helped rebuild a ravaged non profit, oh and another one laid the groundwork for a sustainable agriculture network to sell produce in the big city. I never got paid a dime for any of those but it is sure nice to setback n look at whats developed and to know I had a hand in it.
Now for the one idea I AM getting paid for, the Growers School, it's not been easy cuz 1) most folks didn't see the need for a local stable food supply (until 9-11 and Katrina that is) and 2) there were very few programs to model after and 3) folks weren't willing to invest in something that hadn't been done before.
That said the idea did sprout and I'm currently developing the project (assembling the course materials, instructors, developing the demo plot on campus) and most importantly getting paid to do it.
This project started out three years ago with an errant email and has taken alot of my personal time getting it to this point but since its the first of its kind in the southeast and possibly the nation I'm ok with that.
So you asked how to go about doing it. That depends on what you mean by *selling* an idea. Do you want to have an idea accepted without pay or do you want your idea adopted and make some $ from it. Selling as in salesmanship or selling as in making tons of money.
I knew I wasn't going to get paid for the things I wasn't gonna get paid for but I was dammed sure determined I was going to for the school project. That required me to assemble a 7 member partnership of federal, state and local group. This meant I had to sell them on the idea first and then get them together to hash out the details. Not all of them played nice. I did alot of internet research and worked the program through several decision making tools (logical, rational and my own version) to ensure that the result of program enactment would match the desired outcome.
Other than that it's a piece of cake lol
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Danny
I read a lot of Idea books and money books.
After you posted I started looking for one of the best ones I
have used.
How To LICENSE your Million Dollar IDEA
by Harvey Reese. Second Edition.
Great read for getting things going. I started reading another
An i could let you know if any good it"s
Take Your Invention to Market
by Dale Davis
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CoolWaters
Well, folks, tyvm for all your information and offers of assistance! I greatly appreciate it all!
But with more research on my idea...I found out that the best I could hope for would be to participate in an already existing committee.
Sigh.
Nothing new under the sun...
Unless you were the paper clip inventor. LMAO
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