Happy New Year!  If you have made your personal resolution(s) now is the time to make you 2009 business resolution(s).  Keep them simple yet challenging enough to stir your entrepreneurial spirit.  I have a few examples of what they could be so please proceed at your own risk.

We have all heard of the “I am going to get into better shape this year” resolution that turns out to beg the question; What shape?…apparently very rounded.  Another really good one is the “I am going to stop drinking” resolution that turns out to have a caveat; Dear diary dated 1-2-2009 revise the 1-1-2009 entry…should read “I am going to stop drinking cheap liquor”.  Okay enough of my attempt at humor.  This is serious business. 

Resolve to make this year your most productive and balanced business year ever.  Strike a balance between building and maintaining your business with building and maintaining your personal and family life.

You are a very important cog in the wheel of many lives and you should commit to being a more productive cog.  Don’t let “The Money” be the underlying driver for everything that you do this year…make it the reward.  Share your personal wealth of knowledge and understanding with everyone in your network to help them through the good times and the bad that they may be experiencing and know that when you help someone when they are down they will always be there for you when you need them. I have a personal quote for you to ponder that may open your mind to the concept that I am trying to convey; “It is very easy to look back in our lives and remember those who have helped us and very difficult to forget those who would not.”  Make sure that you are on the right side of life’s equation this year. 

Many people are counting on you to be strong and productive for them this year even though you will never hear them utter a sound.  Without a sound is the quiet persistence of a toiling worker performing their job or task in life with the vision of their inspired leader guiding them and acknowledging their efforts.  Be a productive, compassionate and inspiring leader this year, we are counting on you.

What you are thinking about and acting upon you will bring about.  It may seem like a very simple statement and it is.  It reminds me of another statement that almost sounds prophetic “You will find what you have lost in the last place that you look”.  Truth being told I believe in both. 

In business and in life you can look around you and see that there are many examples of people bringing about what they are thinking about.  Call it perseverance, determination, stick-to-it-tiveness, focus or any number of terms and it all means producing results.  Remember not all results are tangible, quantifiably or even good. 

I recently spoke to a business owner in the construction industry whose company was not producing the quality results or service that it had in the past.  The reason was that the company had let go of one of their “Salesman” who managed most accounts.  In this slower economy the business owner only looked at bottom line results and therefore he overlooked a prime function of his company.  The salesman was not the hard sell type of sales person, he was just out there in the field or a phone call away, available, anytime you needed him.  The results that he produced were not necessarily tangible but were what I consider the backbone of our American service industry.  Being there for the customer and letting them know that you are there long before you are ever needed. 

I do not judge a company by what they do when things are going right; the true measure of a company is how they perform when things are going wrong.  In this example the company is now failing because they are bringing about what they are thinking about.  That is to say they are thinking that the salesman was a non performing asset when in reality he was the glue that was holding the fabric of the company together. 

The moral of the story is to be careful of what you are thinking about, and remember that if you keep your thoughts in business and in life positive you are most likely heading in the right direction.  If you expect positive results you must think and act in a positive way. 

Remember the great thinkers of our time have produced as many profound results as the doers of our time.

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

The most important lesson you will ever learn is also one that you should never forget, be it in good times or bad.  You should use this lesson each and every waking business day and practice it in your personal life every time you have the chance.  You must practice it as if were an art and apply it as if it were a science.  You must personify it, promote it and perfect it. 

This lesson was probably taught to you in grade school and you have been honing it to a sharp edge ever since…now is the time you must use it.  The lesson that you learned about salesmanship should be quintessentially the finest skill you possess in the current marketplace and you don’t have to go it alone.  Utilize your network of clients, associates, friends, staff, family and former colleagues to build the best sales force that you possibly can even if it is an army of one. 

Fiction: “Build it and they will come.”  Fact: “Sell it and you can survive this downturn to see the more prosperous times that lie ahead.”  We have been selling since the beginning of time (I have taken a bit of artistic license to prove a point) and will continue until it ends.  Good sales people keep the ship afloat so that the slow moving company can steer the ship straight…Great sales people navigate the ship toward greater goals and create excited and motivated people in their wake.  Do not underestimate the power of great salesmanship.  When you decide (today after reading this) to have an impromptu meeting with your entire team to let them know that they are now (regardless of position) being deputized as sales people you will mark the beginning of your new experience toward greater sales and prosperity. 

A well oiled machine simply will not cut it.  You need the power of your entire machine to push for the next sale.  Conduct a post-mortem on your last sale to determine why it happened and then do more of it. 

Keep the sales momentum going and apply the basic law of sales physics that states; Sales in motion tend to stay in motion and Sales at rest tend to stay at rest.  Maintain the company that you keep in high morale and remember that great sales have many measures but all must be sold.

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

Click here to view Shirt Wow!™ on YouTube

Obviously not all inventions involve rocket science….but they should all work as easily as the Shirt Wow!™ does in the video.  

Think about all of the aspects that your invention has and ask yourself if it really makes life a little easier.  If it does, chances are that you have the making of a great consumer product.  The sales pitch doesn’t hurt either.  How many have heard of the simple (if not a bit cheesy) infomercial for ShamWow! the shammy type cloths have made their inventor/marketer many millions of dollars. 

I don’t know if Shirt Wow! will do as well as ShamWow! but the product seems just as practical and it’s affordability across all markets should make it a hit with consumers that need one for themselves or need an inexpensive cool gift.  Keep working and start selling!

The fear of failure is one of the top 10 reasons (I will list another 100 that I am personally aware of at a different time) that ideas and inventions do not make it to market.  Since I believe that what you think about you bring about (we can discuss this later) I would like to avoid thinking too much about failure.  Instead we should think about the success, drive, and determination that failures can bring about. 

Achieving failure is an important milestone of the invention and product development process.  It means that you are moving forward.  Perhaps you need to change direction, but you are moving forward.  Just understand that you should not be repeating your failures, you do not need to practice it.  It should, and will, come and go leaving you in an position of advanced knowledge.  It will come in the form of financial and personal loss at times and complete product or packaging overhauls at other times. 

Learn from your failures and bank that knowledge for your next investment of time and sweat equity.  When your next project presents itself remember the knowledge that you have gained and apply yourself to the project as if it is your first day on a new job.  Passion and enthusiasm are strong antidotes to failure as long as you are not in love with it (failure). 

Forget try, try again and start to believe in the power of deep thinking about project problems and issues.  If your issue is a financial one enlist the help of a financial expert, if your issue involves packaging call your packaging supplier or engineer.  You don’t have to re-invent the wheel every time you face a challenge.  Apply yourself to the fullest extent possible and also ask for help. 

P.S. When help arrives and it sees that you have done the proverbial homework it usually translates into a greater benefit for you because less time is spent on education and redundant explanations.  Don’t fear failure, you are already succeeding in life, respect it and get to work!

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

Productive meetings with manufacturers start with preparation on the part of the inventor or product developer. 

The inventor or developer stakeholders should be present whenever possible.  When engineering changes are considered or engineering change notices (ECN’s) are discussed you should conduct the meeting professionally and have the right partners in attendance.  This means decision makers, so questions, answers, and discussion can occur within the confines of an agenda and the outcome of the meeting does not have to be reviewed by someone else. 

The agenda does not have to be written but it must be communicated.  Everyone in the meeting should understand what needs to be accomplished.  You would be surprised at the number of people who attend meetings without understanding what the meeting is about.  You want to invest your time as wisely as you invest your money and that means productive meeting outcomes. 

A typical meeting covering product changes or enhancements can relate to the product or to the packaging. A recent meeting with one of our manufacturers was very productive, even though one of our technical engineers could not be present, because everyone else understood the objective.  Several points were brought to the table and discussed by the entire team in attendance.  The outcome resulted in what will now be a more productive sourcing and manufacturing trip to China during the course of the next 2-3 weeks. 

Here are some simple yet key things to consider when planning your next meeting:

· Choose one person to run the meeting. (Communicate the meeting objective clearly at the very beginning of the meeting and remind everyone of it during the meeting to maintain control and keep things on track.)

· Invite all stakeholders.

· Bring drawings, specification sheets, concept sketches or prototypes that will help everyone visualize and grasp the problem you are trying to solve.

· Take notes.  (This helps keep the meeting organized and lets others know that what they contribute matters.)

· Make an effort to accomplish the objective. (Don’t just discuss one idea or suggestion after another, break them down and try to pull good information from them.)

· Conclude the meeting with what was accomplished and what action items each person is responsible for and when the next meeting or communication will occur.

No one ever said it was easy but many have said it was worth it.  It is time to get to work!

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

inventors flowchart included

 

We are facing uncertain times and our future is unclear.  This statement can be made at any time in the future and it could have been made at any time in the past and it would be correct depending on who “we” are.  If said today by the invention community it should spur creativity and challenge. 

Now is the time to look for opportunity as an inventor.  Think of those moth balled ideas that you have had that relate to personal cost savings, alternate ways to conserve resources and products that can be shared or reused, bring them out and blow the dust off.  Their time has come and so has your opportunity. 

The current economic conditions will improve in the future as history repeats itself.  Make sure that you remain positive and productive and remember that there are always winners at every point on the curve!

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

inventors flowchart included

You can be as sophisticated as you want to be or as sophisticated as you need to be.  The choice is yours but please take a moment to think about this statement.  The difference between the two may be a lot of effort and a lot of money. 

Ultimately the more effort or money you put into a product or invention the more it will cost the end user or consumer.  Any cost equation should tell you that a lower product cost should translate to higher sales volumes and/or absorption rates. 

With that being said, make sure that the level of sophistication of your product matches the buying demand demographic or buyer profile and that may not necessarily be your personal or professional buying profile or demographic.  Simply said don’t over do it. 

I am writing this blog to reach out to the masses of inventors, product developers and those individuals that create that one hit wonder that makes them a millionaire.  It is written to inspire hope and passion and it is written the way I would speak it if you were in front of me. 

It is not written for the venture capital firms or investor seeking to partner with an entrepreneur.  Therefore the level of sophistication reflects what it is and not what it could be.  It is the truth in a simple format that easily explains itself to the end user….you! 

I have been involved with many diversified businesses over the years.  I have seen plenty of over the top sales & marketing strategies and presentations that are consistent with the principal of the company’s ego or level of sophistication but did not meet the basic demands of the end user or fulfill the goal of a good strategy.  A good strategy is to connect with the customer (on a personal level without intrusion if possible) and help them make a buying decision. 

The framework of what we are talking about relates to your packaging, sales & marketing materials, presentation materials, samples and even your products name and tag line. If all else fails and you can’t remember any of this.  Remember the K.I.S.S. principle…..Keep It Simple & Sell.  Now get to work!

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

inventors flowchart included

Inventors and product developers often spend every waking moment inching their products and ideas forward.  It may be in very subtle ways but we always seem to find a way to relate the common things in our daily lives to what others would consider work.  This usually leaves very little time for organizing. 

I have a theory that if I leave a seminar or a good read with 1 single idea that I can incorporate into my life it was considered worth it.  I spend very little time entertaining myself with things other than those that are business related.  I enjoy the business of life so why not spend as much productive time as I can with it.  The other day I realized a secret to grab a little more time each day.  

I will share it with you only if you promise to tell 3 other people….just kidding.   It is not a get rich quick scheme, it is a get organized quick scheme.   First look at your computer desktop.  If there are more than 10 icons it is time for you to learn the secret. 

· Create 10 new folders on the desktop that you can easily recognize by name.  (PC users right click your mouse and click on create new folder)

· Right click on each one of the new folders, scroll down to properties, find and click on change icon and change it to something you like to look at or that makes sense to you or just leave it as a file folder icon.  Do this for each of the 10 new folders that you have created (remember you can always rename them later).

· Drag each one of the old icons (except for the 2 that you use most and the recycle bin) and drop them into a new folder. 

· At the end of the process you should only be left with 10 new folders on a clean desktop. 

· Change the background of your desktop to a solid color without distraction. 

You now know the secret of organization, it starts with you, it ends with you, it is up to you, and you must maintain it.  This will save you countless seconds if not minutes each day. 

You will now know where to go to find what you need and will not be distracted by the dozens of mysterious icons that populated your old messy desktop. 

Great job, you have just created another new and refreshing business like desktop.   If you want to have a fun, cool or otherwise crazy desktop simply create another user called “downtime” or “me time” and log onto your computer with this name when you are not “all business”.  Otherwise get to work….your competition is. 

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide and Big Idea Organizer™

inventors flowchart included

 

 

 

 

One sure way to find a scam invention marketing company is to become a victim of one.  This may sound obvious but many inventors will become just that this year, just as they have last year and the years before that. 

The rules are more difficult to navigate for the scam artists but they are usually one step ahead of the rules and 10 steps ahead of most inventors.  With the power of today’s internet they have now graduated from scam artists to scam scientists.

There are many legitimate companies out there that can help inventors and we at ihelpinventors.com simply want you to be able to recognize the difference. If you fall prey to a scam invention marketing company you not only waste money but you waste valuable time and if you are one of the inventors that has an invention that has great potential you may even risk your ability to acquire strong patent protection. 

What may seem like an innocent internet search for you after you just had your eureka moment is an opportunity, actually an invitation, for the new invention scam scientist to go to work.  They will never go away.  They pay millions of dollars to respected search engines so that they can be on the first page of every keyword search.  This makes them seem that much more legitimate. 

In the past it was you alone that had to be able to distinguish them from the real invention (product) marketing companies and product representatives….until now!   We can help guide you from product concept to market with an insider’s view that most companies will not let you know about. 

We offer our i help inventors guide™ and Big Idea Organizer™ (practically at cost, $24.95 for the pair) to help spread the word and educate inventors about the process.  We have contacted the United States Patent and Trademark Office and will now be able to distribute their scam brochure with our helpful guide.  There are scam warning signs and we (along with the United States Patent and Trademark Office) want you to know about them.  So tell your friends, family, and fellow inventor club members that you have finally found a “Real” company that can help. 

You will be able to spot scams like potholes in the road to success and steer your way around them.  Call us, email us, read our blog, send us your idea for a no charge evaluation and please purchase our guide…but don’t get taken by companies that promise you everything and tell you your idea is great.  You need honest real world answers not promises that turn out to be empty. 

Check their website.  Are they sharing this kind of information with you for free, are they warning you about scams, are they telling you to read the United States Patent and Trademark Office scam brochure.  We didn’t think so.  I do not want to sound cliché but if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. 

Keep thinking, even after you come up with your great idea and send us an email if you need a little help.  A little help we can do for free.  If you want full product representation we’ll talk.

© please visit ihelpinventors.com™ for additional information and to purchase our inventors guide

a must have for all inventors