If you think invention companies or patent attorneys are the only way you’re going to get help with your invention ideas, think again. There’s tons of help and sometimes better options available for inventors (as long as they know where to look and who to ask). Read the questions below for some good, sound advice before you start looking up invention companies or submission firms on the internet.
I’ve got a fantastic idea but don’t know what to do now!
The other night I happened upon a great idea but don’t know what the first step would be. Do I need to get a patent on the idea or contact some invention companies first? I don’t have a lot of money but I am extremely confident that my idea is excellent. I’m willing to spend what I have on seeing my invention through to the end.
Before you get a patent or start contacting invention companies, do some research and then decide what you want to do with your idea. Meaning, what do you want to happen to this idea? Do you want to license it, sell it, market it yourself, do nothing… Unless you know what they are, you’re limiting yourself and you’ll always be confused about what to “do next”.
Research prior art to make sure your idea is original. This is going to take some work, but it is doable. You will just need to be diligent. You’ll need to write the patent which is a huge job and must be done extremely well. I always suggest people hire a patent attorney or patent agent at this point. However, you still have other options which I’ll show you.
Depending on what you decide to do with your idea, you might need to file a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and wait. This can be costly but don’t let that turn you off. There are still other ways.
Before you file a patent application or contact invention companies, do yourself a favor and educate yourself on the process and the many different avenues inventors have available to them. Doing things this way will cost you pennies on the dollar and will result in excellent results if you do things right. Going through invention companies may or may not work out for you, and that’s a risk. >>See how to patent an idea for profit which also includes other things you can do with your idea to make you money.— Abby ♥
What invention companies would you recommend?
Hi Abby. I’m still mulling this idea around in my head and want to thank you for all your help so far. Do you now of any invention companies you’d recommend? I have a feeling they may be able to help me find some small business investors for my idea.
Hi Robert. I really can’t recommend any of the invention companies because I’ve never used one. I’m sure there are some good ones out there, I just have no personal experiences with them. If you really want to find out about these companies, join a local inventors club and go to the meetings. Ask people at the meeting what, if any, invention company they’d recommend and why. — Abby ♥
I have an invention idea I want to sell
How do I go about getting my invention idea ready to sell to one of those invention companies I’ve seen on TV? I actually don’t even know who to sell it to but I do know I could never afford to manufacture and market it.
Tanya, you need to take baby steps in order to have success with your invention idea. I know this is NOT what you want to hear (from the message you sent me before the one above) however, if the idea fails because the proper steps weren’t taken in the right order, how well did you do? Sure, you could just luck out and it may be successful after all, however are you willing to risk all that time and money on an “if” instead of spending a couple of weeks on something that’s practically risk free?
Instead of pushing you towards invention companies, I am going to suggest you read how to patent an idea. — Abby ♥
