I’m a big fan of Roger’s plan: no money down, no monthly payments! He has been doing this for a very long time and is confident in his marketing abilities. I will keep you ladies all informed.

Toni, you can pull up my name under people and just send me an email from there. When you get a chance send me the NDA and I’ll check it out. Thanks girl!

thanks Patrice:)

Patrice, I married a cajun; I’m an army brat from…well…just about everywhere!

Awesome, Patrice! I hope they are to your liking!! Please keep all of Roger’s info handy; I find I just don’t have the time to read each and every forum topic, where I might miss the information!
You’re welcome Amber!

Roger sent me his. I will email it to you.

thats great Patrice! Did Roger post that list or email it to you? My uncle is an attorney, so I know he can draw up an NDA for me.

I guess I just kind of want a working prototype too:)

are you seriously O’l Suzanna from Louisiana?

Oh, don’t you cry for me :)

Well I am definitely sold on Roger’s route. He is truly the real deal. Roger gave me some names of co’s that are inventor friendly so I’m going to call them, have them sign and NDA form and then send them my presentation. If you’re nervous, start out small with one of your not so huge inventions and just see how it goes. Everyone is afraid, but you can’t be paralized by fear. If they sign an NDA form that is a legal binding contract and you can sue them if they steal your idea. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Also, I mentioned my China prototypes and the guy emailed me with a UPS # and said they are on their way!

thank you so much for the info Suzanne, I didn’t even think about our local university:) I’m calling them right now…you’ve made my day!

Amber,
Since I also have to do everything “right” the first time, I am going through the university in my area. They have an entrepreneurial/inventors program for people who DO NOT have large sums of money or their company is not yet making lots of money. I first did a client assessment (to make sure I wasn’t already worth millions) which I qualified for. The government funds this program and pays for half of all your costs…Next I do a WISC assessment where my product gets evaluated and a patent search is done…If everything is hunky-dory and I get a green light, they pass me to the manufacturing guy who ALSO helps me write my business plan! Then it’s up to me to get the money to manufacture or license. My ideas to EN I just wanted to license, but my product I’m working on now, I want to manufacture. Have you gone to your local SCORE office or SBD (small business development office)? They have also helped me a lot by just giving me contacts to call. Good luck! And I also would like to join a women’s group; there is nothing here in Louisiana.

I was thinking about going Rogers route at well, but then I was reading, and for example EN will take a “manufacture quality prototype” for licensing consideration. It cost $75 but I’m sure you would receive some “real” feedback and they mail your prototype back to you after their review. I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, but that seems like $ well spent. Now I need to find a company that can make a working prototype and not put my family in the poor house during the process, lol. My invention is a little complicated and has a number of electronic components, which I know nothing about! Lots of fun!!

I wonder exactly what is involved to making that approach work so well for some and yet not for others. I’ve been reading some posts on another forum from a woman who shares, based on her experiences, to not do this very thing, as the company she approached, had a team of attorneys present that somehow found some loopholes, and just over a year after meeting with her, they have come out with their own variation of her product (or something like that). (remember, I only have one good eye right now and everything is blurry! lol!)

It’s still a great thread. Thanks Amber! I would like to join a women inventor’s group. If there isn’t one we should start one.

I am very inspired by Roger’s stories and I think I’m going to try his approach to licensing. No prototypes or patents just calls and presentations. I like simple and cheap! I had the fear of co’s stealing my ideas too but Roger is very confident about his method so I think I’ll give it a whirl.

This could have been a great thread had it not been hijacked :(

Eva, sorry to write you back in here; howeve my email is being rebellious right now. I really appreciate your time and information, I know how busy you must be. I would love to check out your website as soon as it’s up and running. At this point in my inventing carrier, I have my children and a business that I launched from the ground up about two years ago, as for actual inventions though, I only have a note book with two ideas that I’m passionate about (one I entered into the en casting call, but I think it was to complicated for the show). I guess what I’m looking into now is getting a working prototype made and possibly filing for a provissional, both of which I’m a little unsure about. This is defiantly a new avenue in life for me, but I am loving learning things from everyone and I’ve also been trying to do a lot of research online. Honestly when I’m online I’m just never sure which companies to trust at this point or really which company to go to for my prototype, due to money being a little tight I need to get this right the first time:) Sorry for rambling, I checked out you website for cincheaze…awesome stuff, it’s woman like you, Patrice, etc.. that inspire me, so again thanks, and I look forward to learning more from all your post and emails:)

Hi everyone!

I’m also a new inventor. I filed a provisional patent application one year ago and finished the final utility patent earlier this year.

My product is a customizable light switch/outlet plate that can be made to match the color of a room’s walls.

I’m just now starting the process of getting manufacturing cost estimates together. Licensing the product is also something I’m considering.

No…there are not. There was one (women inventor group) but us men ripped it down. You see, it is a man’s world and we keep inventing it to stay that way.

NO WOMEN INVENTORS GROUPS ALLOWED!!!

Noooo…just kidding. Just letting you know I’m here just being nosy. Now I’m getting out of this thread before one of you finds my house and throws a brick through my window for that wisecrack!

Ron

I wonder if there is a women’s inventors group somewhere? Are any of you ladies aware of any groups like that?

yes, it is tricky to fit in another ‘to do’ on my list … however I feel if you believe enough in your invention you will make time for it
this has been challenging for me since I am a self-employed wedding cake designer and mom of 3 year old twins … due to a tight budget we limit daycare to only 2 days a week … I as well as the rest of you are master multi-taskers … I work on my businesses in the wee early hours, naptimes and the rest is a juggling act … I do drop the ball every once in awhile but I just pick it back up and keep on moving

I have 3 kids, 10, 8, and 2, and run my own transcription service. I also recently started a community website regarding a topic concerning elementary-aged children. I’ve also finished reviewing my PPA draft – thank goodness before the eye injury, and am waiting for attorney to get back from vacation to get that moving ahead. I fit it in whenever an opportunity presents itself, whether it be 5 minutes or 5 hours on a weekend when all are sleeping, whether it be reseraching an applicable topic to that which is still unknown to me or taking notes for future reference. Working at home can also be hazardous to your health….the ophthalmologist I had to see today indicated I should hang an OSHA poster – as this is the second time my 2 year-old poked me in the eye, only this time while I was on the computer, looking down. Didn’t see it coming until just before he hit – WHEN TODDLERS STRIKE! lol. He got about 20% of my cornea and I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open, even the good eye. DH had to call into work today ‘cuz caring for children, especially a 2-y/o, in a rapidly blinking fashion isn’t working out real well. lol. Sitting here with my eyes closed doing nothing is about doing me in. I can only read a line at a time before having to clamp the good eye shut, but its better than nothing. lol. At least I can type with my eyes shut.

LOL. I doubt it, but it would have been fun listening to you try. It could get quite entertaining back with some of those more creative people, but I don’t do that any longer. You should have seen my boss explaining to the German man who was to become very important to us both why I would not let him through by interrupting a meeting he demanded me to over the phone for him (he called and refused to tell me where he was from or why he was calling). He wound up screaming at me. Turned out the company was going to be sold, and in the early stages, nobody told me. He wasn’t creative enough to make something up either I guess. lol. I remember my boss saying “That’s her job.” to him over the phone when he called him back. lol.

The baby….I refer to him as my butt barnacle. Until I can shake him, he goes where I go. (in that still not playing independently stage). lol.

Roger, as an ex-executive assistant/secretary, I would have been soooo onto you! lol. I had so many people try so many different methods of getting past me to my boss, including inventors. lol. Being an inventor-wannabe myself, however, I would just get to the bottom of it, talk it over with the inventor, have them send me their information, and quietly put it on the boss’ desk. It was up to him to do what he would at that point with it, even if he pitched it. It was my job to sniff you out! lol.

“Lee Press-On Nails….”

Murray, you don’t happen to work at our local Wal-Mart here do you? No, never mind, he wears nicely painted acrylics.

zapdata.com…very cool website!

thanks again Mark:)

I knew I couldn’t get away with posting in this forum without a jibe from Murray! :)

Amber,
Like Roger has said, do your homework. Find out everything you can about the company before calling. Dunn and Bradstreet (I think) offers a service at zapdata.com that tells you things like number of employees, annual sales, main office address, key officers names, etc. all for about $7.
Another tool you can use to get past automatic phone systems is gethuman.com.
And of-course Google.

lol

Mark, thanks for the input, I know its ladies only, but still appreciated.
so what is the 411 on contacting a company professionally about your product?

Ladies,
I know I’m in the wrong forum here, sorry. But I wanted to mention a couple things That Roger hasn’t.
Be careful with the first company contact. Remember you do not yet have an NDA so don’t give your idea away at that point. Stick to generalities.
Also, Roger is an accomplished artist. He is able to convey the function and advantages of his ideas graphically. This is one of the reasons he does not need prototypes. The old “a picture is worth a thousand words” thing.

ok so I guess I’m going in a few to many directions the past couple weeks because this just went right passed me, and it’s great info…exactly what I was trying to ask, and clear cut solutions… thanks Patrice and Roger, I hope you don’t mind me reposting it for the sake of others:)

Patrice Capone
Patrice
Gold Member 1)I want to know the quickest & cheapest way to get my product to market without risking someone stealing my idea.

2)I then want to know what to write in that insert that someone mentioned to put in the NDA that requests a specific time frame for the company to give me their answer.

3)Do you just start cold calling companies and ask them to sign and NDA?

4)Should I have at least 3 companies lined up to present my product to so that I have leverage when bargaining with them?

5)How much protection does an NDA give you without a provisional patent or a patent? Can they still steal your idea?

6)Do you have to meet with the company in person to set the deal? What are some suggestions on presentation when meeting with a company?

7)Do I suggest a specific royalty fee? How do you get them to give you the highest fee? Or do they just tell you what they’ll give you?

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Roger Brown
RogerBrown
2. Most companies will not abide by any time frame you put in an NDA. They all have their own method of evaluating submissions. An example would be Progressive International. They review submissions the first week of the month. So, if you send it to them the second week of the month they will not review it for a month. So a deadline would not work for them.

3. What do you mean by leverage with the other companies? You only have leverage if all three wanted your item at the same time. I make a listing of the top company and work my way down the list from there. I do let the company know that I went to them forst so they know if they say no I will go to their competitor next.

5. As many Inventors here can share their is no guarentee even with a patent a company won’t steal your idea. Look at all the knock offs of patented products on the market. Your best protection is the market share you own when your product hits the stores.

6. You don’t need to do a face to face with a company to present your idea unless you have unlimited funds and plenty of time. I have gotten all my inventions to market by emails and talking with them on the phone. I finally met one company licensing my ideas 3 years after we first started producing the toys.

7. Most companies have a ploicy of waht they pay in royalties based on the expense of the product, the amount of upfront work you have done and what else you bring to the table. As I have shown in my dealings I have gotten the same royalty rate for my idea without a patent as the Inventor who came to them with a patent. Most companies pay 3% to 5% as the norm.

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Patrice Capone
Patrice
Gold Member So you normally call companies with no provisional patent or patent and just have them sign an NDA?

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Roger Brown
RogerBrown
Yep. I do my homework on the company prior to sending them anything on my idea. I do a presentation sheet on the product. If they are interested in licensing the idea they pay for the patent to protect their investment. That is how I can get a product licensed and on the market for under $100. I have spent as little as $10 on an idea and got it picked up within two weeks of contacting the company.
I am thorough in my approach to companies and getting my facts right. You don’t have to go in debt to do things right.

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Patrice Capone
Patrice
Gold Member Sorry for all the questions, but what do you mean by “homework”?

How do you go about researching a company before contacting them?

Who do you ask for when calling?

How do you know the order of your top target companies? Is it by their annual revenue or rank on the fortune 500?

What if they’re not public? Do you only focus on public companies and not bother with the others?

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Roger Brown
RogerBrown
I think I can answer those questions with one answer.
I look at the companies market share in the place it counts most, the stores. Who has the most shelf presense. Stores only have a limited amount of space so the company that takes up the most of that space is target number one. I work down from there.
Before calling a comapny cold I do my homework. You asked what that is. It is finding out the most you can about your target before calling them. You can go online and find articles about the company. It is a great place to find out who the CEO, marketing manager etc is for that company. You can check out their website for a listing of employees. That way when I call I already have a name to ask for. Most Inventors that call cold to a company get stopped by the secreatary who filters the calls. I have a knack for getting past that guard dog. It comes down to that old saying of “if you act like you know what you are doing people don’t question you.” I have walked into office buildings and gotten to various levels without being questioned because they thought I belonged there. All of these things help getting your idea in front of the right person.

Roger said this in another thread:

I do things in this order.

1, Research company

2, Contact company

3, Sign NDA

4, Submit Presentation

5, Wait for decision

6, if interested review licensing agreement

7, if not interested move on to next company

Hi Amber! I am glad to see you are still with us girl :). I started that prototype before I heard how Roger gets his products to market. I don’t think he uses a prototype at all. I think he just presents his idea to the company and then they do all the R&D and get the patent and do all the leg work. Roger is smart – let them do all the work! Don’t drive yourself nuts trying to invent the wheel.

I have been thinking of things to invent for as long as I can remember; however, this is my first time that I’m actually following through on an idea and I believe this is due to the fact that I know it will change a lot of moms lives. I came up with this a little over a year ago, but am very anxious to get the ball rolling…I don’t want this one to get away. I’m looking forward to the feed back from EN and learning from all of your guy’s fine threads. Thanks again for your post all!!! Patrice my fingers are crossed all day for you!!!

Eva did EN contact you about your product after one of the first two seasons, or how did you get connected with them outside of the show?

Suzanne, I don’t usually trust so easily especially with money, but I had been back and forth talking business with him for a month and it was just $100 so I thought I’d bite the bullet. I’ve spent $100 on things a lot less meaningful to me than this: Hannah Montanah bedding, HS Musical videos, cd’s, bedding, games etc.

Patrice, you wired money to a man in China you had never met or talked to??? Wow! That was a leap of faith!
I’m finding that now that it is summer, I’m not able to get anywhere near what I want to get done in regards to my businesses, as my five boys are such a distraction…. and by the time the house is quiet and everyone has gone to bed, I’m exhausted! I can see, that until the kids get back in school, my progress will be slow…I currently do not have a job outside the home, but that might change if the gas (and everything else) continues to go up! We live on a pretty tight budget, which makes it all the harder to get a product to market…

Murray, the world would be soooooo boring without you in it! Thanks for keeping everyone connected.

Murray, I just want to pinch you!

Me too. TTYL

Lincoln is sacked out here on my bed, so I guess I better turn out the lights now. Good night all, see you in a few hours. Goodluck to staying Green!

I was going to try the direct ship route and sell things on a website but they all seemed so shady and I didn’t know what niche to get into.

Murry/Paul,
Are you a peeping “tom”??? LOL

Hey Patrice, what I meant about the provisional not protecting you overseas, they don’t have to honor our patents here. But you are right about someone can take it from you anyway. Hopefully you can get it here and do your thing quickly and make some money. What I bought was 13 cents total and I sold them for $3.00 :-)

No I’ve never heard of Global Sources. I’ll have to look them up. It’s just so much cheaper to have things made over there. They were much more willing to work with me vs the American mfgr that I was talking to.

Patrice, have you gone through Global Sources? I did work through them and the membership is free. But I did ‘invent’ a Company, as they only take businesses seriously I found. Also, once my Male friend came into play I was taken more seriously. Not fair but true in my case. Then the tranaction went very smoothly!

Toni – I can’t find the thread where you were going to guess my container to keep flies out. Tell me what you thought it was.

I’m not selling in China Debby, I’m just having it made their for $3, shipping it here for $2 and then selling it here for maybe $19.99 or $29.99 depending on demand. It’s not toys for children either – I wouldn’t do that.

Debby,

I got my contact from MadeinChina.com. I just looked for the manufacturer who made the type of product I wanted and contacted them directly. We communicate via email but it’s very hard to understand him. I had to wire him money to China which I’ve never done before. He is VERY nice and eager to work with me.

Toni, I am not sure a provisional would protect Patrice in China? But it might be helpful here in the USA! Go for it Patrice.