Yeah, he kinda wrote the book on inventing

Transcription

The
Tampa Bay
May-June 2011
Yeah, he kinda
wrote the book
on inventing
Page 8
President’s Message. . . . . . . . 2
Recap of Recent Meetings. . . 3
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . 6
Sites Built for Inventors. . . . . 10
Visit our website: www.tbic.us
GET NEWS UPDATES: www.tbicnews.blogspot.com
JOIN US EACH
2 AND 4th WEDNESDAY
EVERY MONTH!
nd
MEET WITH US AT:
Tampa Bay Innovation Center
7887 Bryan Dairy Rd., Ste. 220
Largo, FL 33777
“Inventors Helping Inventors”
The Tampa Bay Inventors Council is here to help you succeed, forge ahead, maintain your
purpose and achieve what you intend to. Everyone in this group is behind you.
A
ll inventors
must decide
what
they
want to achieve with
their ideas. Some
just like to tinker
and figure out things
with no real desire to
Wayne Rasanen
go into business with
it. It might be a way to exercise their brain and
enjoy the “ah-ha” moment. Some just want to
find a solution and hope to sell it for someone
else to pursue and bring to market with hopes
of a big pay-off. Some want to take their good
idea and make a business from it that will allow them to work for themselves. For each
inventor, it is important to identify their goal
so that they know what direction to go. Keep
in mind that lots of kids want to be a sports star
and only a few make it into the major leagues.
The ones who do make it start with great skills
and work hard all day every day with plenty
of personal sacrifice. The same is true for
inventing, you must have a genius idea and
dedication if you want to successfully launch
a major product.
That being said, sometimes we just get stuck
and spend years trying to succeed. There are a
few reasons why you might have trouble and
some of them are: fear of failure; fear of success;
lack of direction; and life just gets in the way.
Fear of failure is easy to understand. You
don’t want to complete something because it
may get a negative response or be mocked by
others. Remember that even the great artists
had critics who gave them bad press but history has proven their genius and it is the artist
who is remembered, not the naysayers. You
will have to bare the slings and arrows to make
an outrageous fortune.
Fear of success on the other hand might seem
silly, but for many people success might mean
losing their quiet lifestyle and privacy. As a success, you might have to go on a speaking tour
or spend time in the limelight. There might be
pressure to come up with the next big thing and
you may have to spend time away from your
friends and family. This might be a blessing for
some but it can be a curse for others.
Lack of direction is where we as a group
might be able to help. As a member of TBIC
you will be exposed to knowledgeable speakers, events and opportunities that you would
otherwise miss. Networking with your peers
and successful inventors can help you find the
right course and outline the next steps to take to
find success. We all learn from each other in an
environment where no ideas are mocked so you
can feel safe discussing them. Be sure to attend
the meetings and speak to the members so that
you can get the roadmap you need to get going.
As for life getting in the way…that is an issue
you will just have to overcome yourself. Just
keep trying and “happy inventing” to you!
Wayne Rasanen, President, Tampa Bay Inventors
Council
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Make your inventing process more effective and more fun!
Bring a Friend!
A few benefits you will enjoy with your membership:
• Bi-Monthly Newsletters
• Informative Speakers at Regular Meetings
• Free Workshops
• Updates on Legislation affecting the industry
• Current Industry News
• Focus Groups
• Inventor-Related Computer Programs
• Inventor’s Library
• Formal Presentations to Marketing Media Representatives
Page 2
Tampa Bay Inventors Council • May-June 2011
Past Meeting Summary
General Meeting Summary
March 9, 2011
STAR TEC – Scientific Technical Analytical
Research Technology Enterprise Center – is the
non-profit business acceleration center that provides our club with its meeting room. Founded
in 2003, STAR TEC is designed to help entrepreneurs from concept through exit strategy. A
true business incubator, STAR TEC’s team of
business experts, mentors and staff can assist
with validating your invention idea and making
it a successful business. STAR TEC has worked
with numerous inventors and innovators, as
well as with over 100 technology companies
developing high-tech innovations. Some of
our club members have or currently are using
STAR TEC’s services and always rave about it!
Tonight’s guest speaker was Danielle Weitlauf,
one of STAR TEC’s managers.
STAR TEC clients receive a wide array of
services such as shared equipment and meeting
space, access to financial markets, affordable
lease terms, administrative services and access
to business professionals within the Tampa Bay
region. Clients are usually assigned a mentor or
team of advisors to assist with strategic issues.
This team of serial entrepreneurs and business
professionals help clients with market research,
strategy formation and sales execution. These
are the very skills that independent inventors
usually lack and need help with.
Danielle outlined STAR TEC’s programs:
TEC Launch. This program is especially right
for inventors and others with a less developed
business plan. TEC Launch will validate your
idea and determine if your invention/product
has commercial merit. Customized market
research reports and business intelligence reports, along with your assigned mentor, provide
the guidance and direction to ensure that your
product flourishes in the marketplace. The TEC
Launch program addresses:
n Evaluating if your invention is unique & marketable
n Uncovering all of its potential applications &
distinctive attributes
n Determining your target market & potential
customers
n Evaluating your competitors
n Patent & trademark searches
n Commercialization & licensing assistance
n SBIR/SBTT contracting overview & assistance.
Launch Lab. A combination office/lounge/
meeting room available for $200/month to
STAR TEC clients. Many of STAR TEC’s clients are virtual corporations, meaning they are
micro-tiny and have no actual brick & mortar
facilities other than office and warehouse space
in the STAR TEC compound. They have no
room appropriate for a meeting/presentation
with several out of town investors and the like.
Therefore they can rent the Launch Lab.
Start-Up Exchange. STAR TEC advisors and
managers frequently hold mixers/socials at various restaurants around town. These informal
get-togethers provide local entrepreneurs with
answers to their important business questions
and great networking opportunities. Get more
info at www.MeetUp.com/StartUpXchange.
TEC Talk. Monthly forum meetings in which
various tech experts discuss trends and savvy
business practices. Usually held in the Microsoft facility in Tampa, these meetings draw 75
– 100 participants.
Idea Camp. A program to coach beginning
entrepreneurs into developing a great “elevator
speech.” Participants get extra credit to be accepted into STAR TEC as a regular client.
Launch Fest. Pitch your idea to the STAR
TEC vetting committee for feedback and polishing. And get extra credit to be accepted into
STAR TEC as a regular client.
P.T.B.I.E. STAR TEC’s annual trade show to
the national defense industry, every October.
After her speech, Danielle herded us all into
the Launch Lab for a look-around.
It’s obvious that STAR TEC can greatly assist people like us; people who do not come
from a business background but who desire the
lifestyle of the successful self-employed independent inventor. And relax, this local resource
is safe – completely unable to rip anyone off.
With so much that STAR TEC has to offer us,
you are urged to check out www.StarTecFlorida.com.
Editor’s Note: On May 6, StarTEC announced it was rebranding as “Tampa Bay Innovation Center.”
March 23, 2011
A product designer is an independent inventor’s best friend. Also known as an industrial
Continued on Page 4
Page 3
Past Meeting Summary (Continued from Page 3)
designer, his/her mission is to convert your
quirky invention into a slick looking professional product and to make all arrangements
to have it mass-produced. A designer (or design firm) is the link between the inventor and
the manufacturer.
Tonight’s guest speakers were the Riza
brothers of R&R Associates, the up-and-coming design firm in Sarasota. President Leo has
the engineering background and Chief Operating Officer Erkan handles the major business
decisions. Providing services that span the entire product development process – including
product definition, market analysis, design,
engineering and in-house rapid prototyping
– R&R can also manage the overseas manufacturing of a large variety of new products.
Founded in 1999, R&R’s award-winning designers and veteran engineers have originated
pioneering solutions for businesses ranging
from start-up to Fortune 500. With a branch
office in California and manufacturing facilities in Turkey and China, R&R launched its
Sarasota headquarters in 2007. R&R Associates has successfully provided its design and
development services to innovators from independent inventors to global corporations like
Xerox, Lipton and Crestron Electronics.
Leo described the sequence of steps recommended for independent inventors to follow:
Research - Do-It-Yourself first (Google,
USPTO.gov, stores, etc.) to find out if anything
similar to your invention idea already exists.
If so, try to find out info about total sales and
distribution channels. Then consider hiring a
marketing firm to do more in-depth research
about the invention idea’s viability and market demographics. Who is buying it now, how
much are they paying for it and how much do
they like it? Would they like yours more? How
much would they pay?
Hire a Design Firm - Use a non-disclosure
form and a work-for-hire form. Bring in your
drawings, homemade prototype and whatever
text description you’ve already created, as well
as whatever information you dug up in the previous step. The firm will ask you how much
money you have in your budget. Don’t freak;
it’s not nosey prying but serious business. You
will have to determine what percent to devote
to design, tooling and manufacturing costs;
all of which the design firm is responsible for
managing. There’s also marketing and distri-
Page 4
bution costs too. The firm can’t manage anything if it has no idea how much money you
have to work with. Knowing this, the firm can
help you put together a design & development
plan so that you and the firm can move forward
together as a team. Leo has seen too many inventors flop because they blow way too much
of their budget early, in the design stage and
have nothing left over to pay for a small-scale
manufacturing run. More about this later. But
just work with the firm to come up with a plan
and stick to it.
Patenting - Notice that this step should be
done AFTER the design step. Too many inventors patent their idea too early and flop.
Get the idea professionally designed so every
bug is removed, THEN get the thing patented.
Patenting early often hurts because in the design stage unexpected changes often (almost
always) must be incorporated. If the idea has
already been patented, the patent might not
cover these changes, thus requiring a new patent and much more expense. Design first, then
patent. Don’t worry about your unpatented
idea being ripped-off; you’re covered under
those non-disclosure and work-for-hire contracts in the previous step.
Business Development, Licensing, Marketing, etc.- The remaining steps in your business
plan.
R&R recently tackled a tough business
problem and in doing so made its services
even better. It all started when some of their
clients said that although R&R’s product designs were excellent, the final quality of the
early-stage small manufacturing runs – done
entirely overseas – were very disappointing.
Even though not R&R’s fault, this ultimately
cast a bad shadow on R&R. Leo started staying on top of his overseas manufacturers and
monitoring every move they made; but this is
not easily done from afar. So R&R took action
and put together its own light-manufacturing
and assembly center right there in Sarasota.
That is, the company expanded its facilities
and purchased CNC, welding, mold-making
and other manufacturing machinery of its own.
Problem solved.
This ability to do the early-stage production runs locally and in-house puts R&R lightyears ahead of most other design firms. See,
one important step in bringing an invention
to market is to assembly-line produce a very
small batch of the final design; a few dozen to
perhaps 100 units. This is for product testing
and market introduction purposes, as well as
double-checking the assembly-line process for
accuracy. The units must be EXACTLY the design that – hopefully – will be mass-produced
in huge numbers in the future. Few design
firms actually manufacture; they hire manufacturers instead. Overseas manufacturers are
great at mass-producing in huge numbers, but
lousy at small runs.
American manufacturers are the exact opposite, so it’s advisable to have this important early-stage step done domestically. Expensive yes, but getting it done right the first
time saves a bundle in the long-run. Because
R&R can perform this step in-house, time and
money are saved and the overseas gamble is
eliminated.
If this small batch sells well and market acceptance is attained, then it’s time to contact
overseas manufacturers for big production
runs. R&R can make these arrangements for
you.
At the R&R website, hit this page: www.
RnRAssociates.com/services. It’s an excellent
detailed description of all the steps R&R and
the inventor go through together – as a team
– to design, manufacture and commercially
innovate the inventor’s idea. Study it closely
then watch the 2½ minute video overview of
the steps above and check out the entire website.
After the talk from R&R, club president
Wayne described an idea the Board-of-Directors is considering. It’s a Club Directory on
the TBIC website. If the Board approves, the
directory will be on a page that is password
protected. All paid members will have the
password. Those who wish will be able to type
a description of themselves (perhaps a facial
picture too) and post it in the directory. The
idea is for members to safely see who has what
talents and then to network accordingly. Years
ago this club had a directory similar to this,
except it was on paper, not on the web. Each
member could request a copy. But at 50 pages
or so, cost eventually put a stop to that. This
would be free. But finding someone with the
right internet skill plus time, opportunity and
motivation to maintain and update the directory may be a challenge. This is common to most
non-profit clubs. Nevertheless, most members
in tonight’s meeting liked the idea.
Continued on Page 10
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Let us show
you how.
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Page 5
Inventors Calendar of Events
May 5: FAB-LAB Grand Opening at G-Wiz Museum,
Sarasota
The Faulhaber Fabrication Labratory (Fab-Lab) is a high-tech,
small-scale workshop that - thanks to advances in material science and computer-controlled tools - can manufacture nearly
anything a mass-production factory can. Through the generosity of the Faulhaber Family Foundation, G-Wiz is launching the
the lab today. Designed to promote science literacy and crossdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, the Fab-Lab will give
community members access to high-tech tools and materials.
As a result, Sarasota’s garage inventors will literally give form
to their ideas - and bring their concepts into the real world.
www.gwiz.org fablab@gwiz.org
May 10-12: Nat’l Hardware Show, Las Vegas, Nevada
Over 3,500 exhibitors from around the globe, giving attendees the opportunity to better their business by sourcing the
products that might just be the “next big thing” in retail home
enhancement. To make the National Hardware Show easier to
navigate, it is broken up into 7 “shows.” These shows will each
be part of the larger National Hardware Show, but will focus on:
Hardware & Tools; Lawn, Garden & Outdoor Living; Paint &
Accessories; Homewares; The Home Marketplace Connection;
Plumbing & Electrical; Storage & Organization. Plus there’s an
International Sourcing Convention too.
www.NationalHardwareShow.com jvanderbeek@reedexpo.com
(203) 840-556
June 13: Deadline for Edison Nation Innovation Fund
Searches, On-line
Searches expiring are Home/Kitchen/Bath, Fitness/Outdoor
Recreation, Consumer Product Open Search and Technology
Open Search.
www.edisonnation.com/searches
June 14-17: INPEX - The Invention & New Product
Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
INPEX, the Invention & New Product Exposition, is America’s largest invention trade show. For inventors, just getting a
foot in the door or finding the right person to talk to can be the
hardest part of developing a new invention. INPEX provides a
forum for inventors and entrepreneurs to exhibit their inventions and attempt to make contacts with companies interested
in new products. It is a service of InventHelp.
By exhibiting at INPEX, inventors get the chance to explain
the specific features and advantages of their inventions directly
to business attendees and receive feedback. INPEX also features a number of corporate product searches conducted by
companies looking to add new products to their existing product lines. And, the Invention Show presents a unique educational experience with the INPEX Inventors University.
www.inpex.com (888) 544-6739
June 15-18: MIT’s 5th Annual “EurekaFest,” Boston,
Massachusetts
EurekaFest is a multi-day celebration designed to empower a
legacy of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor
role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving. Join
the Lemelson-MIT Program and a community of innovators for
a celebration of the inventive spirit and speak with renowned
scientists and technologists present on the MIT campus.
http://web.mit.edu/invent/eurekafest EurekaFest@mit.edu
(617) 258-0632
Page 6
June 30: Deadline to enter the “Create the Future”
Design Contest, On-line
Match your best ideas against the global design community. Enter the “Create the Future” Design Contest for a chance
to win $20,000 USD, a workstation computer, and other great
prizes. Sponsored by COMSOL, Creo and Tech Briefs Media
Group.
Categories include: Electronics Design, Consumer Products; Machinery & Equipment; Medical; Safety and Security;
Sustainable Technologies; and Transportation.
The top entry in each category will receive a workstation
computer from Hewlett-Packard. Prizes also will be awarded
for the ten most popular entries as voted on by Web site registrants.
All qualified entrants will be included in a drawing for NASA
Tech Briefs T-shirts, and the winning entries will be featured in
a special supplement to NASA Tech Briefs magazine.
The Top 100 entries overall, as determined by an industry panel of judges, will receive a certificate of achievement
suitable for framing. All entries must be received by June 30,
2011. There is no cost to enter.
www.createthefuture2011.com
Aug. 2: 6th Annual National Invention Contest, Kansas
City, Missouri
The Inventors Club of Kansas City (ICKC)’s yearly event
brings 100’s of product submissions for new ideas and innovations each year. The ICKC team reviews and screens each
concept in accordance with criteria designed in partnership
with the sponsoring organization.
Twenty finalists are selected and invited to travel to Kansas
City for the BIG EVENT of the YEAR. The event is publicized
and covered by national and local press as a positive opportunity to encourage business development and spark economic
growth.
The ICKC National Invention Contest has resulted in at least
six Inventor/Entrepreneurs landing deals with major manufacturing/distribution companies. Inventors selected may gain a
possible business venture to license, and or be purchased to
market and sell their products.
www.InventorsClubofKC.org/index.php/invention-contests/submissionpage-m/114
Oct. 19-20: Design-2-Part Design & Contract Manufacturing Show, Kissimmee
Where else can you see so many quality suppliers in one
day???
If you source custom parts, components, services and
design, then this show is for you! The Design-2-Part Show is
the fastest way to get from idea to prototype, to production.
Hands-On, Face-to-Face is the most efficient way to outsource
new projects.
One day at the show will help you improve the quality, delivery and cost of your parts and components. This is a working show so bring your sample parts, drawings or problems
and get ready for INSTANT SOLUTIONS.
For over 35 years The Job Shop Company has produced
these Design-2-Part shows dedicated to bringing together the
finest American design & contract manufacturing companies
with the nation’s leading OEM’s.
We create efficiencies in the sourcing of design, custom
parts and components by offering you every option to do
business.
www.design2partshows.com
Special Feature
Working with a Patent Practitioner
by Cathie Kirik : Inventors Assistance Center
W
hile filing your own patent application as a “pro-se” inventor is acceptable at the United States Patent
and Trademark Office, it is strongly suggested
that you use the services of a registered patent
attorney or agent. Filing a patent application
is a legal process and requires an extensive
knowledge of patent law to be able to prosecute your application before the office. It can
be done, but requires a significant amount of
homework on the part of the applicant to be
versed enough to draft your claims, respond to
office actions and determine when to pursue
and when to abandon. The USPTO requires
either the inventor or a registered patent attorney or agent prosecute a
patent application.
A patent attorney has a
law degree, can prosecute
applications before the
USPTO, and can represent
you in patent litigation or
infringement cases. A patent agent can prosecute applications before the USPTO, but not in a court of law.
To be a registered patent attorney or agent, one must pass an
exam administered by the USPTO.
A roster of all registered patent attorneys
and agents that is searchable by name or geographic location is available on the USPTO’s
website. The USPTO’s attorney roster contains approximately 31,000 registered patent
attorneys and 10,000 registered patent agents.
Of the more than 40,000 attorneys and
agents registered to practice before the USPTO, finding a suitable patent attorney or agent
can be challenging. Here are a few suggestions
to consider when hiring a patent practitioner.
nAsk for recommendations from other inventors or from local inventor groups. Often
times, inventors who have been through the
process have great insight and suggestions.
For a list of local inventor organizations within your area, please visit the “Organizations
for Inventors” column in Inventors Eye.
nContact more than one attorney or agent.
Nothing says you have to go with the first
practitioner you contact.
nAsk if they have experience working with
independent inventors. Some practitioners
have more experience with independent inventors and a better understanding of things
they may or may not know.
nFind an attorney or agent that has experience
in the area of your invention.
nContact the USPTO Office of Enrollment and
Discipline to ensure they are in good standing with the USPTO at 571-272-4097.
n After you select a patent attorney or agent,
please do the following before your meeting.
nPrepare for your initial meeting by having a
good understanding of the patent process.
There is information on the USPTO’s
website about what can and cannot
be patented, the different types
of patent applications, and the
fees for each type of application you want to register.
Additionally, you can contact the Inventors Assistance Center at 1-800-7869199 for basic information
on the patent process. And
you can visit a Patent and
Trademark Depository Library (PTDL), which provides
a range of services to assist inventors with the patent process. The better
versed you are as the inventor, the better you
can relate the information to your attorney or
agent.
nConduct a preliminary patent search to see
what has already been patented and what
makes your patent different. This can be done
at the USPTO’s website or you can seek the
services of the PTDLs which offers search
assistance and other resources.
nWrite down the names of the inventors and
their contribution.
nWrite a brief description of your invention.
nWrite down when you publicly disclosed your
invention.
Before you sign your application, make
sure that you read the written specification and
claims. If you have any questions, ask your attorney or agent to explain. You will not be able
Continued on Page 14
Page 7
Stephen Key Enlightens TBIC
Successful inventor and licensing expert
Stephen Key has licensed more than 20 simple
ideas in fields as diverse as the toy, beverage,
music and drug industries. He has over 30 years
experience licensing his own inventions. From
designing the product to cold-calling companies and negotiating the contracts, Stephen
has first-hand experience in licensing ideas. In
recent years he has applied his first-hand experience to helping hundreds of inventors attain
similar success through his licensing business
InventRight. On Monday 07Mar2011 he taught
a licensing and marketing seminar to our club.
Stephen’s lecture, titled “Your 10 Steps to
‘Renting’ Simple Ideas to Fortune 500 Companies” covered many subjects. To summarize:
1.) Study the Marketplace. Look at an existing product. Ask what people don’t like about
using it. Look at the entire field that the product
is in. What are the bad things about that field?
Making a mental list of problems within a field
is the first step to noticing an opportunity. But
you have to study with your eyes open for problems and your mind alert for opportunities.
2.) Invent for the Marketplace. Look for a
problem, invent a solution. DON’T INVENT
A ‘COOL THING!’ Too many would-be inventors think of an idea that appeals to them,
and pursue it without realizing that it might
not appeal to customers. But a simple idea that
solves a problem has a built-in market. Also,
it’s good to think outside of the box, but not
too far outside. Some problems are so minor
that customers will not pay extra money for a
solution. Therefore they think inside the box;
they will endure the little problem instead of try
a super-duper new-&-improved solution that is
way out of the box. So invent a solution that
is just a little out of the box; a small improvement that they can understand and appreciate.
Think clever, not brilliant. Also, mix & match;
combine features of two products into one. And
think “What If”; invent improvements to an existing product and compete against it or license
to it.
3.) Pick the Winners. Which invention idea
do you develop? The one easiest to manufacture and most likely to sell. To determine this
you might need to hire a product developer and
a marketing consultant, but that’s OK. And fit
your product into some existing CATEGORY,
Page 8
because consumers, marketers and distributors
think in terms of categories. Too many inventors fail because they attempt to create new
categories.
4.) Do I Need a Patent? Maybe not. Nowadays new ideas come & go fast; first to market now matters more than anything else, but
the USPTO is not very fast to issue a patent.
Copyrights and trademarks are quick and inexpensive to get. Copyright a description of your
idea and spread the word about it. Stephen says
he rarely applies for a utility patent; a provisional application is usually good enough for
licensing.
5.) Bring Your Ideas to Life. Building prototypes and doing R&D is fun, but it’s MARKETING that makes your idea sizzle. Early in
your project, phone companies in your invention’s field and ask their marketing managers
for feedback. Don’t describe the principle of
operation, just what the thing does and how it
benefits the user. Incubate that feedback into
sizzle.
6.) Write a One-Line Benefit Statement. A
billboard doesn’t drone on & on about how
the product works; it states how the user will
benefit from the product. It says nothing more.
One sentence. So write a “billboard” aimed at
your customer. Then write one for each com-
pany you intend to pitch your licensing offer these numbers is tricky. At this point it’s just
to, which hints at how adding this product into verbal; it’s not going onto paper yet, it’s tentatheir existing product line will benefit the com- tive and informal. You don’t have to give exact
numbers now, but start the negotiation propany.
7.) The Sellsheet. Similar to the one-line cess. Ask him their TARGET WHOLESALE
benefit statement, but this is one page long. You PRICE and EXPECTED ANNUAL SALES of
will provide it to whomever took interest in your invention. Tell him you’ll call back tomoryour benefit statement. But still, don’t drone on row. Then crunch the numbers. Recite them to
& on about how the thing works; the sellsheet him tomorrow. Do not bid low! You bid high,
is a glorified ad. When you phone the interest- the company bids low... you know the drill.
ed party (preferably the company’s marketing This is still only verbal. As your numbers and
guy, NOT engineering or new product devel- his move closer together, you and he should
agree to write term-sheets.
opment dept.), have the sellYou write out the numbers
sheet in your e-mail program
and other details you want
ready to send. Ask the guy if
the licensing agreement to
he’s on his computer now (he
include, he does the same.
is, don’t worry!), then ask if
E-mail them to each other
you may send the sellsheet
and negociate farther. The
right now. Get him to look
term-sheet is not a contract,
at it while he’s on the phone
it’s tentative. When agreewith you, now.
ment is reached, then bring
8.) Contacting Companies.
in the lawyers to write the
Most inventors are very uncontract. Let his company’s
comfortable cold-calling a
lawyers write it (to let them
business and making a pitch.
feel in control), let your busiStephen offers coaching and
ness lawyers scrutinize it and
advice in this area. His book
help you decide if you should
contains a script that can be
sign it, change it or run away.
modified to most inventions
Be sure it says that only you,
and industries. This crucial
Stephen Key’s new
the inventor, have the power
step is becoming much easier
book: One Simple Idea
to approve or disapprove of
to accomplish nowadays beproposed improvements or
cause more businesses are
opening up to outside ideas. They need new changes to the product.
10.) Increase Your Chances of Success. Do
products all the time, thus the independent inventor is facing fewer obstacles. As mentioned steps 1 - 9 over & over again! It gets easier with
above, only cold-call the marketing department. experience, one invention project after another.
But have the manufacturing data documented Confidence builds, self-esteem soars, wealth
and ready to send to the company’s engineering occurs. You are now a successful independent
guys once the marketing guys are hooked on inventor. That’s your job, your occupation,
your product. You have gotten all your manu- your essence of existence.
There was just enough time for three presenfacturing documentation done by the product
designer you hired earlier. Before sending this tations to Stephen:
Pam French – Cell phone purse.
data, get a non-disclosure agreement (N.D.A.)
Steve Heidt – Drummer’s leash.
signed. Also, document every phone call by alRoger Fast – Trailer hitch.
ways sending a thank you e-mail the next day,
Stephen gave specific marketing advice to
and saving it. That message should contain a
each individually. n
brief description of what was discussed.
9.) Getting a Great Deal. When the company
Stephen Key has three websites:
likes your idea, knows that “We can sell that”
www.StephenKey.com - His biography
and is tentatively considering signing a contract
www.InventRight.com - Licensing, coaching,
with you, the man will ask you “How much
courses & his book.
money do you want? What percentage? What
www.InventorNotes.com - Large directory of interms?” Be ready! You must ask for more than ventor-friendly businesses.
you can grab, but keep it realistic. Figuring out
Page 9
Past Meeting Summary (Continued from Page 5)
April 13, 2011
Guest speaker Eric Wenham of EMS, Inc.
dazzled us with his discussion about rapid prototyping. What’s rapid prototyping? It’s a process of making a very detailed plastic model of
an invention idea; quickly and inexpensively.
You design your product on any 3D CAD (3 Dimensional, Computer Aided Design) program,
save it and e-mail it to EMS and they will make
a plastic model of it in about two days or less.
Several models can be made. Use these models
to work out the bugs at every step of the design
process. And use them as a communication tool
between yourself and engineers, manufacturers,
machinists, welders, marketers, investors, customers, etc.
A wide range of materials and finishes is
available: hard, soft, rigid, flexible or anywhere
between; shiny and chrome-like, solid colored
or wild, even woodgrain. Accuracy is +- .005”.
Dummy packaging can also be made for your
marketing specialists to consider. All graphics
are printed right onto the model package.
Eric passed around samples of previous projects and explained how each went:
n Whimsical race-car shoes, for kids. Client brought in home-made drawings. EMS
bought a pair of kid-size Crocs shoes and
photographed them with a special scanning
camera. Then EMS edited the image with
a photo editor program on computer. They
made the image of the shoes look like little
cars with smiling faces. When the customer
approved, EMS ran the image into their
plastic model-making machine. The finished
shoes, made of the same soft plastic as Crocs,
were passed around for our inspection. They
were terrific! Thousands have been manufactured since and will be sold in stores soon.
n The “Johnnie Seat” toilet seat handle. For
sanitary purposes, an adhesive-backed plastic handle that attaches easily and remains
out of the way until needed. A simple, inexpensive product.
EMS has no problem working for independent inventors, entrepreneurs, small businesses
and product designers. If your idea is not yet
patented, EMS will gladly sign your non-disclosure agreement or work-for-hire contract.
You can design your invention at home using
any 3D CAD program you wish; EMS handles
‘em all. If you don’t know CAD, Eric’s com-
Page 10
pany can refer you to any one of several local
product designers. Our own member Joe Navarro is a product designer and works with EMS.
Eric advises to prototype early and prototype
often. Every time you make a design change
or improvement a new model should be made
and studied because a tiny mistake that might
be overlooked on paper or computer screen
has nowhere to hide on a physical model. The
expense of making a model is much less then
the expense of correcting a mistake. Also, by
making a set of models, one can be of the completed product, another can be a 3 dimensional
cut-away, while another can include labels and
color coding, directional arrows and notations
printed right on the parts. And all moving parts
will actually move exactly as they will move on
the finished product.
Another service EMS offers is digital scanning of an existing object. Scanning is a technique of quickly measuring all conceivable dimensions of the object’s every nook and cranny,
using a special laser camera and computer program. The best known purposes of scanning are
reverse-engineering and for inspecting the accuracy of products coming off the assembly line.
But for inventors, scanning is for the productdesign stage. Let’s say you made a crude clay
model of your electric dental-flosser idea. It’s a
bit lumpy and bumpy; unprofessional looking.
You take it to Eric and he scans it, then runs
the resulting image into his computer’s scan
data editing program. Under your direction, he
eliminates the lumps and bumps, lengthens or
shortens the thing, widens or thins it and cleans
up the design into a slick, professional looking
product, complete with whatever color scheme,
logo or labeling you want. Then he’ll run that
image into his 3D model-making machine and
hand you your actual-sized plastic model of
your idea.
EMS’s prices start at $75 per hour for design
and model making, $150 per hour for scanning.
Previous projects have ranged from $200 to
$50,000. Most have been at the low end of the
scale. This means that model making, scanning
and other EMS services are affordable to the independent inventor.
Eric also gave a description of SpaceClaim.
It’s a 3D CAD program EMS uses extensively
and is an authorized reseller/trainer of. Although
SpaceClaim is a very advanced engineering program, Eric says it’s easy for anyone to learn.
At EMS, business is booming! That’s why
they’ve just moved to bigger facilities in Tampa. To find out more about this unique local
business and how it’s sure to help your project,
go to www.ems-usa.com.
April 27, 2011
A new industry is on the rise; one which can
be of assistance to some independent inventors
and to many, many small businesses. The fledgling Virtual Worker industry is sure to become
indispensable to millions of small entrepreneurs
worldwide, so it would be wise for all of us to
become familiar with this new trend. Tonight’s
guest speaker Ian Ippolito, founder and CEO of
vWorker, Inc. was one of the first into the game
and explained it all to us.
Many entrepreneurs end up as burned-out
workoholics. This can be avoided by outsourcing to virtual assistants many of the tasks the
entrepreneur regularly does on “auto-pilot.”
Virtual assistants (V.A.’s) are ideal for flexible
“lean, mean & hungry” entrepreneurial startups, self-employed small businesses, temporary business ventures and virtual corporations.
Even some households can benefit by hiring a
virtual assistant.
What is a Virtual Assistant? A person who
performs work on-line for a business (in exchange for money) in a manner similar to being
a subordinate employee of that business, without actually being an employee. Sort of an associate of that business, but the V.A. might typically have several other businesses as clients.
Which Tasks Should be Outsourced? Those
tasks that are mundane and done on a regular
basis. And certain tasks not done regularly but
which might be better done by a specialist (such
as website modification). Look for those timerobbing activities that are pushing you into a
rut. Consider outsourcing these:
n On-line research
n Organizing data into information
n Report writing
n Copying & pasting recurring info from many
customer e-mails into one organized wordprocessing report
n Distribution of articles you wrote
nComposing & maintaining e-mail newsletter
n Putting your new posts onto all your blogs &
social media
n Book-keeping & taxes
n Backing-up of files, lists & pages
n Website maintenance
n Website shopping-cart operation
n Search-engine optimization
n Graphic arts
Do not outsource tasks related to decisionmaking and revenue-generating. Doing those is
your job. The whole idea is to keep the entrepreneur focused on the important decisions and activities and delegate the dull but must-be-done
chores to a subordinate. The examples above
are time-traps to the busy small business owner/
manager. Outsource the time-traps.
How Does vWorker Work? A small business
owner/manager contacts vWorker and posts his/
her project. Several interested vWorker virtual
assistants bid for the job in a sealed bid. Each
bid includes that V.A.’s profile, résumé and
samples. The small business decides which bidder to hire. The business and the V.A. agree on
the final details and notify vWorker. The business is now a client of vWorker. The client must
now pay the full amount to vWorker. VWorker
places the full amount into an escrow account.
That money cannot be touched until the V.A.
has finished the job to the client’s satisfaction
and both have notified vWorker. Then vWorker
pays the V.A. while keeping a commission. This
escrow policy guarantees the V.A. that he/she
will get paid.
The occasional client/worker disputes are
handled through professional arbitration.
VWorker has a list of thousands of virtual assistants. Each is a home-working telecommuter;
a person who earns a living by staying at home
and working on his/her computer. This type of
worker performs under a much lower overhead
cost compared to a traditional on-the-worksite
employee...35 to 80% lower. That’s the main
reason this industry is bound to catch on. This
list of thousands contains a multitude of backgrounds, skills and talents.
VWorker Inc.’s achievement list is impressive. Being one of the first to start this industry
means having the longest record in the business.
Entrepreneur magazine called vWorker “one of
the 100 most brilliant companies on our radar.”
A four-time consecutive winner of Inc. magazine’s “5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the U.S.” award, vWorker has also been
profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Business
Week, Fast-Company and many other publications. Learn more at www.vWorker.com.
Page 11
WEBSITES
Brief descriptions in parentheses.
U.S. Gov’t.
U.S. Gov’t. General Information Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.FirstGov.gov
USPTO Depository Library (UCF, Orlando) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://library.ucf.edu/GovDocs/PatentsTrademarks/default.asp
SATOP-Space Alliance Tech (NASA helps inventors; free) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.SpaceTechSoluttons.com
SBIR/STTR (gov’t. wants inventions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir
Nat’l. Standards (gov’t. helps inventor’s business) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nist.gov/tip
D.O.D. Tech Match (military R&D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.DODTechMatch.com
Patent Offices, Patent Search
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.uspto.gov
European Patent Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.epo.org
Google Patent Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.google.com/patents
State Gov’t.
Florida Department of Revenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.state.fl.us/dor
New Business Start Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sunbiz.org
USF Technology Incubator (free help to inventors; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.incubator.usf.edu
STAR TEC Center (Pinellas County business incubation; Largo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.Young-RaineyStarCenter.org
Inventor’s Education, Advice, Books, Lessons, Info, Etc.
Edison Inventors Ass’n. (non-profit inventor’s club; Ft. Myers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.EdisonInventors.org
World Intellectual Property Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wipo.org
National Inventor Fraud Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventorFraud.com
United Inventors Ass’n. (large nat’l. org.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.uiaUSA.com
Inventors Digest (magazine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventorsDigest.com
Patent Café (inventor’s issues) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.PatentCafe.com
InventBay.com (info, manuf’ing, funding) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventBay.com
EdisonNation (education, contests, info) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.EdisonNation.com
Everyday Edisons (P.B.S. show, contests) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.EverydayEdisons.com
Bouncing Brain Productions (P.B.S. show, contests) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.BouncingBrainProductions.com
Idea Next Step (on-line contests) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.IdeaNextStep.com
From Patent to Profit (Bob DeMatteis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.FromPatentToProfit.com
Inventor Mentor (Jack Lander) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.inventor-mentor.com
Inventor Assistance (Ron Ezinga) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://inventassist.com/
The Basics of Patenting & Innovating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.inventors.about.com/od/firststeps
Ask The Inventors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.AskTheInventors.com
That’s An Idea (inventor’s directory) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ThatsAnIdea.com
Inventions.com (inventor’s directory) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.inventions.com
InventionSponsors.com (inventor’s directory) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventionSponsors.com
Idea Tango (Lisa Lloyd) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.IdeaTango.com
InventNet - Inventor’s Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventNet.com
MIT-Lemelson Inventors Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://web.mit.edu/invent
Invention Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventorHelper.com
Intnat’l. Federation of Inventor Ass’ns. (Budapest, Hungary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.invention-ifia.ch
Intnat’l. Development Enterprises (nonprofit, 3rd world inventing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ideorg.org
Innovation TRIZ (problem solving method) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.innovation-triz.com
ASIT (inventor’s problem solving method) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.start2think.com
Invention Machine (R&D problem-solving software) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.invention-machine.com
KeyWord Patent Search (workbook) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.KeyPatent.net
Stephen Key (inventor’s blog, coaching) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://StephenKey.com
Product Design, Prototyping, Manufacturing
R&R Associates (product design, prototyping; Sarasota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.RnRAssociates.com
Invention-Aids (rendering & virtual prototypes, Mal Greenberg; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.invention-aids.com
Duracon, Inc. (Voytek Beldycki; Sarasota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.DuraconInc.com
Robrady Designs (product design, prototyping; Sarasota) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.robrady.com
EMS, Inc. (product design, prototyping; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ems-usa.com
Mydea Technologies (product design, prototyping; Orlando) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.MydeaTechnologies.com
eMachineShop (product design, prototyping, free CAD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.eMachineShop.com
Machine Design (rapid design & prototyping info.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://MachineDesign.com
Access International, Inc. (Asian man’fing. agent; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.AsiaSourceNow.com
PPI, Inc. (funding, R&D, design, manufacture) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://ProtoProd.com
Concurrent Technologies Corp. (non-profit, military R&D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ctc.com
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://chapters.sme.org/159/homepage.htm
Marketing Services
Innovative Product Technologies (Pam Riddle-Bird; Gainesville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventOne.com
Hill, Coniglio & Polins (market research, planning, ads; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.HCPAssociates.com
Guided Star Consulting (business advice; Bradenton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.GuidedStar.com
My Marketing Dept., Inc. (Allen Jernigan; St. Pete) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.MMDept.com
Package Management Group, Inc. (packaging & marketing; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pmg-packaging.com
Big Idea Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.BigIdeaGroup.net
Market Launchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.MarketLaunchers.com
Idea Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.IdeaVillage.com
SmartInventions.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.smart-inventions.com
Wal-Mart (sells inventors’ products) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://WalMartStores.com/Suppliers/252.aspx
Impama (invention marketplace) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.inpama.com
Page 12
Licensing Agents
Invention Home (household products) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventionHome.com
DaVinci Legacy Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.DaVinciLegacyGroup.com
Planet Eureka (Doug Hall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.PlanetEureka.com
Next Techs (patent sales broker, venture capital) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.NextTechs.com
Patent Lawyers, Patent Agents, Legal Services
Att’y. Referral Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www,AttorneyReferralOnLine.com
Ed Dutkiewicz (reg. patent att’y.; Dunedin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.EdDuke.com
David Ellis (patent att’y.; Largo) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://Publish.pDesigner.com/DavidREllis/index.jsp
Dave Kiewit (reg. patent agent; St. Pete) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.patent-faq.com
Smith & Hopen (reg. patent att’y.; Clearwater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.BayPatents.com
Stephen Powers (patent agent; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.GulfCoastIP.com
Mike Colitz (reg. patent att’y.; Dunedin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.colitz.com
Brent Britton (reg. patent att’y.; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ssd.com
Inventor’s All-In-One Services
Idea Connection (innovation hosting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.IdeaConnection.com
Innovative Consulting Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.biz-consult.com/ICG/
Obvia Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.obvia.biz
Design My Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.DesignMyIdea.com
Jetta Co. (toys, electronics; Hong Kong) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.jetta.com.hk
Trade Shows
Invention Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.InventionConnection.com
Trade Show Nat’l. Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tsnn.com
ERA Invention Showcase (Electronic Retailers Ass’n.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://retailing.org
Catalogs, Mail Order
Nat’l. Mail Order Ass’n. (info. about catalogs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nmoa.org
Catalog Link (info. about catalogs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.CatalogLink.com
Catalog Times (learn to sell thru catalogs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.CatalogTimes.com
Tilbury Direct Marketing (agent representing many catalogs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://CatalogRep.com
Business Data & Info.
SCORE (Service Core Of Retired Executives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.score.org
Small Business Development Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.asbdc-us.org
Small Business Administration (loans & loan info) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sba.gov
Entrepreneurial Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.entre-ed.org
Start Up Nation (business education) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.StartUpNation.com/topics/11/Inventing.htm
Florida Women’s Business Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.flwbc.org
World’s Market Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.WorldOpinion.com
Thomas Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ThomasNet.com
Hoovers On-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hoovers.com
Industry Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://Research.ThomsonIB.com/
Funding, Angel Investors, Venture Capital
Angel Capital Ass’n. (angel groups, non-profit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.AngelCapitalAssociation.org
Alliance of Angels (angel groups) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://AllianceOfAngels.com
National Venture Capital Ass’n. (VC groups, non-profit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nvca.org
Florida Venture Forum (VC education, non-profit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.FloridaVentureForum.org
Quintic Capital, LLC (angels, VC, coaching; Tampa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://quintic-capital.com
Go4Funding (angels, VC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.Go4Funding.com
CEO Space (international networking club) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.CEOSpace.net
CAD Software (Computer Aided Design)
CAD Std (free 2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.cadstd.com
Alibre (free 2D & 3D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.alibre.com/promos/online/personal.asp
CoCreate (free 3D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.CoCreate.com/products/PE2/ModelingPE2.aspx
Parts, Supplies, Materials
Don’s Salvage Yard (used stuff; Clearwater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.BoatShopper.com/fl/fb5349/index.asp?DealerID=fb5349
Skycraft Electronic Parts (new parts, Orlando) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.SkycraftSurplus.com
American Science & Surplus (mechanical & electrical) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sciplus.com
W. M. Berg, Inc. (small parts supplier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wmberg.com
McMaster-Carr (industrial supply) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mcmaster.com
American Plastics Supply (supplier & manf’er.;Clearwater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.AmericanPlasticSupply.com
TechShop (machine shop education & rental; Orlando) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . http://orlando.techshop.ws
ADVERTISE
WITH TBIC!
TBIC is now accepting
advertisers for the TBIC
Newsletter! If you would
like to place an ad please
contact the TBIC Main
office at: 727-565-2085
Have you Expired?
There’s a good chance that your TBIC membership has expired without
you realizing it.
Never Fear! If you received your newsletter by mail, look at your mailing
label on the back of this newsletter and you will see an expiration date printed
clearly above your name. This date reflects the end of your enrollment. This
makes keeping up with your renewal date fairly simple!
Pay close attention and if, for some reason, the expiration date shown
is incorrect, please notify us at admin@tbic.us and we will look back in the
treasurer’s records to verify your expiration date.
Page 13
Senate Nears Final Vote on Patents
Excerpt from article By Edward Wyatt
The New York Times, March 7, 2011
Inventors, get your sneakers on. The race to
the patent office could soon be winner-takeall.
The Senate voted (March 7) to move to a
final vote on a bill that would give priority on
patents for new inventions to the first person to
file an application at the United States Patent
Office. The current system gives priority to the
person who can prove he was the first to invent
something.
By a vote of 87 to 3, the Senate moved to
end debate and complete a final vote on the bill,
formally called the America Invents Act. The
measure, sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, would be the first significant
change to the patent laws in 60 years.
This is the latest in a string of patent bills
that have passed in either the Senate or the
House. None have never made it to the president’s desk.
For much of the last five years, the focus
has been on changes to patent laws that would
help to keep new patents from getting tied up
in court. Those changes remain, but more recently, the focus has shifted to also include provisions that will provide better financing for the
patent office, which pays for itself through the
fees it assess on patent applicants.
TBIC Members are entitled to
receive Discount Subscriptions
to Inventors Digest Magazine!
Inventors Digest is the official publication of the United
Inventors Association. TBIC
is an affiliate member of the
U.I.A. and therefore TBIC
members are entitled to a discount on the price of Inventors Digest subscriptions.
Regular PriceDiscount Price
$36.00 for 1 year$25.00 for 1 year
$63.00 for 2 years$43.50 for 2 years
Patent Practitioners
(Continued from Page 7)
to add anything new to your application once
it has been filed with the USPTO.
Remember that once an application is filed
by a patent attorney or agent, the USPTO will
only communicate with the attorney or agent.
Inventors often call the USPTO for updates,
but they have a designated attorney or agent
representing them. The USPTO does not engage in double correspondence with an applicant and a patent practitioner (37 CFR 1.33).
Let them do the work for you. Also, know that
it is very likely that your attorney or agent
will need your input to respond to any office
actions he/she receives, so keep the lines of
communication open.
Inventors Assistance Center is a resource of
InventorsEye. InventorsEye is the US Patent and
Trademark Office’s bimonthly on-line publication
for the independent inventor community. www.
uspto.gov/inventors/independent/eye
Reprinted with permission.
Page 14
TBIC Members can get this
discount when subscribing
(or renewing) ONLY by phone or
snail-mail, not through Inventors
Digest’s website.
Phone: (800) 838-8808
Ask for the Account Manager Tiffany
Moore and explain that you are a TBIC
member. and ask for the discount.
Snail-Mail: Send your check and a note
that explains the above to:
Inventors Digest
Attn. Tiffany Moore, Account Manager
P.O. Box 36761
Charlotte, NC 28236
Dues Descriptions
Student Dues
Member Descriptions
2010-2011
Officers &
Officers
&
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
A Student Member at the $25.00 rate
Student
Member
must be
an active student enrolled in
Student Member
the may
$25.00
rate must
anA accredited
school. at
They
attend
President
be an active
studentthe
enrolled
in an accredmeetings
and receive
Newsletter.
Wayne
Rasanen
ited school.
They may attend meetings and
Sustaining
Member
Wayne
Rasanen
President
receive
the
Newsletter.
A Sustaining Member ($75.00 per yearVice President
goodharbinger@yahoo.com
Sustaining
Member
see below)
enjoys the benefit of attendKirk
Hamlin
A Sustaining
Member socializing
($75.00 perand
year- see
ing
meetings, seminars,
Andrew
Yauch
Vice
TreasurerPresident
below) enjoys
benefit
of attending
networking
withthe
other
members,
receiv- meetings,
seminars,
socializing
and
networking
Gayla Kilbride
ing the Newsletter and participating as
otherinmembers,
the News-Gayla Kilbride - Treasurer
a with
reviewer
our Focus receiving
Groups. They
Secretary
letter
and participating
as a protected
reviewer in our
are
allowed
to present their
Robert
Aiken
Secretary
Rob
Aiken
Focus Groups.
They
are allowed
to present
product
to all of the
various
companies
their
protected
product
to
all
of
the
various
(such as informercial and catalog comBoard Members
Board Members;
companies
panies)
that (such
come as
to informercial
the TBIC toand
findcatalog Wojciech
Lloyd
Arnel,
Voytec Beldycki,
Beldycki
companies)
come
to theMembers
TBIC to find
new
products that
for the
market.
Earl
Deen
Mark
Peterson,
Tony Pettry,
new products
for the
market.with
Members
usually
find other
members
the usu- Kirk Hamlin
Joe
Navarro
ally
find
other
members
with
the
prototyping
prototyping knowledge they need, and
knowledge
they for
need,
andtime
payand
thatfor
member Allen Jernigan Founder
pay
that member
their
Mark Peterson
for
their
time
and
for
prototyping
materials
prototyping materials used. Sustaining
Ron E. Smith
used. Sustaining
to have a
members
may askmembers
to have amay
free ask
Focus
Founder
Ron
E. Smith
free
Focus
Group
done
on
their
product
and
Group done on their product and are
are allowed
to display
their product
allowed
to display
their product
in our in our
designateddisplay
displayarea.
area.
designated
T.B.I.C. Prorated Sustaining Membership Dues Schedule
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Renewal date: 01 January.
People
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July
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$15
$45
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...until the following Jan. 1st.
Then they renew their membership for a full year at $75.
Visitors
VisitorsWelcome
Welcome
The
TheBoard
BoardofofDirectors
Directorsof
of TBIC
TBIC
wants
wantstotowelcome
welcomeallallvisitors.
visitors. AdAdmission
for
visitors
is
$5.00
mission for visitors is $5.00 per
per
meeting,
unless
accompanied
by
meeting, unless accompanied an
by
active
member.
We
hope
that
you
an active member. We hope that
can
see
the
benefits
of
becoming
a
you can see the benefits of becommember!
Our Bylaws
allow visitors
ing a member!
Our Bylaws
allow
to visitors
attend two
without
oblito meetings
attend two
meetings
gation
to join.
without
obligation to join.
Please
the Other
Other Members
Please Respect the
At aa recent
recent Board
Board Meeting,
Meeting, several
severalmembers
memberssaid
said
At
theyhave
havereceived
receivedcomplaints
complaintsabout
abouttalking
talkingininthe
theback
back
they
themeeting
meetingroom
roomwhile
whilethe
themeeting
meetingisisininprogress.
progress.
ofofthe
Someofofour
ourmembers
membersare
arehard
hardofofhearing,
hearing,and
andasassuch
such
Some
findititdifficult
difficulttotohear
hear
presentation
is competfind
thethe
presentation
if itifisitcompeting
ing with talking in background. While we acknowledge
with
in background.
wewe
acknowledge
that
that talking
networking
is vital for While
all of us,
ask in the future
networking
is
vital
for
all
of
us,
we
ask
in
the
future
that our members try to network before or after thethat
preour
members
to network
before or after
thecell-phones
presentasentation.
It try
would
also be appreciated
if all
tion.
would
also beanswer
appreciated
all cell-phones
wereItput
on silent
duringifthe
meeting. were
Thank
you!
Your Board Of Directors
put on silent answer
during
themeeting.
Thank you! - Your Board Of Directors
Members are invited to write letters for inclusion in the newsletter. Email to robertraiken@verizon.net or
aletha@alethalady.com,
faxtotowrite
727-547-5490
mail to TBIC
our officeEmail
address.
Letters should be brief, to
Members are invited
letters fororinclusion
in the atnewsletter.
to robertraiken@verizon.net,
the fax
point,
and be accompanied
email
addressLetters
and phone
number.
Letters
beand
edited
for
to 727-547-5490
or mailby
to member
TBIC at name,
our office
address.
should
be brief,
to themay
point,
be acclarity,
taste and
be address
printed as
room
permits.
companied
bylength.
memberLetters
name,will
email
and
phone
number. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and
length. Letters will be printed as room permits.
Page 15
Page 15
TAMPA BAY INVENTORS COUNCIL
7752 Royal Hart Dr. New Port Richey, FL 34653
Information and articles printed in
this newsletter are not necessarily
ur
yo ate
endorsed by the TBIC and may
ck n d
not be applicable to everyone
che iratio
e to xp e
sur ip e her
Be bersh ound
f
m
me
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Activities Calendar
Monthly meetings are held
every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of EVERY month.
All meeting start at
7:00pm
Website Info
www.TBIC.us
Visit our website for information
about current and past happenings.
You can also download current and
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Just a note
We would like to remind our
members that our Board
Meetings are open to you if
you would like to sit in on
them. We usually meet directly after the first meeting
date each month.
Need to Reach
TBIC?
Office: 727-565-2085
or call: 727-251-4056
George Mouzakis
g.mouzakis@chicagobooth.edu
Newsletter Staff
Executive EditorGeorge Mouzakis
Contributing EditorRobert Aiken
To submit articles, send emails to: robertrraiken@verizon.net
Articles and other items must be received by the first Tuesday of the odd
months.
The Tampa Bay Inventor’s Council (TBIC) is a corporation as defined in Chapter 617, Florida Statutes, as a
not-for-profit. The corporation is organized exclusively
for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. The
TBIC is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, which
allows the receiving of tax deductible contributions of
goods and services. There are over 150 active members
willing to share their expertise and experiences with fellow inventors.

Yeah, he kinda wrote the book on inventing

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