How to Get Your Consumer Invention to Market

Have a focus group made up of consumers test out your invention before taking it to market.

Getting your invention to the marketplace takes a considerable amount of money and effort. When developing an invention, it's important to research the market to see if consumers would be interested in your product. It's difficult to not only develop your invention, but to convince another company to invest in your product and cover the manufacturing costs. If you have an invention with wide consumer appeal, you should take the necessary steps to protect it and get it into stores.

Instructions

1. Investigate the market for your invention. Find out if there is a consumer need that hasn't been fulfilled by other products. Visit online retailers and local stores to see if an item similar to your invention is already being sold. Determine the factors that make your product unique and use those qualities to capitalize in the marketplace.

2. Research patents similar to your product. Visit the website for the United States Patent and Trademark Office to search their registered patent database. Find out how to distinguish your invention from those registered and protected under patent law. Failing to do so, may lead to serious infringement issues against you down the road and a rejected patent application of your own.

3. Create a prototype of your consumer invention. Develop a sample prototype for potential retailers and investors to try out. People want to see and touch the product not imagine it through words and ideas. Provide a detailed drawing of the invention if a prototype is too costly to make.

4. Register for a patent. Secure the patent for your product even if you just want to license it out. Protect your ideas, so no third party or manufacturer can steal it, claim it as their own and cash in the royalties from its sales. Claim two types of patents: a design patent to protect the look or design, and a utility patent to protect the way in which the invention is used.

5. Manufacture your invention. Consider outsourcing the manufacturing of your invention. This is often a cost-effective solution because you don't have to deal with the additional expenses of purchasing a factory and hiring people to work a production line. Move the manufacturing in house once you start to profit from consumer sales.

6. Consider pricing. Think about how much consumers would pay for your invention in the current market. Study similar product prices and the economy. Present this data to manufacturers and investors.

7. Market your invention to consumers once you begin production. Create a press release or media kit and send it out to major media outlets. Attend trade shows and speak at conventions related to the industry your invention represents. Prepare a presentation and demonstration to show how your product works and why it works so well for the average consumer.

Tips & Warnings

• Hire a lawyer to assist you in filing patents and drafting contracts and licensing agreements.

References

• Ezine Mark: Inventions: How to Get Your Invention Idea into the Right Hands
• Startup Nation: Should I Pursue My Invention
• Entrepreneur: Get Your Product to Market in Six Steps

Resources

• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)