Things You'll Need:
- Brochures Charts Prototype Patent Business cards
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Step 1
Learn about what can and can't be patented. A patent is a type of legal protection for an invention or a design. The thing you patent must be significantly different from anything that came before it. You also have to be able to show how your design could work. So, for example, you couldn't patent the concept of a hoverboard for transportation unless you could draw up hoverboard plans showing exactly how the machine worked.
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Step 2
File a patent. You will have to draw out plans, hire a patent attorney, do a patent search, fill out a patent application and pay filing fees. It will be worth the hassle, however, to have legal protection for your idea. Follow the link in the Resources section below for more information.
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Step 3
Create a prototype of your patent idea. If possible, you should build a polished, full-scale working prototype to show investors. If not, create something that at least looks good and demonstrates how your product works. There should be no duct tape and twist-ties--appearance is as important as functionality.
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Step 4
Create a 5-minute presentation about your product. Outline what it will be used for, why it is useful or necessary and who it will appeal to. You can also include slogans, marketing ideas, estimation of profits and production costs, and any other information that might help convince an investor of your object's utility.
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Step 5
Create materials. You should spice up your presentation with PowerPoint or display charts. You should also print out brochures and handouts detailing the advantages of your product. Finally, you should print up business cards with your contact information.
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Step 6
Network. Use websites such as the one in the Resources section below to find investors interested in your product. Contact industry organizations in the area your invention caters to, and attend trade shows.
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Step 7
Present your ideas to investors. Give your presentation, demonstrate the product and take questions.
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Step 8
Make a deal. You can either sell your patent idea outright or license out your product to investors. If you license it to another company, it gets to manufacture it and sell it for a certain period of time, during which you get a share of the profits. Then you can renegotiate or take it to another company. If you sell it--usually for a substantial chunk of money up front--you lose all rights to your invention in the future.
