How Do I Get My Invention Manufactured?
You have a brilliant concept for a new product, but you may not know what to do with your idea. Most people do not have personal manufacturing facilities readily available, so you'll need to seek professional assistance. Luckily, the process for getting your idea manufactured is not overly complex. Though the steps are time-consuming and require some preparation, even a novice inventor can get his or her product manufactured with the right knowhow and some persistence.
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Instructions
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Search the United States Patent and Trademark Office's online database to see if your idea has already been patented by somebody else (see Resource 1). Even if a product doesn't exist for sale on the open market, a different person may have already thought of the idea and patented it. You don't want to put time and work into getting your idea recognized and manufactured if somebody else already holds the patent.
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Fill out the paperwork or online forms to patent your idea with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (see Resource 2). According to that office, a patent will provide you with legal protection in the event that somebody else tries to copy your idea (see Reference 1). As part of the patent application, you must include schematics of the invention. Though you may want to submit rough schematics to help get the patent filed quickly, you'll want to refine these schematics over the coming weeks and months, making sure you have a good understanding of how your invention will work. You cannot consider manufacturing until you've created easy-to-read schematics useful for a manufacturing company's development team.
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Conduct market research online and at the library before submitting your patented idea to manufacturing firms. Manufacturing firms are, after all, businesses. These firms need to consider the bottom line. If you come to a meeting prepared with some statistics and graphs regarding related products and trends, the manufacturer will feel less hesitant about taking a risk on your invention.
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Create a prototype. Though some companies may agree to manufacture your product based on schematics and market statistics alone, most will want to see the finished product. Prototypes not only give manufacturers a chance to inspect the finished product, they give the inventor a chance to work out any unforeseen problems with the item.
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Cold call local manufacturing companies or stop in for a visit. Make sure your pitch is brief and to-the-point. Always come prepared with a printout describing your invention and applicable research in case the manufacturer shows interest. At this point in the process, you can directly describe the idea to companies. You don't need to worry about the company stealing the idea, because you have patent protection on the invention.
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Set up meetings with interested local companies to further discuss the product and the manufacturing process. Smaller, local firms are your best bet for initial manufacturing of your idea. Just make sure you do not sign any contracts without reading them carefully. You also will want to avoid giving the manufacturer exclusive rights to your patent. You want to retain control of your invention. If you have success in the local market, you can use that notoriety to leverage manufacturing opportunities at national or international firms.
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References
Resources
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