How to Have an Invention Made

Creating your own invetion can be a long but rewarding process.

Toys, electronics, home appliances -- each of these started out as an idea someone believed was good enough to pursue and turn into a marketable invention. If you have an idea for an invention, a number of different services are available to help you get started. Creating and selling your own invention can be a lucrative business venture. But keep in mind that not every invention is a potential gold mine, and chances are it won't make you a millionaire overnight.

Things You'll Need

• Prototype materials

Instructions

1. Draft every aspect of your invention into a notebook or sketchpad including what it does, how it works, its parts, its potential market and how to make it. At this point you're just writing down your ideas, so don't worry too much about functionality.

2. Notarize your invention by dating and signing the draft and having a witness, preferably someone other than a family member, sign and date the draft as well with an accompanying statement, such as, "I have read and understood the purpose of this invention."

3. Check the United States Patent and Trademark Office website to see if someone has already patented the invention you have in mind. You can browse the patents by invention type, which will allow you to see if someone has invented a similar product.

4. Collect the necessary materials to create your prototype. The initial prototype doesn't have to be anything fancy; it just needs to prove that the invention will work.

5. Determine how much your product will cost to mass produce. Building materials, packaging, shipping, marketing and distribution are all important factors to consider. Resources such as the Thomas Register and the Chamber of Commerce can give you an idea of how much money you are going to need to make this invention a reality.

6. Have someone make a professional prototype of your invention. This should be a polished product that you can use to showcase your invention to potential investors. What qualifies as an acceptable prototype depends entirely on what your invention is, but using search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing can help you find a way to build it.

7. Apply for a provisional patent. You can download the application form from the United States Patent and Trademark Office website and protect your invention by placing it under patent pending status for one year.

8. Hire a patent attorney to file for a nonprovisional patent. Patent officials may reject your nonprovisional patent application the first time you submit it but your attorney will make the necessary revisions to ensure acceptance. The process can take as long as two years but will almost always succeed given enough time.

9. Hire a licensing agent to help you sell your invention to a manufacturer. A deal with a manufacturer will normally bring you 3 to 7 percent of the product's net sales. You have the option of selling the product yourself; however, this requires a substantial amount of startup money as well as manufacturing connections, storage facilities, legal and bookkeeping services and promotional connections.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan on sharing your invention in order to gain some feedback, you may want to have your attorney draft some nondisclosure forms to keep others from revealing your ideas without your permission.

References

• Power Home Biz: How to Get Your Consumer Invetion to Market
• How to Patent: Poor Man's Patent - No Such Thing
• United States Patent and Trademark Office: Home