Can You Really Invent Something You Can Sell?

What’s your dream? If you love tech and gadgets, then perhaps inventing something awesome that makes you millions is your dream! But is it only a dream or can you really invent something that sells like hotcakes? You might need some tech-savvy, a creative mind, and a lot of time to do it. If that sounds like you, then what are you waiting for? An instruction manual?

The Idea

Start with that big idea. Look around for inspiration. It’s easier than you think. Perhaps you’re doing some housework and wondering why on earth clothing still has to be ironed in the twenty-first century. Or perhaps you’ve spotted this ultrasonic cleaner and figured you could develop that idea all the way to your car? All inventions need to solve a problem, even if it’s a problem people don’t realize they have yet.

Figuring Out The Tech

Of course, having a great idea for something futuristic and out of this world is great. But if you don’t have the tech know-how to apply it and create this wondrous invention, you’re not going to get far. Chances are you need to be designing a printed circuit board and maybe even developing the mechanics to make this tech work.

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Websites like http://www.altium.com/ can give you some ideas and support for the PCB. As for the mechanics? You might try a robot shop or simply design on paper first before trying out your idea.

Prototypes

Prototypes are essential if you want to secure funding. Your marketing team will find it rather handy to start figuring out how to sell this thing too! Prototypes are used in presentations. They give interested parties the chance to see the concept, use the concept, and help you develop it to a practical product you can sell. You need to streamline whatever it is you come up with to make it quick, easy, and cheap to mass produce.

Production

Of course, if you’re starting this enterprise on a shoestring budget, you might need to make each order by hand yourself. This means the cost to the customer is going to be much higher. You need to factor in your time as well as the materials required. Lead times might be too long to be attractive to potential customers, so approach in this way with caution. Of course, any factory that takes on your manufacturing is going to expect a large sum upfront to mass produce several hundred units at once.

Success?

Selling that first unit is definitely cause for celebration. Now, how are you going to keep the momentum going? You need product reviews and influencers blogging about your product. Reaching out in this way takes a lot of your time. You might be better served by a marketing professional, but you need to consider the cost of this approach too.

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So at what point do you declare your invention to be a success? Ten sales? One hundred sales? Or will it be that moment you turn over your first million? Can you invent something that sells?

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