Most of us are struck with ideas for new products, at least from time to time. Far fewer of us take action. For example, have you struggled to stuff tissue paper into a gift bag so that it looked beautiful and elegant, instead of mangled and crinkled? The better...
How to License Your Hit Idea to a Market Leader
For most entrepreneurs, landing one's product in a big-box retailer is the ultimate goal. Erin Borges, an inventor and mom from Monterey Calif., did just that -- and in under two years. Her product? A reinvention of the traditional gift bag. Her patented GoGo Gift...
From Bartender to Inventor: How to Turn Your Day Job Into Passive Income
Late one night in 2010, at a drinking hole in his Michigan hometown, Lansing, David Fedewa remembers, he was staring at the bartender filling up pitchers of beer when the thought dawned on him: He's doing that all wrong. Why didn't the pitcher have a slat down its...
8 Steps to Building a $3 Million Hair-Care Brand Using Social Media
Today, thanks to social media, you don't need an enormous ad budget to communicate with your customers. You can reach them organically -- if you understand who they are and what motivates them. Take Ryford Estores, the 33 year-old inventor of Self-Cut System, a...
The Simplest Ideas Can Be Extremely Profitable. Here’s Proof.
Does the licensing lifestyle sound too good to be true? It might. But, if you're creative and you hustle, you can pitch and rent out your ideas for consumer products to companies with global distribution. In fact, I can tout the power of open innovation because I've...
6 Ways Daymond John Exemplifies the Mindset of an Entrepreneur
I'll never forget the way Daymond John treated me when we met at a trade show in Las Vegas about six years ago. He didn't know me from a hole in the wall, but he was so comfortable it was as if we'd known each other for decades. He shook my hand and shared with me...
Entrepreneurs: Never Underestimate Your Ability to Solve Problems
When first-time inventors Jane Och and Sharon Prince came up with a way of storing guacamole that would prevent it from ever turning brown, they never imagined that it would take nearly four years to get to market. But they didn't give up and neither did their...
True Entrepreneurs Find a Way to Stand Out
I remember the day Daniel DiPiazza interviewed me for The LipTV as clear as a bell. The first thing that stood out to me was how great his studio looked. Was the background fake? Probably, I know don't. No matter, it was impressive regardless. I still feel like it...
The Father-Daughter Duo Who Brought the World’s First Pancake Printer to Life
Within the inventing community, fear runs rampant. Some inventors are so afraid of having an idea stolen that they fail to take any action at all, which is truly unfortunate. To be clear, keeping your ideas to yourself is sound policy. But there are exceptions to...
7 Steps to Becoming a Full-time Product Developer
Becoming a full-time inventor takes commitment. Most ideas-even great ones-just aren't brought to market that quickly. Any inventor will tell you that it can sometimes feel as though you're waiting and waiting. But I think it's worth it. After all these years, I still...