Inventor Mentor

Making the Most of a Conference: 3 Nuggets

2010-11-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm still in the clouds after attending the Women's Conference 2010 a week ago, but it feels essential to cull some nuggets about making the most of attending a conference. Here are three things I did:

1. Have one or more goals in place before you attend a conference.

At the Women's Conference 2010, I wanted to meet a Caroline Bouvier Kennedy whom I admire for the courage of her convictions. I also wanted to enlist her assistance in getting the KleenSlate Paddle considered for New York Public Schools. Kennedy sits on the Board for the Funds for Public Schools in New York. I met Kennedy at the conference and gave her the KleenSlate Paddle. She autographed two of her books--one for me and one for my mother-- and I give her a copy of The Right Sisters. She was so genuine as she shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, "I look forward to reading your book!"

2. Do your homework

Because a number of celebrities were participating in the Women's Conference, including Oprah and Michelle Obama, hotels were sold out, but I was prepared having booked an awesome hotel months in advance. Security was unusually high because of the prestigious presenters, so programs were given out at the last minute. Despite 15,000 women in attendance, I managed to secure a program ahead of everyone and located a seat for the main event close to the stage. The KleenSlate Concepts booth was next to the book store--an ideal location. We had an amazing team managing the booth with 1500 paddles to give away. Most importantly PINK was part of the conference theme, so our Pink Paddles were a big hit!

3. Be Prepared for Unique Opportunities

Maria Shriver opened the Conference with a March on Alzheimer's to raise money to combat the disease. I had joined the Dano Sister Team months before the conference The sister team had inspired me after hearing about their father and this debilitating disease. Never having met them in person, I used my Pink Paddle to find them in the crowd of 1000 women. I wrote DANO Team on the Paddle and walked around until someone said, "Are you looking for us?" The DANO team was declared the #1 fundraisers. We raised four Pink Paddles and cheered as the announcement was made.
Because I carried Paddles and The Right Sisters with me everywhere I went, I managed to give them to Maria Shriver, Jane Fonda, and Sister Terry Dodge (one of the Minerva Winners). As I was leaving the exhibit hall, I heard someone call, "Gayle." When the women turned, I realized she was Gayle King--Oprah's best friend. I handed her a Paddle and asked her to get it to Oprah and let her know I would like to help her school in Africa. As she walked away, I watched her. She was surrounded by cameras snapping her photo. In her hand was the Pink Paddle. SWEET!

I'm grateful for the inspiration I gathered at the conference and totally satisfied that I did a good job of promoting my product in such an awesome setting.

Pink: A Business Story

2010-10-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

As I prepare to attend the Women's Conference 2010, the color pink comes to mind. Pink has long been associated with girls and women, but I'm not a traditional kind of woman so pink was never my color.

When I first invented the Kleen Slate Paddles, I wanted them to be in bold colors-- red, yellow, blue, and green. Pink was simply too pale for my product and the powerful image I wanted to convey. But then an interesting thing happened. First, my son hooked up with a gal who loves pink. Then, my granddaughter turned out to be a lover of pink. Both of them cajoled me in their own way: "Why isn't there a pink paddle?"

Which gave me pause. Why was I resisting this color when there were clearly those who adored it? My son's girlfriend and my granddaughter represented potential customers, and I wasn't giving them what they wanted.

I started thinking differently about pink. This was the color that represented princesses, royalty in the world if you will. And then I remembered that pink ribbons are the symbol for breast cancer awareness. Suddenly I realized that by making a pink paddle, I could develop my customer base AND support an important cause: Breast Cancer Awareness.

Today, KleenSlate Concepts sells pink paddles, and we donate 5% of the sales of these paddles to the National Breast Cancer Awareness fund. This weekend, I'm going to the Women's Conference, where I will promote my pink paddles in acknowledgment of Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October!

This story about PINK is a business story because it illustrates four essential business principles that I hold dear:

listen to your customers;
think outside of the box (especially outside of your personal preferences);
look for connections between your product and larger more global issues;
give, donate, contribute.

Next week, I'll tell you what the Women's Conference 2010 power house speakers--Michelle Obama, Maria Shriver, Erin Brocokvich, and others--had to tell us.

Entrepreneurial Advice on the Interent

2010-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I recently added The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur (TPE) to my Great Reading blog list on the side panel here at Inventor Mentor. Mike Michalowicz offers a wealth of information on entrepreneurship, and I highly recommend subscribing to and reading his blog regularly, especially if you are just getting started.

Mike writes practical as well as cutting edge articles related to staying alive and well in business. This week, for instance, he has a fabulous post about how to get free resources and services. Mike invited a number of entrepreneurs--including moi-- to offer suggestions about free resources and services. Check it out.

These entrepreneurs promote bartering, giving to get, and saying "thank you" to name a few. My blurb on TPE advises entrepreneurs to carry product with you where ever you go and give it away to promote good will and attract customers.

And let me add: Seek the free advice offered by others all over the Internet, especially on blogs.

Finding the Right Fit: Who Needs Your Product

2010-10-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled onto the blog Departing the Text written by Meryl Jaffe, a mom and a school psychologist who is exploring the edges between a child's learning profile and school demands. It doesn't take rocket science to get that one size does not fit all, but it does take a discerning mind like Jaffe's to understand the frequent ways in which children do not fit neatly into educational practices which are expected to work in the classroom. There are always exceptions, and it's disconcerting to teacher, parent AND student when the fit is not right.

Since I'm always looking for a fit for KleenSlate Paddles I was particularly interested in Jaffe's blog post: No Brainer: Handwriting Trains the Brain by Creating Multiple Paths. After discussing how handwriting engages the brain, Jaffe goes on to list non-traditional ways to get kids writing, such as making greeting cards, having a message center in the home, and writing notes to the tooth fairy. Next, she lists some products that teachers can use in the classroom to get students writing.

That's where I leaped to action. I left Meryl a comment describing the Kleen Slate Paddle as an ideal product for getting students writing frequently in the classroom. When students have a Paddle with dry erase marker with an attachable eraser at their desks, everyone can respond in writing to questions thereby building pathways in the brain all day long.

Meryl is no slacker. Not only did she shoot me an email message thanking me for the comment, she also included my comment in a post a few days later entitled: Ways Around Exceptions: Handwriting and Dysgraphia. In this post, Meryl responds to the difficulty some students have with forming letters and keeping track of the sequence of letters. One child had this to say about his problem, known as dysgraphis: "I can't think and write at the same time." So Meryl lists insights and alternatives to help kids with dysgraphia, and among them she mentions the KleenSlate Paddle.

Parents, educators, AND entrepreneurs can learn something from Meryl's blog Departing the Text. Keep your eyes open for the right fit for your child, your students, OR your product.

Water Issues Require Invention

2010-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Blog Action Day. Bloggers around the world are writing about water as a global issue. In response to this topic, I want to put a call out to inventors reminding us of our role in solving problems.

Let's start with a little history.

In 1880, inventor Lester Allen Pelton applied for a patent for the Pelton water wheel. By 1890, Pelton turbines were generating thousands of horsepower to drive all kinds of equipment. By the time of his death in 1910, Pelton's turbines were in use at hydro-electric plants all over the country.

In almost every type of power plant today, water is a major cost. In fact, our power sources would be impotent without water. Plug your iPhone into an electric socket for charging and half a liter of water must flow through miles of pipes, pumps, and the heat exchangers of a power plant.

Two inventions arriving more than 100 years a part are intricately tied to one another by water. In terms of Blog Action Day, they can be connected to one of the biggest dilemmas in world history:

A human thirst for water is competing with a hunger for energy.

Nearly one billion people on our planet, many on the continent of Africa, lack access to clean water which causes untold struggle, including disease and death. On a single day in the US, more than 500 billion liters of water travel through power plants--that is more than twice the water flowing down the Nile River in a single day. The inequity is astounding.

Only radical new ideas can address this issue. Inventors, like Pelton, are needed to envision solutions. Even seemingly inconsequential inventions--such as those requiring limited technology or those made from recycled materials-- can be part of the solution.

Only by recognizing the problem can we take actions that will contribute to the solution.

Being A Winner: Kidlutions Product Award

2010-10-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't invent the KleenSlate Paddle with the idea of getting awards, but each time my products win awards, a rush of pride and gratitude washes over me.

I was so excited when I got the Kidlutions: Preferred Product Award that I just wanted to shout it out. Kidlutions and founder Wendy Young recognize products that "enhance social-emotional development" in children and teens. To be sure, I wasn't thinking about social-emotional development when I came up with the idea of the paddle. I was responding to my fellow teachers who were asking for assistance.

That's what is exciting about awards. They catch you by surprise. I remember when I was at a trade show and the paddle won Best of Show. Conference-goers had voted my product the best thing they saw at that particular show. WHOA! How thrilling that was.

The Kidlutions award was equally thrilling. Recognition is always welcome, especially the kind of acknowledgment that underscores an inherent value in your product that extends beyond the scope of its original purpose. Wendy Young describes the paddle as empowering kids with confidence and a can-do attitude.

YES! I know this terrific aspect of my invention. And it feels great that others see it too.

Blogs to Read

2010-09-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just added two great blogs to my blog roll:

Womentorz

"Womentorz™ is a marketplace of the latest inventions made by women where each inventor has their own storefront. We provide a community and supportive environment to assist in all areas of bringing a product to market."

Invention Addict

Steve Bozzone's blog is dedicated to inventors and their inventions. It has posts on how to be more creative, help with patents, cool and not so cool inventions and inventor spotlights.

Womentorz is all about women supporting women and Invention Addict is about innovation and creativity, so both of these blogs speak to things that are dear to me. Please take a minute to visit them. I bet you will get hooked after just one visit.

Bidding Farewell to National Inventor’s Month

2010-09-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

If you are ever in Washington DC, visit one of the 10 Smithsonian museums. The Smithsonian Information Center in the Castle is centrally located at 1000 Jefferson Dr., SW, Washington, D.C. Ten of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., span an area from 3rd to 14th Streets between Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km). Most have free admission too! A great adventure for curious adults and kids. Maybe it will inspire the next inventor to take action.

Bidding Farewell to National Inventor’s Month

The Right to Invent and Profit

2010-09-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

This week, librarians, booksellers, and readers every where are celebrating the right to read by observing "Banned Book Week"--Sept 24-Oct 2. According to the American Library Association, "Banned Book Week" underscores each American's right to "intellectual freedom."

It's not likely, that my book, The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories, will be banned. However, my motivation in part for writing The Right Sisters stemmed from discovering how women were once banned from getting patents for their inventions. In other words, they were denied the intellectual freedom to invent and profit from their creations.

In 1793, Sybilla Masters invented a corn refining machine. However, the patent for her method was issued in her husband’s name. The paperwork actually reads: for “a new Invencon [sic] found out by Sybilla, his wife.” In the early days of this country, women’s rights were overshadowed by those of men. The cultural norm at that time dictated that a woman’s place was in the home.

By the late 1800s, women were finally granted patents for their inventions, but as the stories in The Right Sisters relate, our journey toward intellectual freedom and enterprise continues to be challenged even in the 21st century. Last week, I wrote a blog post about the challenges women face when negotiating with big companies. That's why organizations like Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and web sites like Women Negotiating are necessary resources for women.

Just as librarians and booksellers work to maintain our freedom to choose what we read, these organizations work to maintain women's rights in the world of business. We have a right to invent and a right to profit.

Let's celebrate our right to intellectual freedom. Post a comment about a challenge you faced head on to secure your rights.

Invention Addict Blog- Inventor Help and Practical Advice You Can Depend On: WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson

2010-09-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

Invention Addict Blog- Inventor Help and Practical Advice You Can Depend On: WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson

Watch Steven Johnson and tap his brain!!! Today I am inspired.

Break the Rules

2010-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I was first getting started, I accidentally broke rules because I didn't know better. For instance, when I went to my first trade show, I didn't even have a booth. I just went dressed in whiteboard costume with my product in little bags and started selling them.

Later, a mentor told me that breaking the rules could work in my favor. But I already knew this from my adventure at the trade show.

Of course, you have to be smart when you break the rules. In other words, you can't be offensive or insensitive. You also have to be lawful. One way that I break rules is by approaching some of the unspoken rules playfully.

For example, one of my rule breaking escapades was recently featured on the blog Women Negotiating.

A supposedly smart person told me that I could not sell my product to a big box retailer without a man accompanying me to negotiating table. So when I managed to get an appointment to present my product, I glued a large photo of a man's to a Popsicle stick so I would have a man with me. This tactic got a big laugh AND landed me the deal.

What kinds of rules have you broken in order to get what you want and need for your product. If you are not a rule breaker and you want to learn how to get what you want, check out the Women Negotiating website for lots of great ideas.

Speak Up 2: Talking to Clubs and Organizations

2010-09-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Last week, I talked about the value of speaking to clubs and organizations. Speaking up helps an inventor/entrepreneur to network and promote a product. It is also can be kind of scary. You only get a few minutes in which to make an impression and convey your message, so it's important to do it right.

I joined Toastmasters to improve my speaking skills, so I do my best when I went out and spoke to organizations. Toastmasters is an international organization that has groups that meet in just about every community--even my small rural community.

At Toastmasters, there is no instructor; instead,you learn from other participants as each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved. You learn skills by filling a meeting role, such as giving a prepared or impromptu speech or serving as timer, evaluator, or grammarian.

Here is what I learned at Toastmasters:

Humor is important;
People want to be entertained while being informed;
Know your audience so you can deliver the right message;
To be prepared you have practice, practice, practice.

I highly recommend joining Toastmasters to become a better public speaker. And then go out and speak up!

Speak Up I: Talking to Clubs and Organizations

2010-09-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

I've never been shy. My first marketing ploy was to dress up in whiteboard clothing at a trade show to demonstrate the eraser I had invented for dry erase markers. One of the first things I learned when I went into business was that I had to speak up and talk to people about my product, my business, and myself.

I'm a tad more subdued in my approach these days, but I know the value of talking ever time I get the chance. Speaking at local clubs and organizations is a particularly delightful and enterprising opportunity. Most organizations, like Lions and Rotary, have lunch or breakfast meetings to which they invite speakers. I've taken to wangling invites to be a speaker at such meetings. I can hear you thinking: Why in the world would she want to talk to Kiwanis or Soroptimist Clubs? Let me speak to that.

Just last week, I gave a talk at a Sons in Retirement (SIR) meeting. SIR is an organization for men who are are retired from full-time, gainful employment. They have a monthly luncheon meeting that includes a featured speaker. The organization espouses no political party, religion or sect of any kind, nor promotes any cause regardless of how worthy. However, they are a bunch of really cool retired guys who are interested in all kinds of things.

So I told my story to the guys at SIR, and as always, I emphasized how my story shows that the American Dream is still accessible. I told them it takes hard work and perseverance to take ideas to market, but for anyone willing to do the work and ask for help, it is possible. Then I told them all the ways that I worked hard, and I closed by asking for help. That's right! I put out a request for investors, and one gentleman approached me after the meeting to find out more. We will be having lunch soon.

So the answer to why I speak at groups is basically this: I like to tell my story in the hopes that it will inspire and inform AND I also know that connecting with people this way opens doors, especially if I am boldly willing to ask for help. Remember, I'm not shy!

In my next post, I will say more about crafting a talk that fits the needs of the group to whom I am speaking. Tune in for more on speaking up!

Outsourcing

2010-09-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

At the start of their journey, most inventors hope to manufacture their product in the United States, but as the women in The Right Sisters reveal, financial challenges often compel inventors to outsource the manufacture of their invention to a third part outside of the United States. I was one such person, and though I'm now finding ways to manufacture stateside, I have learned some important lessons about about outsourcing.

Most importantly, I learned that when you can't manufacture in the USA, you need to establish excellent relationships with the third party with whom you are working. The great distance as well as language barriers and cultural differences make this a challenging task. That's where networking comes to play.

I met Michelle Bonn through Big Fish Nation Nation, a business development program. Michelle is the owner of Expedient Trade, LLC, an international sourcing and manufacturing service company located in Buffalo, NY. Her expertise extends to international trade and manufacturing project management, so she was an excellent contact to help me negotiate some of the hurdles I faced while manufacturing in China.

I was drawn to Michelle's excitement, enthusiasm and drive as well as her expertise in the business of importing and manufacturing overseas. I was especially impressed by the fact she outsourced with women in third world countries--not to make money, but to help them to start businesses. I hired her to assist with outsourcing the manufacture of some of my new products.

Michelle's knowledge of importing and exporting and her relationships with customs was invaluable. When the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSIA) issued new laws, she found a qualified manufacturer to ensure that our products were constructed to be safe for kids. Michelle than helped KleenSlate secure the required Compliance Certificates. When I needed the advice of Chinese lawyers, she set up the communications. As our prototypes began to arrive for the new products, she listened to what needed to be changed and helped facilitate the necessary corrections. She understood that we wanted to be a leader in the dry erase industry and knew that meant delivering quality products to our customers.

Working with Michelle Bonn helped me build strong relationships with my manufacturing partners and underscored the value of surrounding myself with experts to help negotiate the intricacies of my inventor journey.

Back to School Gifts

2010-09-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest pleasures of being in business is giving away KleenSlate products to worthwhile causes. That's why I was thrilled when Julie Kenny included KleenSlate paddles and markers in the Jewels and Pinstripes Back to School Gift Bag.

Jewels and Pinstripes is a gift bag company that is dedicated to raising money for charitable causes. Each year the gift bag project helps a charitable cause. This year, a gift bag will be auctioned to benefit the Care to Learn Fund.

According to the press release:

The gift bag, valued at more than $1,150, includes a wide assortment of fashion-forward children’s products to prepare top celebrity kids for their first day of school with such essentials as lunch boxes, eco-friendly apparel, accessories, kid-friendly stationery, jewelry, learning aids, gift certificates and many other fabulous products.

KleenSlate paddles are one of those fabulous projects!

Not only is my product coupled with "a wide assortment of fashion-forward children's products" (Woohoo!), I am proud to be connected with the Care to Learn Fund which strives to lift children out of poverty.

Pockets of Inspiration

2010-08-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

One of the women inventors in the The Right Sisters, talks about the importance of staying upbeat during trying circumstances. Beth Butler, who gives motivational talks at teacher conferences, tells teachers, "If you're not refreshed and rejuvenated to start your day, how can you deal with twelve or seventeen preschoolers?" Beth practices what she preaches by taking time for herself at the start of each day to pray or read inspirational material.

I've found a great way to insert a little pocket of inspiration into the start my day. Each morning, I get my cup of tea and head to the computer to check my email. Since I subscribe to "Inspire Me Today," I always find an inspiring message tucked in among the business messages.

Gail Lynne Goodwin's website and blog is a fountain of inspiration for she broadcasts words of wisdom and encouragement. At the website, you can subscribe to a steady flow of inspiration that arrives daily in your email inbox. If you are like me, you will often click into her website from the message to read more. For me, this little pocket of inspiration launches my day, filling me with determination and enthusiasm.

ADVERTISE

2010-08-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you see the word ADVERTISE?

Do you see a print ad in a newspaper, magazine or phone book? Or maybe you think of those magnetic business signs that folks put on cars. Business cards are another way to get your company name out there. Advertising is an essential business practice.

In the 21st century, you also have to advertise on the web. Early on, one of my mentors told me that I need a cyber-presence and he urged me to get my business website up and running as quickly as possible. Writing a blog like "Inventor Mentor" is another way to have a cyber-presence.

Recently I found my business advertised repeatedly by others on the World Wide Web.

In July I was the featured inventor in the "Flash of Genius" column in the July 2010 issue of the USPTO online newsletter InventorsEye. I wrote about this honor in a previous blog, "Protect Your Ideas."

Then Dane Carlson ran a fabulous vidcast on his blog in a segment called "That's My Business #102." In this 3-minute production, Rich Whittle interviews me about starting my business while pictures of my products appear on the screen as I answered his questions.

And this week, an article about KleenSlate Concepts was featured on the Marquette segment of Examiner.com. This site writes web-based articles related to specific geographic locations, in this case the upper peninsula of Michigan, where my erasers on now being manufactured. The article is called "Back-to-school COOL with KleenSlate (R) Concepts." In this article, my business name and the value of my product is promoted in a region I might not otherwise have been visible.

Advertisement like this is priceless and free. Each piece is unique in tone, emphasis and format thus providing a fresh look at KleenSlate. Best of all, the KleenSlate name is locked into these sites virtually forever and has the potential to come up in web searches for a long time to come.

What do your customers want?

2010-08-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

I find it incredibly important to listen to what my customers want. This tactic has served me well in the past to improve my products, packaging, and the specials that I offer.

For example, when I first invented the eraser for dry erase marker, I was listening to potential customers who didn't want to take the time to reach for the block eraser and wanted something on the end of the marker. Later, when I was selling the eraser, teachers started asking about hand-held whiteboards, and that's when I invented the KleenSlate Paddle. When I heard teachers say that they disliked the scent of dry erase markers, I developed a marker without an odor.

I've learned that it is essential to listen to my customers if I want to grow my products and my business. Since my business caters to educators, I plan to take some teachers to lunch in the next few weeks. I've created a list of questions to ask them:

What are the biggest challenges you have in your classroom?
What tools do you use that you frequently tell others about?
What's one thing that's not working in your classroom right now?
When buying a "widget" tool for your classroom, what features are important to you?
What annoys you when dealing with suppliers of educational products?
What's on your wish list?
If you could invent a product that would make teaching easier, what problem would it solve?

My focus at lunch will be to ask the question and LISTEN to the answers!

What about you? Who do you need to take to lunch to grow your business? What questions will you ask? How can you hone in on what your customers needs?

Book Signing

2010-08-19T06:38:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, we held a book signing to promote The Right Sisters in our local community. We invited family, friends, and business associates and sent a press release to the local newspaper about the event which was held in a coffee house on the main street.

We were delighted with the steady stream of guests who came to wish us well, buy books, and get them signed. Most gratifying, however, was the number of inventors who showed up.

The target audience for The Right Sisters is people who are interested in the inventor's journey, so when these folks arrived in response to the announcement in the newspaper, we knew that we were reaching our intended audience. Some of these inventors had a fledgling idea while others were farther along in the journey. One women told about her mother who had invented a product and applied for the patent but had died unexpectedly. Now the daughter wanted to continue the journey for her mother.

The Right Sisters has the answers these inventors are seeking. They were eager to begin reading the 10 stories told by modern women inventors. For us, talking to other inventors was energizing, so meeting these guests was a reciprocal experience.

Paying for Patent Protection

2010-08-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

August is National Inventors Month. In 1998, the United Inventors Association of the USA (UIA-USA), the Academy of Applied Science, and Inventors' Digest magazine initiated a month long event to celebrate invention and creativity.

I found it interesting that during the month that honors inventors, I got a Google alert about a backlog at the US Patent Office that is thwarting inventors' ability to protect their ideas. According to an article on CBS News "the current wait for a patent is, on average, three years, or 36 months."

The consequence of this backlog is that many inventors find their ideas "knocked off" by large prosperous companies. When we interviewed women for The Right Sisters, nine of the ten women had dealt with knock-offs or copies of their products.

The CBS News article goes on to report that the patent office is self-funding, meaning that it operates on the fees charged for patents. The charge for a patent application is around $1000 with a discount for small enterprises. One theory suggests that if fees were higher, thereby increasing the operating budget of USPO, the process would speed up and protection would come more quickly.

This is a crucial IF for independent inventors who operate on a shoestring budget. While we are anxious for protection, we are often dealing with tenuous financial constraints. It's important to recognize that the increase in patent application fees would be added to patent attorney fees that are often necessary to write a strong patent application.

The dilemma this creates for inventors is confusing and difficult to sort out. If you are an inventor, would you be willing to pay higher fees for quicker protection? Why or why not?

US vs. Overseas Manufacturing

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I initiated the production phase of my inventor journey, I was well aware of the debate related to overseas manufacturing. Determined to manufacture my erasers locally, I was delighted when I found a tool and die company a mere 60 miles from my rural Northern California location. I worked with them to create the molds necessary to manufacture the erasers. Not long after the first batch of erasers was produced, the company went belly up financially, leaving me with molds but no way to manufacture the eraser.

I had just left my teaching job and had pumped every bit of money I had into KleenSlate Concepts. About that time, another inventor connected me with a manufacturer based in China. The price was right, and I decided that I'd have to let go of my intention to manufacture locally if I wanted to keep my dream alive. But I was not totally happy with this option.

When we were interviewing women inventors for The Right Sisters, I found that others struggled with this same dilemma: i.e., wanting to manufacture in the US but not being able to afford to on a shoe-string budget. The cost factor loomed large and so we headed out of the country.

However, there is an administrative burden incurred in managing a supplier thousands of miles away. We ended up dealing with quality and delivery problems at great distance and sometimes under the burden of a language or cultural handicaps as well as time differences. Not only did I discover it was more expedient to manufacture here, I also felt it was more politically correct. Certainly, this was a personal bias, but I wanted to say my product was made in the USA.

Well, I'm going to be saying that soon. My friend Wendy Steele, President of TapeWrangler-www.tapewrangler.com- and featured in The Right Sisters, manufactures her own line of products at her manufacturing plant in Traverse City, MI. Wendy's company has our molds now and we will soon be in production. Later this month, I'll be saying, "KleenSlate dry erase paddles are made in the the USA."

Product Promotion: 2 Thoughts

2010-08-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Promoting one's product is a never-ending job for those of us who decide to manufacture and market our own inventions. I'm constantly thinking about promotion, and I thought I'd share two thoughts I had this week.

Unexpected Promotional Opportunities. I'm always on the look out for ways to promote my products. Last week, I got a notice from Google Alerts about a blogger who was writing about whiteboards: Jason Berke's wrote a blog entitled "A Brief History of the Dry Erase Marker." I was delighted that Jason chose this topic. I was also pleased to have this unexpected opportunity to promote my Whiteboard Paddles. I added a comment to Jason's post with a link to KleenSlate Concepts. I don't know how many readers Jason has, but a few adds up to many, and I've just let a few more people know about the paddles and KleenSlate. Plus by mentioning him here, I create a link back to my blog that some of his readers might follow. Like I said, "I take every opportunity to promote my product."
Give Something When Promoting Your Product. Everyone likes to get a gift, so when I'm promoting, I pass out markers, erasers, discount opportunities and sometimes just a suggestion. For example, when I commented on Jason's post, I let him and his readers know that soap and water is the best way to clean dry erase boards. This little piece of advice was my gift to him. You see in working with customers, they've told me that clean up is always an concern, so I've made a point to respond to that concern. Remember last week, when I wrote about listening your customers at trade shows? You can turn their needs and concerns into a practical piece of advice or a gift.

I'd love to hear how you grasp every opportunity to promote your inventions. Please leave me a comment and if a gift if you like.

Kleen Slate in Africa

2010-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for opportunities to promote good will and give to those less fortunate than I. So when my friend Rosemary introduced me to Max and Kathryn who work with a school in Ethiopia, I offered to give them several cases of KleenSlate paddles and dry erase markers for the school.

They were excited to get the donation but explained that it was not easy to get things like this to the school. Airfreight is expensive and there is always the danger of customs duties, so they best way to get donations of any kind to the school is to take them in their luggage when they visit the school. As it turned out, they sent the paddles and markers with a colleague, so it was several months before they found out if they teachers had put them to good use.

Kathryn wrote the following message when she arrived at the school and also sent the picture accompanying this post:

I went over to Mekele and took our volunteer teacher, Lynn around the school on her first day there. The teachers were not expecting the tour and we went into a few classrooms at random. Imagine my
delight to see the paddles in action in a genuine, unrehearsed lesson!

The students were learning Amharic. This is not an easy language as instead of having an alphabet like ours, they have symbols which represent sound combinations, and they have to learn about 130 in all.
This class was learning the symbols for ha hi he ho hu h etc. The children were holding up the symbols representing these sounds, and then one would hide their symbol and then the other children would have to say which one was missing. Also the teacher was moving the children into different places in the line so that they could spell out some short words!

This was really excellent. The children were enjoying their classes and all participating well and showing learning is fun!

News like this is incredibly satisfying, and of course a picture is worth a 1000 words.

5 Trade Show Tips

2010-07-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

KleenSlate just spent 17 days on the road at four separate trade shows. Early on in my inventor journey, I learned the value of getting to industry specific trade shows. In my case, that meant educational and office supply shows. The most recent round of shows were educational, which brings me to the focus of this post: 5 trade show tips.

You see, it's simply not enough to get to the shows which in some cases cost a bundle to attend. You need to make them profitable. Here are my suggestions for making the most of your time at a trade show.

Do your homework. Find out who will be attending the show and what they need. In these tough economic times, it also pays to find out who has money to spend. For example, most schools are taking drastic measures to cut costs, so when I decided to go to these educational trade shows, I needed to find out who had money to spend. With a little investigation, I discovered that there was money in Title I programs, so I made these people my target audience at each trade show.
Where comfortable shoes. You are going to be on your feet for hours at a trade show, so invest in the most comfortable shoes possible. It will be money well spent. You need to happy feet to stay upbeat while promoting your product.
Give a KISS presentation and then listen: Keep your presentation simple, a maximum of 3 talking points aimed at the target customer(s) you identified by doing your homework. Give your presentation, quickly and smoothly. Then stop and listen to the customer. Ask them questions. Find out what problems they are trying to solve. I asked questions and learned that teachers hated the smell of dry erase markers; they frequently threw them away because the tips collapsed into the marker, and they wanted an eraser on the end. So I created such a marker for my customer.
Close the deal. Don't let a potential sale get away. Develop a practiced phrase or two that gets customers to place an order on the spot. If necessary, offer a deal they can't pass up. Keep the ordering process easy.
Follow-up. Have someone in place when you get home who can follow-up on every contact you made at the trade show and do it promptly.

Trade shows are one of the best options to show customers our products, but we have to make them work to our advantage.

Innovative Customers

2010-07-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

When I invented the Kwik Chek paddles, I envisioned them being put to use in classrooms across the country. Back then I wasn't aware of customer innovations. Since that time, the paddle has been used in a myriad of contexts including with hospital patients who are temporarily unable to speak, to prompt kids about chores, and at least one time to facilitate a date.

I recently learned that the paddles have made it all the way to Afghanistan to take part in the war there. Here is an email message that explains:

I heard about your company through a Google search for white board paddles. I am a Crew Chief on Chinook helicopters for the US Army currently deployed to Afghanistan. These paddles come in handy when you are trying to communicate with ground personnel and passengers over the loud noise of the helicopter. I appreciate your services and will definitely pass on your name when other crew members ask me where I got them.

Thanks!
Tyler Parsons

Recognition Revisited

2010-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Late in the month of May, I was selected as the the 2010 Central California Small Business Person of the Year. Family, friends, and fellow small business owners gathered at the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors' Office for the award presentation.

This blog post, however, is not an announcement about the award which was posted previously on Inventor Mentor. Instead I want to write about the mileage we inventors and entrepreneurs get from awards such as these.

I am a tremendously self-motivated person who can go, go, go under the duress of disgruntled customers, flawed product, employee turn-over, 100s of email messages every day, and phone calls that divert my attention from even the best laid plans. Even without recognition, I am purposeful and goal oriented, and though I may have a low moment or even a down day, I generally wake up raring to go.

But I just have to say, that getting the Small Business Person of the Year award has fanned the fire that propels me. Two months later, I am still feeling the momentum created by receiving not only the recognition of the Small Business Administration but also the hugs, handshakes and well wishes of the family and friends who gathered to celebrate this accomplishment. Every single congratulatory email and Facebook post ignited another ember of satisfaction.

I am grateful to everyone who has said "Good job!" and "Congratulations!" Recognition is truly an energizing force! I intend to let it drive me as far as it will take me.

Protect Your Ideas!

2010-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

When I first launched KleenSlate Concepts, many people tried to discourage me from seeking a patent, saying the process was time consuming and of little value. So, why did I pursue this protection and what did I protect?

First and foremost, as an inventor with little capital but a great idea, I knew that trademarks and patents would clearly demonstrate my claim to the ideas I had developed. Without that protection, anyone could watch to see if I achieved market success with my product, and then produce it in competition with me without fearing my legal claim to the idea.

In my case, I protected my name, KleenSlate, with a trademark and my first product, an attachable eraser for dry-erase markers, with a patent.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of protecting your ideas through trademarks and patents.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office website offers a wealth of information and resources to guide this part of your inventor journey. In addition to FAQ pages, online chats and special programs to lower filing fees, they publish a monthly newsletter, InventorsEye, a great publication for aspiring and accomplished inventors alike.

I am delighted to be the featured inventor in the "Flash of Genius" column in the July 2010 issue of the InventorsEye. Take a look at the article and the rest of the issue for advice and support for independent inventors.

The Right Sisters: Hot Off the Press!

2010-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

My newly published book, The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories, is getting rave reviews.

Don Kelly, Former US Patent and Trademark Office Chief of Staff who now runs Patent Agent Plus had this to say:

“A MUST READ!” for anyone with an inventive idea and curiosity about what it takes to bring that idea to market. Rhodes and Harrelson have captured a wonderfully readable collection of richly moving stories about contemporary women innovators - - in their own words. As a special tribute to sisters everywhere, The Right Sisters is an eloquent commentary on still-prevailing barriers faced by female inventors. Beyond that, the tales of their courageous struggles and heartwarming victories deliver a powerful dose of motivation for us all.

Lorin Beller Blake at Big Fish Nation says

The Right Sisters is brilliant! Women entrepreneurs all over the world are becoming a force that is having more and more impact. We need inspiration every day to remind us to keep going. That is what this book offers—inspiration from women who have a seedling of an idea and make it a reality.

Bob DeMatteis, author of From Patent to Profit, says

The Right Sisters will make you laugh, make you cheer, and at times make you cry. It will give you a whole new perspective on the extraordinary vision, perseverance, and generosity of America’s women inventors. Julia and Patricia tell why the next wave of innovation in America will be from women!

Order your copy now on the "Contact Us" page of KleenSlate Concepts.

The Invention of Blue Jeans

2010-05-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

The following passage was featured on the Writer's Almanac on May 20, 2010:

It was on this day in 1873 that Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for work pants reinforced with metal rivets, the pants that came to be known as "blue jeans."

But the story of blue jeans began about 500 years ago, in the port city of Genoa, Italy, where a special thick cloth was used to make pants for fishermen and sailors in the Genoese navy. The cloth came from the Italian town of Chieri, a town known for its weaving and textiles. The fabric started out brown, but was eventually dyed blue with gualdo, or wode, a plant that was popular for its blue dye before indigo. The pants were designed to be heavy-duty, to stand up to wet and dry, to roll up easily when the deck got wet, and to be quickly removable if the wearer fell overboard. Our term "blue jeans" comes from a bastardization of the French "bleu de Genes," or "blue of Genoa." In 2009, Genoa held a three-day conference celebrating their role in the history of blue jeans.

But the fabric that Levi Strauss ended up choosing was serge, from the city of Nîmes, in France. It may have been copied from the Italian version, or it may be a similar fabric that was created independently, but it was this "serge de Nîmes," that Strauss chose for his pants, and "de Nîmes" eventually turned into plain old "denim."

Levi Strauss was an immigrant from Bavaria, born Loeb Strauss in 1829. His family had a dry goods business, and when he was 24 years old, he saw an opportunity in the California Gold Rush and headed west. He had some canvas that he had intended to use for wagon covers and tents, but when he discovered that the men out there had trouble finding sturdy work pants, he started making pants out of canvas. And when he heard that the pants were good but they chafed, he switched fabric, to the "serge de Nîmes."

One of his customers was a tailor named Jacob Davis, from Reno, Nevada, who bought cloth from Strauss and sewed his own work pants from it. Davis had heard from customers that the pockets kept ripping, so he had the idea to reinforce them with metal rivets at their weak points. He decided that he should get a patent for this idea, but he didn't have enough money. So he wrote Strauss and asked if he would be interested in sharing a patent for sturdy work pants with metal rivets, and Strauss agreed. On this day in 1873, the two men received U.S. Patent No. 139,121 for "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings."

By the 1920s, jeans were the most popular men's work pants, although still used only by laborers — with one notable exception being the Santa Fe Artists Colony, whose members wore blue jeans in the 1920s as an artistic statement. In the 1930s, Hollywood Westerns portrayed cowboys in jeans, and they became a novelty fashion item for East Coasters who went to dude ranches. During World War II, jeans were considered suitable work pants for both men and women to wear in factories. For women's jeans, the zipper went down the right side instead of the front.

The 1950s saw the biggest change for jeans, as they became a teenage status symbol. James Dean wore jeans in Rebel Without a Cause, and along with leather jackets, they became the quintessential clothing of bad boys and juvenile delinquents. Jack Kerouac wore blue jeans and work shirts as early as the 1940s. In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, jeans became the outfit of choice for bohemian artists, preferably with a black turtleneck and sandals. In 1960, the word "jeans" was finally used in advertising (teenagers had been using it for years). By the late 1960s, bellbottom jeans were taken up by the flower children of the counterculture, and by the 1970s they were a staple of mainstream American culture. And there are some people who can always wear jeans — John Grisham said: "Writers can wear anything. I could go to a black-tie dinner in New York City with blue jeans on and boots and a cowboy hat and a bow tie, and people would just say, 'Oh, he's a writer.'"

kleenSlate Concepts Selected as the Central California 2010 Small Business Person of the Year

2010-05-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

MommyPerks.com Rocks! I love building relationships with new customers!

KleenSlate Concepts Selected as the Central California 2010 Small Business Person of the Year

May/10/2010

2 packs, 12 packs, 24 packs. Check the site for rates.

*Please note: Mommy Perks is not in the habit of posting business press releases on our blog. However, the owner of KleenSlate Concepts recently made a large contribution to our first Twitter Party. We, in turn, are happy to promote the Central California Small Business Person of the Year press release, in her honor!

Release Date: May 7, 2010
(559) 487-5791, ext 143
Contact: Melende Ward

KleenSlate Concepts Selected as the Central California 2010 Small Business Person of the Year

National Small Business Week: May 23-29, 2010

SONORA, CA – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Fresno District Office announced today that Julia Rhodes owner of KleenSlate Concepts has been selected as the 2010 Central California Small Business Person of the Year.

The award presentation for KleenSlate Concepts will be held on May 24, 2010, 12:00 noon at the Sonora Board of Supervisors Chamber located at 2 S. Green Street, 4th Floor in Sonora. For information regarding the award presentation, please contact Melende Ward at (559) 487-5791.

This year marks the 47th annual proclamation by the President calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. The award recognizes a business owner who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and honors his or her individual contributions to the community. KleenSlate Concepts was selected after a competition held among businesses located within the 15 Central California counties served by the Fresno SBA. The Alliance Small Business Development Center of Modesto nominated the business for the award.

“The Small Business Administration is very proud of the tremendous growth and success that KleenSlate Concepts has achieved. This company serves as a role model for other small business entrepreneurs,” said Carlos G. Mendoza, District Director for the Fresno SBA Office.

Upon notification that she was selected for the award Rhodes said, “I am honored to be selected and I wouldn’t be here today without the help of family, friends and loyal customers. It helps having great products, however, at the end of the day it is the team you have in place that makes or breaks you.”

KleenSlate Concepts was founded in 2001 by Julia Rhodes. At that time her product was little more than a well developed idea for a solution to a common problem – “the missing white board eraser.”

As a previous elementary school teacher, Julia was very familiar with wasting time hunting for erasers for dry erase boards. She did her research and found that no one was manufacturing an eraser that would cap directly to the end of a dry erase marker. With the help of the Alliance Small Business Development Center, Julia started working on her business plan and attended many training and counseling sessions.

Since the development of the dry erase cap KleenSlate has developed many other products including the Dry-Erase Paddles which can be used in classroom settings and team activities. Every paddle is complete with a marker and eraser. The paddle marketing theme “Put the Paddle Back in the Classroom” allows every student in the classroom a hand-held dry erase paddle. The paddles allow an entire classroom to answer a question instead of an individual student. Knowing how financially strapped the schools are, but seeing the measurable difference the paddles are making in the schools performance, Julia is enlisting local businesses to help support local schools.

In 2002, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued Julia her first patent and trademark and Julia currently holds international patents in China and Japan with other patents pending in multiple countries around the world. She also mentors new inventors on the challenges of the inventor’s journey and is in the process of writing a book to share her knowledge.

KleenSlate Concepts has rapidly evolved into an international product development company providing simple yet effective communication tools for businesses, classrooms, hospitals, homes and travel. The firm currently exports products to the countries of UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, Peru, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Japan, Israel, China, New Zealand and Ireland and donates products to deaf schools in Africa and Ethiopia.

The popularity and success of KleenSlate products has big retailers such as Office Depot featuring the products in their stores, web sites and catalogs. The business has four employees in its Sonora office and dozens of independent sales reps around the world.

Kurt Clark, Center Director of the Alliance Small Business Development Center said, ““When Julia approached the Alliance SBDC for assistance in 2002, she had already cashed out her teachers pension and had refinanced her house. Like many entrepreneurs, Julia committed all of her personal financial resources to her dream, but also engaged family and friends to provide the seed capital necessary to develop her first product. Assistance from the SBDC enabled her to develop a Business Plan and helped her secure a loan from the local County Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).”

“Julia’s path in business is one that many entrepreneurs experience including the need to stay educated on the ever-changing challenges of business ownership. I am proud to have worked with Julia through these past eight years and see the tremendous success she has had and how she has inspired others to live their own dream,” said Center Director Clark.

Small Business Person of the Year nominations are judged on seven basic criteria: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects.

KleenSlate Gets Around

2010-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

You never know how, when, or where your invention will show up. I have had email from folks describing the KleenSlate dry erase Paddles being used in places I never dreamed about when I first invented the product. Here are a few examples:

travelers using the Paddle around the world to help communicate in various languages by drawing pictures,
parents using the Paddle to help an autistic child stay on schedule,
a nurse who used the Paddle for a patient with a vocal impairment,
a man who used the Paddle to reconnect with an old friend.

Since I designed this product when I was a teacher, I am always delighted to hear stories and testimonials about how it is being used in the world of education. Recently, my friend Rebecca P. Cohen, one of the woman inventors who is featured in The Right Sisters, took the Paddles into her Outdoor Education program. The story of Rebecca using the Paddles with the kids in the garden is featured on Rachael Ray's Yum-o.org

I'd love to hear your story about how you have used KleenSlate dry erase Paddles.

Forging Relationships

2009-10-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Connecting with other women in business is food for my spirit. During the last two months, I have attended two conferences that renewed my energy and provided inspiration to reach for a higher plateau during these difficult economic times.

In September, I headed to Boca Raton, Florida for the "Count Me In" Leadership Conference hosted by Office Depot at their new headquarters. For three days, I was immersed in workshops and surrounded by 108 inspiring women who were discovering ways to grow their business to million dollar enterprises. I had match-making meetings with amazing companies like Power Purchasing, Scripps, and Office Depot-- all potential customers for KleenSlate! I came home filled with ideas and possibilities.

Last week, I attended the Astra's 13th Annual Workshop, Match-Maker, & Awards Dinner: Connect 2009, Start Local-- Go Global. The name Astra comes from the Latin ad astra per aspera which means rising to the stars through difficulty. These days call for just that kind of attitude, and the women and corporations at this event were finding ways to build economic bridges between women entrepreneurs and major corporations.

I presented a workshop on the value of doing one's homework and the preparation necessary for successful engagement when approaching big corporations with a business idea. Because I walk my talk, I was matched with Robert Half International, Apple, and AT&T. Making certain that I had a comprehensive understanding of these companies' values and needs was a critical component to finding a way to add value to their business. I pitched our Partners in Education Program and our patented dry erase products. I was able to explain to these big guys how they might enhance their branding through promotional products that I could provide.

Most importantly, I forged new relationships--without a doubt a key feature in the successful development and promotion of one's inventions and business.

Weird (Funny) Inventions

2009-09-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Some inventions are too funny for words. Check out this video of Weird Clothing Inventions.

I bet that made you laugh. Do you have your own odd ideas for inventions? Care to share?

Writing & Inventing

2009-09-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I retreated to a cabin in the High Sierra, with my co-writer Patricia Harrelson, to work on The Right Sisters. It was an energetic, productive, and at times, comical experience.

We immersed ourselves in the lives of eight women inventors, reviewing transcriptions of our interviews with them, researching and fact checking key points, talking in depth about the common and unique themes among them, and eventually reading and revising the drafts we have written of their chapters. What occurred to me as we worked was how similar the writing process is to the inventing process.

The are both creative endeavors that require deep and meaningful attention and action. Patricia and I talked at length about each inventor. We hiked to the river and to a giant rock pile, notebooks in hand so we could record the insights that came to us. We stretched our bodies in yoga poses and our understanding of each woman deepened. I remember the talking, thinking, walking, and stretching that went into developing KleenSlate and my erasers and paddles.

A little humor is essential to both processes. Our cabin was funky. It was very old and tilted on the foundation, so we slept and wrote on an angle. A skunk family had nested under the cabin all winter, so that during the heat of midday a pungent scent wafted through the floorboards. At night, we had a regular visitor, a critter who made a rukus in the little kitchen, nibbling on fruit we'd left on the table and knocking pans off the stove. These discomforts seemed to feed our process rather than detract from it. We giggled at our cockeyed computers sitting on the table and shone flashlights into the kitchen at night trying to "catch" the critter in its beam.

We never caught sight of him, but we caught much more. The essence and flavor of the women inventors who have so wholeheartedly shared their stories with us. It is going to be a GREAT BOOK!

Google Alert for Women Inventors

2009-08-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always interested in anything that has to do with women inventors. In fact, I have a Google Alert set for anything connected to inventors in general and women inventors in particular. (check out Google Alerts to stay on top of news in your field)

That's how I learned about WOMENTORZ a website scheduled to launch in six weeks. Their site is designed to build a network of women inventors. In fact, they are advertising for help with beta testing.

I don't know these gals, but I sure like their idea. Check out the site and decide for yourself if it is something you want to pursue.

High Tech vs Low Tech Inventions

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

We live in the technology age, and I’m right up there with everyone else enjoying the benefits of high tech inventions, such as Skype and my Iphone. I’m well aware that technology can change lives. That’s why I eagerly read an article by Jennifer Lawinski entitled “Five Inventions That Will Change Your Life.”

The funny thing is that when I read this article, I suddenly wanted to shout about the value of low tech inventions, particularly mine: the two-sided dry erase paddle.

The article described something called the cognitive radio—a communication device which is a cross between a walkie-talkie and a palm pilot. This high tech handset would allow communication during a disaster when the power is out and phones, including cell phones, and the Internet are not working.

As I read about the cognitive radio, my head starting screaming, “It’s paddle time!” I imagined folks sitting on roofs in a flooded out town. They held paddles pointed skyward with critical messages: “5 people here!” or “baby & disabled grandma.” Helicopters hovering overhead radioed this information to the rescue boats. KleenSlate paddles save the day!

I love technology, but let’s not forget that low-tech devices can be life savers too! How do you see KleenSlate saving the day? Or what about your low-tech invention? How will it change people's lives?

Proactive Business Relationships

2009-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I’m so grateful for the solid business relationships I’ve established since first inventing the eraser for dry erase markers. Among the first of these important relationships was meeting and working with Michelle Payne.

I met Michelle at a NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) California Chapter meeting. Michelle was smart and engaging, and when I learned that she did business coaching, I signed on.

Because Michelle lived more than 90 miles from me, we did most of our work via the telephone and email which saved time and money because we didn't have to travel. She helped me write my first business plan and taught me about things like pricing and the cost of goods. One of the best things we did was role playing exercises. She would play the buyer and I would be the seller. Practicing my pitch with Michelle on the phone was invaluable.

Michelle has moved on from business coaching to using her substantial skills to develop a non-profit organization called Parent Driven Schools. Last week, I was able to support Michelle’s new enterprise when KleenSlate was one of several sponsors at the premier of a documentary film about revolutionizing education by empowering parents. Check out the Parent Driven Schools website to see how you can involved.

Michelle embraces the idea of taking a proactive role no matter what your endeavor, be it building a prototype, writing a business plan, or securing the best education for your child. She’s part of my network of business relationships. I’m grateful to her and delighted to support her.

Fun Facts from Everyday Edisons

2009-08-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Everyday, human beings deal with problems. Inventors see problems and their minds click into action to seek a solution.

For example, Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals because he hated wearing two pairs of glasses.

Everyday Edisons, the award winning PBS series, documents this problem solving process by closely following inventors as they develop an invention. For the past couple of years, I've had the privilege of participating in the casting calls for Everyday Edisons. What a privilege it is to hear from people across the country who have inventive minds.

The program developers know that inventors find inspiration in hearing about other inventors. Not only have they created an awesome television program, they also have a newsletter that includes inventor updates and casting calls.

Here are a few fun facts I gleaned from the most recent newsletter:

Melting ice cream inspired the invention of the outboard motor. It was a lovely August day and Ole Evinrude was rowing his boat to his favorite island picnic spot. As he rowed, he watched his ice cream melt and wished he had a faster way to get to the island. At that moment, the idea for the outboard motor was born!

The Band-Aid was invented by a Johnson & Johnson employee whose wife had cut herself. Earl Dickson's wife was rather accident prone, so he set out to develop a bandage that she could apply without help. He placed a small piece of gauze in the center of a small piece of surgical tape, and what we know today as the Band-Aid band-aid was born!

My favorite invention story is one that I think epitomizes the thinking of so many inventors, that is the desire to make the world a better place:

British-born Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web, but he never made a cent on this invention which revolutionized the computer world. In 1989, he envisioned a way to link documents on the Internet using "hypertext" so "surfers" could jump from one document to another through highlighted words. Berners-Lee decided not to patent his technology because he feared that if he did, use of the Web would be too expensive and would therefore not become used worldwide. He passed up a fortune so the world could learn and communicate.

To learn more about inventors, tune into Everyday Edisons AND go to their website and subscribe to the newsletter.

Networking Leads to Match-Making

2009-08-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

I can’t emphasize enough the value of networking. In my opinion, networking is the most powerful activity you can engage in if you are an inventor or entrepreneur.

That’s why I recently attended a Match-Makers Meeting hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners. I went with express intention of meeting people who might influence me and my company, and I was NOT disappointed. One of the women at my table was Imelda Alejandrino, the CEO of FirstStep Marketing. Imelda and I hit it off immediately. She was engaging, smart, and absolutely full of wonderful ideas about developing my business. She was just the person I was looking for, someone who could breathe new life in KleenSlate.

I took her card. FirstStepMarketing focuses on assisting the marketing efforts of small start-up companies. Last Friday, I met with Imelda and her staff for a three-hour brainstorming session. The work was vigorous and inclusive, fascinating and energizing. Together we took an in depth look at KleenSlate from a variety of vantage points. We made lists and diagrams on the white board, using KleenSlate markers and erasers, and I took pages of notes. One specific activity that all small start ups need to do is a SWOT exercise, listing:

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

I identified the companies/brands I liked and shopped. They asked me to explain what I liked about these companies. Then they flipped that information around and made me look at how what I valued in other companies was emerging in my own company. We worked like this all afternoon until I my brain was spilling with new insights and awareness about KleenSlate and how I wanted to position myself in the market. The team at FirstStep will use information from our brainstorming session to draft a proposal regarding how to REFRESH the look of KleenSlate.

By putting myself in a place where I could meet people, being open to new experiences, and following up, I met Imelda Alejandrino and her partners. Now KleenSlate is getting a new branding/marketing strategy with a clear direction and an eye for the future.

Nothing beats networking!!

Name Three Inventors

2009-08-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

“Name three inventors,” I asked of my 8th grade language arts class more than 10 years ago when I was still teaching.

Hands went up and I called on students, who named Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright Brothers—well known inventors. I wanted the students to dig deepr, so I said “Name a woman inventor.” Not a single hand went up despite the fact that they all knew that I had invented the attachable erasers I was using on the whiteboard. After a moment, one student raised his hand. “Yes, Steven,” I said.

“I don’t think there are any women inventors,” he said.

My mouth dropped open; I was speechless. Though I’d often told the kids about my adventures while inventing the eraser, Steven did not view me as an inventor. When I regained my voice and questioned the class further, it was clear that that none of them could name a female inventor. This simple question opened a much bigger one for me. I realized that I couldn’t really give a satisfying answer to my own question. I had met several women in the course of working to get my eraser patented, but I didn’t know of any women inventors beyond these few.

I decided that it was imperative that I be able to promptly answer this question myself, especially if I wanted my students to be able answer without hesitation. Research, however, offered a bleak picture. There were no books on the library shelves about women inventors. Further investigation revealed that few had been written. Then I stumbled upon a used copy of Mothers of Invention: From the Bra to the Bomb, Forgotten Women and Their Unforgettable Ideas written in 1988 by Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek.

The authors say in their Preface that they wrote the book as “attempt to resurrect from the cracks of history the names and stories of remarkable women who changed the world –and were promptly ignored by it.” From this fascinating and thoroughly researched book, I learned about Sybilla Masters who invented a corn refining machine in 1793. The patent was issued to her husband because women were not allowed file in their names back then. I learned that Margaret Knight invented the flat bottomed brown paper bag in 1870, a product still in use today. The book is filled with stories about women whose inventions range from practical to scientific, from frivolous to serious. The stories also describe the obstacles that women inventors have faced since the dawn of human history. Reading these stories was a true eye-opener. When Vare and Ptacek followed with a sequel in 2002 called Patently Female: for AZT to TV Dinners, Stories of Women Inventors and Their Breakthrough Ideas, I bought it immediately.

These books have motivated me to write my own book about women inventors: The Right Sisters. In future posts, I will tell you about the women inventors I’ve met on the pages of these books as well as in real life. I hope you’ll pass their stories along. My wish is that to expand reader's awareness so that if you are asked to name a woman inventor, you have names bursting forth: Marie Curie, Claire McCardell, Amanda Theodosia Jones, Kate Gleason, Wendy Steele, Julia Rhodes.

Saving the World One Invention at a Time

2009-08-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Inventing is as old as human kind. When we were kids, we learned about the impact of the wheel on the growth and development of human life. While the wheel had dramatic effects for humans, smaller inventions were similarly significant.

Dr Michael Petraglia, an archaeologist from the University of Oxford, recently published a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that describes how one early invention enable humans to adapt to environmental change. He discovered tiny stone blades, less than 4cm long, in South Asia. The blades were probably inserted at the top of wooden shafts and used as spear-heads or arrow tips.They were light and portable and could be produced in large quantities.

Climate was changing rather drastically at this time, turning colder at the onset of the Ice Age, causing much of the landscape of South Asia to become quite inhospitable. Despite the challenging environment, the genetic findings of Dr. Petraglia’s study reveal that Asian populations actually increased during this period. He speculates that the tiny blade contributed to the survival of the hunter-gatherers because they allowed humans to hunt at a greater distance from their prey and thus with less risk.

While your invention may not enable the survival of the human race, don’t underestimate its usefulness in society. For instance, I know my paddles can save thousands of dollars in paper for individual schools. Multiply that by many, many schools and my invention has the potential to make a HUGE impact on the world.

Tell us how your invention will impact the world.

Pitching Your Idea 2- Speaking Up

2009-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wanda Plimmer, who is featured in The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories, was an actress before she was an inventor. Her skills as an actress have served her well in presenting her idea to others. After Wanda invented her Nursing Nest, she decided to pitch it to a large company.

In the Right Sisters, she tells this hilarious story about getting through to the “right” person.

I called the corporate headquarters and told them I had a product that I wanted to present to the person responsible for buying breast-feeding pillows. The receptionist told me to send them a sample and they would take it from there. I insisted that I needed to talk to the buyer, but she said she couldn’t give that information and ended the call.

I waited a few minutes and called back, disguising my voice in a twangy, southern accent: “I’d like t’ speak t’ the person who buys breast-feedin’ pillas?” The operator seemed about to transfer me, but I stopped her and said, “Couldja just gi’ me her name?”

“Marcia Costello,” she said,

“Oh, thaaank you, honey,” I said and she patched me through. I reached Marcia’s assistant, and when I told her I wanted to present my product to Marcia, I got the same instructions: “Just send us a sample.” So, I said, “Thank you, very much,” and ended the call.

A few minutes later, I called back a third time, using yet a different voice. I said, “Marcia Costello, please. This is Wanda Plimmer from Peaceful Peas.” When I finally got to speak to Marcia, I felt like I’d reached the great Wizard of Oz. I told her I had five products that I was ready to present including the Nursing Nest.

“I can’t see you for another three weeks,” Marcia responded.

Keeping my voice level in the face of this thrilling news, I said in a very businesslike manner, “That will be fine. What time is good for you? I had assumed a totally different persona from the ones who busted their way through by phone.

Wanda used her talents to good advantage to get through to the right person. However, most of us have not been actresses in a previous life, so getting up the nerve to talk to people about our ideas is sometimes a tough thing to do.

If you lack confidence in the public speaking arena, I recommend that you get help from those who are more expert and practice what you learn. For example, Lisa Marshall offers some wonderful guidelines on her podcasts at The Public Speaker. Check them out.

And please let us know your tips for overcoming public speaking angst.

Pitching Your Idea 1- BEFORE the Elevator Pitch

2009-07-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

So you have this truly wonderful idea for an invention and you’ve actually begun to think about how you make it a real thing. Maybe you are drawing pictures or maybe you are already fooling around with creating a prototype. It goes without saying that soon after the moment of inspiration; you will find yourself in describing your idea to someone.

At that moment, you are pitching your idea for the first time.

From this moment on, you will pitch your idea again and again as you try to get help creating a prototype or try to find investors to help you get it manufactured.

To get what you want, you have to be ready to pitch your idea. That means that you have to think about what you want to say.

In the business world, there is a lot of talk about the “Elevator Pitch,” so called because it compels you to be able to describe your business plan to a stranger in the time it takes to ride in an elevator from the 1st floor to the 7th floor. The rationale is that a concise, carefully planned and practiced pitch is more likely to be successful than a stumbling, disjointed delivery.

Makes sense, right?

But my experience is that way before you reach the business plan stage, you have to pitch your idea, describing it to people who will help you in your inventor journey. For instance, you may ask your brother-in-law to loan you money to get started or you find at a meeting explaining your idea to the local inventors group.

I’m talking about the time BEFORE the “Elevator Pitch.” You aren’t actually pitching a business yet, but you are headed in that direction.

So I recommend creating a concise description of your invention as soon as possible:

Write it down;
1. Edit it; make it 25 words or less;
2. Use simple to understand words;
3. Make it sound compelling;
4. Then practice saying it. Say it so many times, that you are dreaming the words.

Here is my description the attachable eraser for a dry erase marker:

KleenSlate's eraser cap will fit on your dry erase marker. It's much better than using your finger. Would you buy a pencil without an eraser?

With this description ready to pop out of your mouth, you will be ready for ANY encounter. You never know when you will meet someone who can further your journey.

And you will have the first step of your “Elevator Pitch” ready to go.

Inventor Beware!

2009-07-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Did you know that 1 in 3 inventors have spent from $8000 to $12,000 on scams that claimed they would help the inventor get his/her product to market? Such scams, traps, and raw deals are rampant. Of the 8 women I interviewed for my book, The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories, four of them told stories of buying into such scams.

So inventors BEWARE!

My friend Louis Foreman, the Executive Producer of the award winning program “Everyday Edisons,” offers this advice: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

The most important thing you can do when you first get started is lots of homework! Always carefully research anyone offering to assist you in getting your product to market. Check out the reputation of any person, company, or organization BEFORE you spend a penny.

I’ve found the United Inventors Association (UIA) to be particularly useful. They offer a terrific 10- part miniseries entitled “What Every Inventor Needs to Know” in which the first episode is all about avoiding scams. Obviously, UIA recognizes what a problem scams are for inventors.

Check out UIA. You can subscribe to UIA for free and get a monthly newsletter as well as access to the mini-series.

And remember to always do your homework!

Naming Your Business

2009-07-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

Early on, a friend who owned a business said something that stuck with me. “Get a name and put it on everything.” If I was going to put the name of my business on everything, I knew I had to decide exactly what I wanted in a name.

When I came up with KleenSlate, I knew it was right. I was starting over, changing careers at mid-life, so the name was relevant to me personally. At the same time, the world was moving away from chalkboards toward whiteboards. I felt like the old term for chalkboards—slates—fit once again, and using it as my company name could help bring it back into fashion. I changed the spelling of clean because I thought the misspelling signified the need for erasers. I was having the time of my life and when I said KleenSlate, it made me smile. “This is good,” I thought. “When I tell people about my product, I will always smile.”

Since then I’ve read what experts on branding have to say about choosing a name for a small business. It boils down to 4 essential considerations. Choose a name that:

is easy to spell and pronounce,
describes what you do
distinguishes you from others
will bring you business.

By carefully thinking about a name for my business that related to well to both my invention and myself, I also managed to stick to these rules. I love the name of my business; it still makes me smile.

What are your questions or thoughts about naming your business?

Philanthropy-Giving Back

2009-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started KleenSlate Concepts, I’ve looked for opportunities to help others as a way of acknowledging the help that has propelled my inventor journey. For instance, I frequently donate product to schools locally as well as across the country and internationally.

I learned about philanthropy from my mother as well as from the generosity of others. When I was a kid, my family lived in Mexico while my parents did graduate work. Because they were going to school, they had to get resourceful about how to earn money. Mom started selling homemade granola to the local super market. It was soon a reasonably lucrative enterprise. When we were ready to move back to the States, Mom turned the business over to our housekeeper. She taught her about business, especially bookkeeping, and she introduced Maria to the store manager as her business partner.

When I was a single mother at 20, I realized that an education could get me out of poverty. I enrolled in the local community college, Columbia College, where I applied for and was awarded various scholarships. The generosity of people who established these scholarships helped me through tough times. The gift not only helped me financially, but it also boosted my self-esteem because I felt like someone believed in me.

That’s why I’ve chosen to donate a portion of the proceeds from The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories to fund a scholarship at Columbia College for women like me—young women in difficult situations who recognize that education is a way out of poverty.

My mother’s generosity was a significant influence in my life. Philanthropy is as important to me as the more practical issues in the inventor-entrepreneur life—things like patents and manufacturing and promoting.

I’d like to hear how readers are repaying the help they’ve received during their inventor journey.

The Birth of an Idea- Part 2

2009-07-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Wanda Plimmer is the inventor of the Nursing Nest, a device that supports a nursing baby. Wanda is one of the inventors featured in The Right Sisters.

Wanda's idea for the nursing nest was born following an emergency C-Section to deliver her first child. She describes the conditions that prompted her invention this way: "My incision hurt, my lower back hurt, my shoulders hurt, and I had Carpel Tunnel from holding him up for so long. I was falling asleep sitting upright on the bed in the middle of the night, and twice I dropped him onto the bed. I couldn’t believe how unsafe I felt dealing with this tiny baby when I was exhausted and hurting."

Inventors often create out of a sense of frustration. Many people feel like there has to be a better way when frustrated, but inventors use that feeling as their source of inspiration.

Wanda was terribly frustrated after the birth of her son as she tried to nurse him. She turned to books and health care practitioners who explained that she could nurse laying down if she used blankets to prop her baby. But even though this helped a lot, she was still frustrated. Here is a excerpt from The Right Sisters describing her moment of inspiration and what she did about it.

The only problem was that for each feeding when I needed to reposition to the opposite breast, I had to shift all the blankets and pillows that I had arranged. One night about midnight as I was nursing Joel Walter, I had this sudden image of what I needed to make this work so much better. I got out of bed as soon as the baby fell asleep and went to the kitchen to find the electric carving knife. Then I grabbed a slab of foam that I happened to have. I didn’t know exactly what the end product was going to look like, but I had a good sense of the shape it needed to be. That night, I created the first prototype for the Nursing Nest.

The thing that distinguishes inventors from other dreamers is their pro-activity. When they imagine a solution; they get to work to make it happen as Wanda Plimmer did. Tell us how you were pro-active in bringing your idea to life.

The Birth of an Idea-Part 1

2009-07-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Folks are often curious about when, where, and how an inventor first gets an idea for an invention. That's one of the questions I asked the women inventors whom I interviewed for the the book I'm writing: The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories. Their answers to these questions illustrate the creative mind at work on a very practical level.

I thought my blog readers might enjoy reading a few excerpts from The Right Sisters that zero in on the birth of an idea. Here is a short segment describing the moment when I got the idea to make my first invention:

My younger son Joe wanted to make a gift for his basketball coach. “Mom,” he said, “Can you help me make a dry-erase board with a diagram of the basketball court? And can we get some markers with erasers on the end? Coach is always erasing with his hands and then he wipes his hands on his pants and he’s covered with black smudges.” My fingers were also black at the end of the day as were my fellow teachers because we used our hands to erase rather than reach for the block eraser. I went on the Internet to look for a marker with an eraser, and I quickly discovered that there was a 1.8 billion dollar marker business, but not one company had designed an eraser to go on the end of the pen. Joe and I both had the same thought: A person wouldn’t buy a pencil without an eraser, so why buy a marker without an eraser? Right then I thought, “This is it! I’ll invent an eraser and I’ll take it to market.

Little did I know the challenges that lay ahead that would change my life forever. Best of all, that little eraser helped send Joe to college!

Stay tuned for more excerpts from The Right Sisters. And please if you have your own story about the birth of an idea, drop us a note in "Comments."

Michael Jackson, Inventor

2009-07-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, millions of people said good bye to Michael Jackson. His death was shocking, especially to those of us who spent years listening, dancing, and working out to his music.

For several days following his death, stories about Jackson filled the airways, revealing many shocking, as well as amazing, details of the man’s life. As people gathered for his memorial service, I followed the story on NPR and learned this surprising fact: Jackson had a patent. He was an inventor!

Of course, we know he created extraordinary music as well as dance steps, but he also invented and patented a system related to dance. According to “Discovery News,” the title of the patent was: “Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.”

It's a system that consists of a special shoe that has a hitch designed to attach to a projection in a stage. When the shoe engages with the component in the stage, the performer can lean forward beyond his or her center of gravity. (To see a video of the shoe in action, click the link above.)

The creative mind comes in many forms: scientific, practical, and artistic—and clearly the boundaries are fluid. Having always appreciated the creativity of the man, I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having this small connection with Jackson’s legacy.

Homework is not a 4-letter word: Preparing to Meet with Corporate Buyers

2009-06-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

If you are in the San Francisco area next Tues., stop by the Mascone Center and say hi! WBENC (Women Business Enterprise National Council) will be hosting their Annual Conference: The Bridge to Quality . Check out the web site for more information: www.astrawba.org/wib_2009
Wendy Steele from Tapewrangler, http://www.tapewrangler.com, and I will be giving an enlightening workshop June 9th from 4-5:30 at the Moscone Center, Gateway Ballroom room 103. "How to Prepare to Meet with Corporate Buyers" Come by, pick up some tools and tips and learn about how certification can move your business to the next level. Hope to see you there!

The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories

2009-05-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

I will not beat myself up over not writing in my blog. My writing time has been absorbed finishing a book that was started 2 years ago! The Right Sisters: Women Inventors Tell Their Stories should be ready to go to press in August and released in Late Sept or early October. It has been a fascinating and inspiring journey interviewing 10 amazing women inventors. I am honored to be telling their stories and I look forward to sharing them with you. My mother's artwork inspired the cover while her encouragement and support throughout my life gave me the confidence I needed to make this happen. I love you Mom!

KleenSlate donating to schools

2008-12-08T14:43:00.001-08:00

Inspiring Inventors

2008-08-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Attending the 13^th Annual Independent Inventors Conference was an inspiring experience. I was invited to speak at the Conference, which was sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, along with Louis Foreman the Executive Producer of the Emmy Award winning program “Every Day Edisons.”

Speaking with Louis was an honor in itself, but I was overwhelmed when I opened the program and saw myself described as “one of the Nation’s most inspirational independent inventors.” WOW! They were talking about me!!

At that moment I knew my job was to join Louis and the other speakers in reinforcing the idea that the “American Dream” is accessible to inventors today. Our message: if you have that idea that makes life a little better and are willing to do your homework, you can take your idea the distance it takes to be successful. We spoke to a room filled with creative minds that were overflowing with unique and clever ideas. Faces were turned to us looking for hope and encouragement.

I am motivated to help other inventors because there wasn’t anyone to ask “how to” when I began my inventor’s journey. I was alone. Now inventors have a multitude of resources and experts willing to share information. The best part is that most of the advice and information you need to get started is free.

One of my proudest moments at the conference was when my son Joe turned to me and said, “You really inspire people, Mom! I am honored to be your son!”

I knew my trip was successful when I returned home to find this e-mail:

"[T]hank your for having the courage to follow your idea to fruition and for being an example to me and countless others - particularly women - on how they too can live the life of their dreams and support their families in the process. I was truly blessed and will be forever grateful and look forward to the time that I can be such a light to others as you have been to me."

Patricia B., Bethesda, Maryland

Conference Attendee, USPTO Independent Inventors Conference, Washington, DC, August 8-9, 2008.

Talk About Patenting

2008-08-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

This week I head to Washington D.C. with my son Joe. I’ve been invited to be a guest speaker at the 13th Annual Independent Inventors Conference which is sponsored by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Inventors Hall of Fame. The USPTO leads the way in creating and supporting a market-driven intellectual property system for the 21st Century.

There is nothing more daunting to a new inventor than trying to get an idea patented. There is no one to hold your hand and walk you through the process unless you have a patent attorney. And although it is an important step in the inventing journey, it is not the first step. An inventor has to know as much as they can about the product, the industry, the costs, and the potential customer before they even think about getting a patent or a patent attorney.

That’s why I’m delighted to have an opportunity to speak to inventors. I’d love to help them avoid some of the problems that I faced in the beginning. I’ll be talking about my story as a successful independent inventor and the things I have learned along the way, including:

the importance of doing your homework,
how to better position yourself for a successful launch,
what you can do to protect yourself and avoid pitfalls,
how to get your product into the right hands,
where you can go for reputable resources.

You can watch a live web cast of the general sessions of the conference on Friday and Saturday at the USPTO’s website, www.uspto.gov. Log on Friday morning at 8 a.m.EST and follow the instructions to access the web cast.

The truly exciting part of this trip is that my son who is a video photographer will be following me around with his camera throughout the conference to document my adventure so I can share them with you. Look for a follow up next week when I’ll be posting segments of my speech and hopefully some video footage.

Speaking About Women

2008-07-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

As a solo woman entrepreneur, I know the value of networking and sharing information. I have a large network that supports my business efforts, and I’m particularly interested in mentoring and helping women who are in business.

That’s why I was delighted to be invited by Office Depot to be the keynote speaker at the 2008 Women's Business Development Center's first annual trade show and expo. Office Depot chose me because they felt my experience working with them would be an asset to the conference.

The conference theme is "Building a Better Network" and the goal is to increase network and contracting opportunities for women’s business enterprises. The show will bring together America's leading corporations, government agencies, women business owners, and affiliate organizations.

The conference will provide an opportunity for participants to meet with corporate executives and buyers; network with corporate contacts, government representatives, and other WBNE members; attend workshops; exhibit their product and/or services; and meet the people who can influence their business success.

I am excited to be attending and sharing both my story of inventing a product, building a business, and successfully launching a product line. I encourage women business owners to learn more about WBNE and to get involved. And watch this blog for a my report on the conference.

At the end of the day, a measure of your success is in what relationships you have established and how those relationships help you build a better tomorrow.

Message from Africa

2008-07-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

I doubt if there is anything more encouraging to a business woman than the kind of email message I just received from Alison Neumann pictured here distributing my invention, the dry erase paddles, to students at the Deaf School in Mampong, Ghana, Africa.

Alison was on tour as part of her year abroad study in Africa, and she carried with her a box of the dry erase paddles. Here is a segment from her email message:

I wish you could have been there to see the look on the headmasters face as I told her how the dry erase paddles could be used. . . But it was the excitement of the children using the paddles that showed me what a wonderful communication tool it would become for each of them. Their smiles I will never forget as each of them gripped their paddles as a precious gift.

As you can see, your kind donation will ease the frustrations of the limited chalkboard space for the teachers, and provide the young Deaf students a voice when they do not understand the lesson. All of this will greatly increase the success of the teachers' lesson plans in the classroom. This is especially important for a country with a very high level of illiteracy.

Messages such as this make my day. They help affirm all the hard work of taking an idea that popped into my head all the way to a product I can hold in my hand. Now that product is making its way around the world to be of use to others. What more could I ask for?

Networking

2008-05-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to the east coast where Everyday Edisons is wrapping up its Season 3 casting calls at the Providence Rhode Island Convention Center on March 17. This will be the first casting call in the Northeast, and inventors will be arriving with sketchbooks, notebooks, and prototypes to see if their idea has what it takes to be on the PBS Show Everyday Edisons!

However, before going to Providence RI, I'll stop in Boston where I'll meet with a fellow inventor, Nancy Kerrigan. I met Nancy, whose products are in the pet industry, a few years back when I was in Boston for a meeting at Staples headquarters. I took her with me to my meeting to let her see what it was like doing business with "the big boys." Then I introduced her to my outsources in China. It wasn't long before her products were being manufactured there. Today, Nancy sells to the "big box" pet supply retailers.

Networking with other inventors works well because even though our inventions/products differ, we are often working on the same problems, issues, and challenges. Nancy and I support one another as we discuss our experiences and especially the challenges that we face selling to mass market retail stores. Not only am I looking forward to talking business with her, I hear Boston is beautiful this time of year and that Nancy's Auntie's spaghetti and meatballs are the talk of the town.

After saying good bye to Boston, I'll head to Providence, Rhode Island to meet up with the EDE crew for the last call. My job is working with the US Patent Office to talk with the participants about getting patents. I can't wait to see which inventors make the final cut of 14 inventors for next season's show.

Trips like this inspire and energize me because I love being in situations that support and promote inventiveness and entrepreneurial ventures.
j

Staying Inspired

2008-05-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Part of being an inventor/entrepreneur is staying motivated, engaged, and informed about the world. One way I stay inspired is by attending relevant conferences. I recently attended the 19th annual Professional Business Women of California Conference (PBWC ) in San Francisco.

This year PBWC chose to focus on 4 generations of women in the workplace who have broken ground in politics, business, medicine, and beyond. We shared experiences, exchanged ideas, and inspired each other to keep making history.

The highlights for me included hearing Martha Beck--a writer and columnist for the Oprah Magazine--tell about life changing experiences that resulted from choices she made. She said we all have our own "North Star within" and she encouraged us to follow it. Another awe-inspiring speaker was Madeleine Albright, 64th US Secretary of State. Albright shared her hopes of reinstating America to a source of inspiration across the globe and she encouraged us to find ways to deal with challenges while making the most from our opportunities.

I learned so much from the other women at PBWC as well as from stars like Martha Beck and Madeleine Albright. Please leave a comment telling us who is inspring you right now.
J

Everyday Edisons

2008-04-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I was invited by the US Patent Office to be a speaker at a casting call in San Jose for Everyday Edisons, the PBS inventor show that documents the developmental process of 14 inventions and the stories of the people who invented them. Casting calls are held in locations around the country.

The program only chooses 14 inventors from the 10,000 inventors who show up for the casting calls. My role was to let the inventors who were not chosen know that it is possible to do it yourself if you have done your homework and are willing to go the distance. It is important to let the inventors who don't get chosen know that their ideas are great even though their project was not what the show was looking for at this time. What I really enjoy about Everyday Edisons (EDE) is that they go the extra mile to inform and educate inventors, even those who aren't chosen.

Since the Casting Call in San Jose, I have participated in two others. The 4th casting call of the EDE was held in Chicago and inventors showed up by the thousands to share their inventions or explain their ideas. I was delighted to run into fellow woman inventor, Krisztov Nagy. I met Krisztove on my first speaking engagement in San Jose and again at the 3rd casting call in Dallas. She was submitting another 4 inventions for review. I love her "Do-not-give-up-or-take-no-for- an-answer" attitude. This is someone who will make her dream happen. It was especially rewarding when she told me that I had inspired her to keep going.

Chicago wasn't all about inventors. I also ate my first Chicago-style hot dogs at Portillos and learned from Louis Foreman that ketchup is NOT ALLOWED on a hot dog in Chicago under any circumstances. But the trip was really about inventors and the casting call. I was delighted and impressed by the smart inventors who showed up. FINALLY someone is inventing the flying car and--a jet-pack that is a must-have item now that gas is so expensive. I can't wait to see what Boston inventors bring the table and what inventions EDE choses for their 2009 season.

jr

5 Answers For Inventors

2008-04-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was going through some old documents in preparation for a speaking engagement and I came across my responses to some interview questions from a few years ago. It occurred to me that the answers to these questions are still relevant. I want to share them with new inventors who are considering taking their product to market.

Here are the answers. I think you'll be able to figure out the questions.

My greatest professional achievements has been taking an idea that popped into my head and making it reality that I could take to market. That puts me in the one percent of independent inventors who have successfully taken their product to market. From that beginning, KleenSlate Concepts has grown into an award-winning international product development company. I very proud of that.
Two obstacles I have had to overcome were fear and lack of knowledge. Fear of the unknown involved giving up a secure teaching job with a steady paycheck, health benefits, and retirement. I refinanced my house and leaped into the unknown world of business. My lack of knowledge and experience in a new industry was a disadvantage, but I believed in my idea and was willing to do the work. Maybe if I had known how costly and difficult it would be, I might not have done it! However, in that process, I gained knowledge that I didn’t have at the beginning. Knowledge conquered my fear and I became empowered.
Being successful means balancing my life – I am the one who has control over my time and my actions. I know better than anyone what my company needs and when it needs it. I also know how important it is to build a foundation of good health. As a woman in particular, I need to maintain my vitality and my glow. If I want to take the middle of the afternoon off to take a swim because I know the next day I will be on a plane to China, I do it. Having control over my time allows me to invest in myself, personally. When people ask, “What makes you successful?” I say that it is a matrix of attributes: persistence – “no” doesn’t mean “no” – it just means “not right now”. Showing up, participating, following through, and giving back. Most importantly, it is not so much about selling the plastic eraser or delivering the hand-held whiteboard on time; it is about the people and the relationships.
I am inspired by the challenge of running and growing an international company. I thoroughly enjoy meeting other successful entrepreneurs and sharing ideas and know that as I grow, I can mentor and inspire other women in business.
Here is my advice to folks who are just getting started: Do business with other companies that share your values. Respect diversity, be passionate about your business and your customers.

Do you have answers to add to this list? I'd love to hear your additions.

Three Inventions: Cornflakes, Flyswatters, & Sunglasses

2008-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

What do cornflakes, flyswatters, and sunglasses have in common? Let's take a closer look:

In the 19^th century, breakfast cereal was invented as part of a health reform movement, and Grape Nuts was an early concoction. In an effort to help one of his patients who had broken her false teeth and couldn’t eat Grape Nuts, Dr. W.K. Kellogg made crisp flakes of ground corn. The doctor called the cereal corn flakes.*

Irritated by buzzing flies, Frank H. Rose made a fly-smashing device in 1905 by attaching a square of wire screen to the end of a yard stick. Rose realized he needed to put holes in the screen because a fly can sense the pressure of a solid object like a rolled up newspaper moving its way.*

Smoke tinted glasses were first used in ancient China by judges who wanted to conceal their eye expressions. In the 1930s, aviators’ were troubled by solar glare while flying. The solution was the invention of the sunglasses—smoke tinted glasses.*

Three problems! Three solutions!

Inventors are people who seek solutions when faced with a frustrating problem.

When I was teaching, I could never find the block style eraser when I needed it. I got tired of using my finger or hand to erase small mistakes on the white board, so I invented an attachable eraser for the dry erase marker.

Once the erasers hit the market, I got a call from Hollywood. "You're going to be a millionaire," the person said. "We've had a drastic decline in powder puff sales.” For 20 years directors had been taping powder puffs to the end of the markers. That was their solution to the problem. That’s how inventions come to be and some of us take our inventions all the way to production. Now, Kleen Slate erasers are widely used in schools, hospitals, businesses and apparently Hollywood.

What frustrates you? Does your mind immediately think of ways to solve problems? Are your solutions new inventions?

Launching the Inventor’s Journey

2008-02-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

I am among the 3% of successful independent inventors that chose to take on the challenge of developing an idea and making it a reality. I left a secure job, benefits, and retirement to pursue a new career based on my invention. At the Inventor Mentor Blog I intend to share what I learned along the way. It is not the only way; in fact my story is quite unconventional. But my hope is to inspire and support you in pursuing your idea and help you with the nuts and bolts of taking your invention to market.

An independent inventor is like a conquistador, exploring and navigating through uncharted waters. Are you a conquistador with the passion and drive to explore, but not sure where or how you will get there? Are you determined, committed and patient? Will you sail the rough seas and not take no for an answer? Do you give up or go the distance?

Have you done your homework; do you have your vision and dream in line? Are you ready to take some calculated risks and to overcome obstacles along the journey?

Some inventors possess entrepreneurial spirit and will take their inventions and turn them into a business, while other inventors are happy inventing and try to find someone else to take their ideas to market. Which one are you?

Please let me know where you are in the journey. Are you embarking or coming into port or have you wandered off course?

In future posts, we will be exploring and navigating the inventor journey together.