Talk About Patenting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.