Inventors Council of Central Florida

All inventions start as an idea.  We all have them but only a few take the necessary steps to turn that invention into a profitable product.  Here we hope to help you learn what it takes to cross that very wide canyon between idea and successful product.

Being a successful inventor is similar to being a movie star or professional athlete.  It is attractive and a lot of folks try to do it but most never get there.  Those that do put a lot of work into the journey.  Here are a few statistics to help you understand the scope of the problem.  For every 100 patents filed at the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) only one or two have actually made money.  Your job is to be the one that files the one that does.  You will be more successful if you weed out the other 99 ideas before spending a lot of time and money on them.

This page is a starting point and will provide links to more pages with specific information for each step of the way.  These steps are generally in the order you are likely to execute them but there are always exceptions to the guidelines.

1. I Have an Idea - That "Eureka" moment has occurred. I'm excited. What do I do next?
2. Can I Buy it? - If you can already buy what you invented it might be a good idea to do so and come up with a new idea.
1. Patent Searching - How do I plow through the millions of patents to find out if this is new?
3. Will it Work - The proof is in the pudding.  Make a prototype to test the concept.
4. What Kind of Inventor are You? - Do you like inventing but not business or do you want to take over the world with your own business?
5. Will it Make Money? - How do I find out if it will be profitable?
1. Manufacturing Cost? - How do I find out how much it will cost to make it.
2. Market Studies? - How many can I sell and for how much?
6. Patenting - When, how, and what to patent is covered here
7. Trade Secrets - Shihh. Don't tell anyone about this.