How the Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan Promotes "Invention"!
September 2005
As a non-profit organization, all collected funds work to directly promote the process of educating and assisting Inventors. That is the first step to making the best effort we can to help our community and our dedicated inventors. Second is the emphasis that we put into education. At almost every meeting we provide speakers or a forum that promotes the growth of our inventors knowledge base. We have presented over 50 highly educated and well experienced speakers, provided numerous workshops and a number of plant tours as well as a number of invention stories presented by the inventors themselves.
Our doors have always been open to members and non-members as well. Our fees for membership remain low ($55.00/year) and our network in local industry strong. Friendship and teamwork provide the atmosphere that describes our commitment to helping individual inventors while we also help those that risk losing more than they can afford. 10 Directors who drive the process are the backbone and structure that holds it together year after year.
Our community has supported our efforts from the start. The Flint Area Chamber of Commerce and S.C.O.R.E. were the innovators that had the insight to provide such a service to our area inventors. Support from local companies, Kettering University, the Flint Journal, Walli's, Schmauld Tool and Die, and the numerous professional speakers from all walks of industry has made our knowledge base and service unique to the Midwest.
Support in the future depends on enthusiastic supporters who give with out conditions and who put community service above some of their own needs. People dedicated to people and the future of our country and communities. As I prepare to move on after 8 years of involvement, I thought it was important for other people to understand what made our simple approach to helping inventors work.
Good Luck Inventing for the Future!
Tim Langan
Volunteering May Take You on the Path to Your Next Invention
August 2005
When I started helping with the Inventors Council 6 or 7 years ago, I did it because I saw a 75-year-old man doing way more then his part as leader in our community. For the last year and a half I have had the honor to lead our group. While at times it has been overwhelming, it has always been educational both in a technical and in a managerial manner.
Over the years I have learned many great things about inventing and I have had the chance to meet many great and knowledgeable people. This turned out to be an ultimate payment, which, I had never anticipated to gain from my work in volunteering. I wanted to learn more about inventing when I joined the group and instead I was able learn a thousand more things from marketing to distribution to manufacturing and on and on. Again, something I had never anticipated when I started volunteering.
So my suggestion to all of you is to step forward and help out with or invention team of directors and volunteers. We have great directors who all bring great things to our group behind the scenes and at our monthly meetings. While a lot of people gain and benefit from our activities there is a lot of work that goes into making this functioning and resourceful group. As our now deceased founder often said: "many hands make the load light." So don't be afraid to step up and lend a hand you might be surprised at what you learn and gain from that small amount of effort.
At the end of this year I will step down as president. With a lot of changes in my life, my job, my new home location and some new found interests, its time for me to make some changes and travel down some different roads into the future. So, just as changes in new products and new inventions are ever evolving, changes and growth of our highly liked and successful invention team will continue also. So, please free to give us a hand and thanks!
Tim Langan
Angels for Inventors!
May 2005
Just when you think you know everything, something comes along that you had no clue even existed! In eight years of working with inventors I had very little experience with investors. That was usually the part each inventor had to figure out on his or her own. Thanks to some direction of our own Bill Brabnec and Stan Good we were able to find a speaker on investors. The great part was that he was a local gentleman from Bloomfield Hills who has many years of experience in this area.
I never even knew such people even existed! But, thanks to our own directors we were treated to some great information and know how as to how inventors might find a source of funding. Now, ideas still don't sell very well but, a good business plans and a new launching business can get funding. So, if you are an inventor who has started down that path to patent and launch you own product and business, there may be people out there who want to help you grow your business and your product line!
David P. Weaver, president of the Great Lakes Angels and Aimttech Consulting LLC has over 20 years of experience in developing new businesses and promoting funding for new products and businesses. As president of the Great Lakes Angels he provides small businesses with the chance to find important capital for potential growth in the first to the third year of a new start-up business. After the start-up phase venture capitalist will normally step in to help a small successful business to help grow to the next level.
David provided some great insight into what types of expectations and demands might be required from a new business start-up during the early stages of growth. Some of the information David presented will be made available by the Inventors Council in a pdf file or in our next newsletter.
Please join us in May as we continue to learn more about developing and launching new product inventions. See you at the next meeting.
Tim Langan
Inventing Takes Real Work and Strong Determination!
April, 2005
Real inventors get frustrated! Not-real inventors also get frustrated! What is the difference between the two? Real inventors use their frustration to power their next move and to add energy to their next step! Taking an idea and developing it into a working model takes hard work, attention to detail, and a little creativity. Well, the same is true for bringing you product to market. After years of working with inventors I am convinced that this is one of the most difficult steps.
It takes creativity, patience, networking and a little finesse. To be a successful inventor you must have true determination. I have seen it in only a small number of inventors and they are usually successful inventors. The ones that just don't give up! How do you put together a real deal that launches your invention?
First of all you need to network and meet a lot of people. In order to find the right kind of help you will need to meet a lot of people, some who can help and many who won't have what you need. But, don't give up.
When you look at marketing and distribution of your invention you may want to start with a website, sales through local stores and cold calling on major companies. The major companies take a long time to get into so while you are doing your best to sell to them you can be working on other approaches to see what inroads you can make and what you can learn along the way.
An educational adventure is what I like to call it. If you're afraid of new frontiers then don't invent. If you don't like rejection then don't invent! But, if you like challenge, enjoy new adventures, believe in what you are doing, then become a successful inventor!
Tim Langan
Inventing — An Educational Adventure
March, 2005
If your like me and you like learning new things, meeting new people and working with individuals from all types of businesses, then Inventing might be for you! As I move into my 9th year with the Inventors Council of Mid-Michigan, one thing is for sure, true inventors are a tough bunch who don't give up easy and aren't afraid to learn a few lessons along the way.
Cross functional is a term that is often used in the automotive industry to describe teams that work together to bring new products to market. They often include design, engineering, manufacturing, quality and sales people who work together to bring innovative products to market. But, inventors must learn to be all those things and more. Not only do inventors have to design and engineer their own products but they need to market, distribute and sell them also. And learn how to run a business and hopefully make a profit. There is a reason why only a small number of inventors truly find success.
So what traits do you need to be a successful inventor? Perseverance, energy, vision and a willingness to learn. Sure there are ups and downs, emotional and financial hardships but true inventors stick with their visions and continue on no matter what it takes. And don't forget to get professional help along the way when it makes good sense. Or at least join a local inventors group where you can get some non-biased input as you travel the road to invention! Come join us this year and become an innovator to your own future. Good Luck and see you in March!
Tim Langan
Product Leverage? . . . And What's an Idea Worth?
February, 2005
After being involved with independent inventors for more then 8 years, I know one thing for sure! There are a lot of great ideas out there. And I know that most of those ideas won't amount to anything. So what's an idea worth?
In most cases, an idea is not worth much at all. And why is that? Because most good ideas take work to implement. If you read a recent article in the Detroit Free Press about Christine Moss inventor of the child's Snack-Trap cereal holder, you will start to understand that she had a great idea but she also spent a lot of nights working to 1:00 AM to make her invention dream come true.
So what is product leverage? If you have a good idea that will solve an everyday problem that is great. And if the solution is a simple one that is even better. But, if you try to market an idea you most likely will not get far. No, you need to build that idea into something that either a customer wants or a company can see as valuable.
So how do you make your idea marketable to either customers or companies? You need to be able to show that a product is viable! In other words, you need to demonstrate that the product or concept has value. The best way to do that is to build the product, sell the product and demonstrate that it is efficient, cost effective and profitable. Even if you do this on a very small scale with prototype tooling & prototype parts or thru a limited production run. And if you don't have the resources find a partner who does.
By penetrating the market even in a very small manner you can demonstrate that your product can be made, distributed and sold in a profitable manner. And most of all, if you want to sell an idea, at the very least you must have a patent or patent pending, otherwise you cannot protect the idea in the market place. So go and invent and don't be afraid to invest in your ideas!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Luck!
Tim Langan
WHAT DOES THE EMERGENCE OF CHINA MEAN FOR INVENTORS?
January 2005
You hear lots of talk these days about jobs lost to China! Especially right here in Michigan where unemployment hit 7% this last month. George Bush says we must re-train and re-educate ourselves. All I know is that the rules of business have all changed and there are no guarantees anymore. No matter how educated you are.
But, as one of the most highly educated countries on the planet, I believe we must change how we view the situation and how we apply our intelligence to the current economic conditions. Inventors may be in the best position ever to benefit from the movement of work from U. S. to Chinese factories. What do I mean?
With the movement of work to China comes open capacity in American factories. It also means many talented and skilled employees are available to apply their talents to your project or invention. U.S. factories will now be even more competitive in pricing and your product produced closer to home will have less shipping costs.
I always recommend that new inventors produce their products close to home in their communities. Using local manufacturers cuts down on travel costs and it helps you build a network of professionals and producers, which you can utilize as your market grows.
So go out and make the next new invention and keep those dreams alive to prosper from your ideas! Our countries forefathers had the vision to protect intellectual property through specific patent laws. I look forward to great times and opportunities for those who are not afraid to Invent! Good Luck and Happy New Year!!!!
Tim Langan
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