How to Get a Big Idea Off the Ground

I'm looking for help here. I've stumbled on a really big discovery that just screams money if it could be marketed, but I have no clue how to get an idea from my head to market, or at least without spending big bucks. About ten years ago I went out to our farm ground to mow some of the pasture. It was hot so I took my shirt off. I work inside for a living so rarely get much sunlight (my skin is white). I ended up messing around on the farm for close to four hours in the heat of the day. It didn't hit me until I got home and took a shower that I didn't get a sunburn, not at all. So I searched my memory for what I had consumed that day. I had in fact ingested two substances that were not part of my normal daily intake. I mused a bit but didn't think too much more about it. But, over the years I started doing experiments. And, I found I could recreate the no-burn results by ingesting the two substances prior to sun exposure. We just came off a two day canoe trip on which I shared my find with our friends. The ones who tried ingesting the substances spent many hours on the sunny river without getting the slightest of burn. They day after, we are left with a little (very trace amount) dark color. I'm not saying this helps you tan, it just keeps you from burning in an incredible way. So anyone can see the market potential. Take this pill and you will not sunburn. My problem is I have no clue how to get such a product to the market. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

First thing to do is contact a lawyer , and get it patented , If it passes verification , and does not violate other patents. Then the lawyer , will will talk to contacts , of other major companies , and deal with their lawyers and work out a license/royality type deal.

Watch out for those online companies who promise to take your idea ,and build it for you , They just sucker you in , with payment after payment and a toy model to boot lol.

www.ehow.com...

Kickstarter?

It helped a lot of start-ups in the last months. Maybe a patent earlier, to protect your ideas. Anyway, a lawyer might be a good help: expensive but professional.

There are a LOT of steps involved beside having a "better mouse." You can go to "legalzoom.com" to try and "protect" your brand cheap. The ingredents are not patentable. The application probably isn't either, but you can still ride a wave of success if there is demand, before it's knocked off ,if you have existing market share.

Consumer products are a finicky business for shelf space.
It must first pass the 3 question test:
1)Does it meet a 3 second walk by to understand what it does? (That's all the time a consumer will look at it before move on
2) IS it a better mousetrap? How so in 3 seconds?
3) IS it a better mouse trap for the money? (LOTS of better mousetrap have been designed but cost too much after you take retail, wholesale, and Distribution Channel margins into consideration.Gotta have those margins and keep it affordable)

Then you have get the product out there for evaluation. For your product,because it's injested? You have additional rules that have tobe considered.

There are trade shows like ECRM Market Place(google it), that will get your product into the hands of key chainstore buyers, but they're not cheap.
Packaging is critical, so you'll need a good design. Don't use your cousin Gary's graphic office from his basement. Get a good design company that specializes in,and understand bulk packs and blisters.
Look at their porfolio.
SOME packaging companies will design your packaging, as long as you buy their packaging supplies.
Shop around.

If your nervous about anyone stealing your idea or application, go online and get a standard NDA form.
(Non-Disclosure Agreement) No one will steal your idea, but if they did? You have legal recourse.

Good Luck!

Well I have a nuclear technologies company that is also all about new ideas like yours, in fact, we are going to be branching out into a lot of other areas over time.

My business partner started making contacts by talking to other small businessmen in the area and online that were interested in similar things, as well as small businesses that were selling things online that we needed for making one of our prototypes. Eventually, he started talking to rogue scientists (ex-professors) and other small business owners online and in forums and even found a Harvard graduate who was willing to help us write a business plan.

In other words, he has been doing a lot of networking for the past two years, and the more people we know, the more easily ideas can come together. I like the feel of working with small businesses and independent scientists like we do (everyone helping us is working for free at the moment, and we have a very small budget) much more than working with big corporations. Although, we are also working with a local university on some projects, and that isn't so bad.

I hope that helps, I just told you all I know about starting a scientific business.

reply to post by Longshots


Hmm I'm thinking.... *Look at my avatar*

In all seriousness though, while the secret food that you ate might not burn your skin it more than likely would not prevent ultra-violet light from damaging your skin and ultimately it may still be causing damage but without visible burn....

reply to post by Longshots


If you want to market to the Americans just take you idea back out into the field and cover it in bullsh1t. They love that sh1t and buy it by the trailer load!

Thanks for the suggestions. I myself am an attorney. Other than preparing a non-disclosure agreement or applying for a patent, attorneys do not have any magical powers to get a product to market. The two substances have been around for a long time. I don't think I could get a patent. I think what this would be, if at all, would be the first one on the market would claim the profits for the first year or so. Or, if it is branded right a serious competitor might not ever take market share.

I can't see myself quitting my day job to try to make this move. But, if anyone wants to give it a try send me an email and maybe we can work a plan out.

Check out that teacher who came up with Airborne cold remedy. She managed to worh her little invention up to major success the sold the company, then bought it back and built it up again.

I think she started out with local health stores then bought time on national radio shows ( Howard Stern) .

Especially if it is something you cant patent just gotta get it by without upsetting the FDA right.


Hope you make it I could really use this stuff.

if you can't sell your idea like the "American thing to do" seems to be, you could always share your idea for the betterment of humanity and advancement of science.

Of course if everyone did that we wouldn't need money.