How to sell an idea?

I often come up with very good ideas which I don’t have the funding for. Any research I find warns against any idea.com/call 1800letmestealhyouridea etc. The only options I find are.

1. Conduct your own patient search, or pay 300-500 for this search to be done for you.

2. Once completed you may then file for a patent which comes out too 9k-12k US dollars. OUCH!

3. After the patient is complete you may hire a service to try to sell the idea for you, or try to sell it yourself. Both of which, more money.

4. Hire a company to do it all for you, Billed as you go extreme OUCH.

Is there no other way?

I have a couple ideas, one of which I think would take off like a bat outta hell. But the money investment is too great at the present. Just last year I saw one of my ideas I had since 1998 on the market.
http://www.househacker.com/images/glasstoaster.jpg


My dad years ago also came up with this idea but was too late. Fisher-Price just received Patten pending a year prior. Year after that they hit the market.

http://www.mailboxnet.com/post_mount...ailbox_200.jpg

Plus something else to consider, what if you came up with the idea of selling MP3’s on-line as an example. What ever company first came up with that idea most likely wanted exclusive rights to it. How are all these companies today selling MP3s? How do you prevent them from doing so short from lawyer fees and court hearings. Ugh why is it so darn hard just to say hey I have an idea give me money :lol:.

I don't think you can patent selling MP3s online. It is a product being sold online, there is nothing you can patent. If you developed brand new streaming or licensing technology to go with your sales then you would be able to patent those technologies.

But just selling a product online? Nothing new about that.

Quote:

---

why is it so darn hard just to say hey I have an idea give me money .

---

Why should I give a random person money and expect a huge ROI? It just doesn't happen.

Wheres the business plan? Wheres the experience? Show me the patents, something sellable. Prior success, a working prototype, anything.

If the idea is THAT good, borrow from friends and family, max out the ccards, get bank financing, whatever - and give it your all. Very few ideas are THAT good and a great many companies don't have amazing ideas but they put in the time and make a decent living - without any patents at all. If it truly is that good and you put the idea in front of enough VCs, there will be funding. But it takes far more than an idea to build an empire.

If you can't scrape together the 30 - 50k to incorporate, patent, market an invention then it had better be a damn innovative and sellable idea and if so, talk to some VCs after you patent it if $$ is the sole concern.

And you can't patent selling mp3s online. Read up on general US patent law and design patents, trademarks, prior art, etc.

P.S. Litigating patents can cost $500,000 - $1M+

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xzin

Quote:

---

why is it so darn hard just to say hey I have an idea give me money .

---

Why should I give a random person money and expect a huge ROI? It just doesn't happen.

Wheres the business plan? Wheres the experience? Show me the patents, something sellable. Prior success, a working prototype, anything.

If the idea is THAT good, borrow from friends and family, max out the ccards, get bank financing, whatever - and give it your all. Very few ideas are THAT good and a great many companies don't have amazing ideas but they put in the time and make a decent living - without any patents at all. If it truly is that good and you put the idea in front of enough VCs, there will be funding. But it takes far more than an idea to build an empire.

If you can't scrape together the 30 - 50k to incorporate, patent, market an invention then it had better be a damn innovative and sellable idea and if so, talk to some VCs after you patent it if $$ is the sole concern.

And you can't patent selling mp3s online. Read up on general US patent law and design patents, trademarks, prior art, etc.

P.S. Litigating patents can cost $500,000 - $1M+

---

Thanks, understand the direction you’re coming from as a businessman. Rather then go on all day about punishing those interested in moving mankind forward, or making them gamble I’ll leave for another day

God Bless America

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bradster

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xzin

Quote:

---

why is it so darn hard just to say hey I have an idea give me money .

---

Why should I give a random person money and expect a huge ROI? It just doesn't happen.

Wheres the business plan? Wheres the experience? Show me the patents, something sellable. Prior success, a working prototype, anything.

If the idea is THAT good, borrow from friends and family, max out the ccards, get bank financing, whatever - and give it your all. Very few ideas are THAT good and a great many companies don't have amazing ideas but they put in the time and make a decent living - without any patents at all. If it truly is that good and you put the idea in front of enough VCs, there will be funding. But it takes far more than an idea to build an empire.

If you can't scrape together the 30 - 50k to incorporate, patent, market an invention then it had better be a damn innovative and sellable idea and if so, talk to some VCs after you patent it if $$ is the sole concern.

And you can't patent selling mp3s online. Read up on general US patent law and design patents, trademarks, prior art, etc.

P.S. Litigating patents can cost $500,000 - $1M+

---

Thanks, understand the direction you’re coming from as a businessman. Rather then go on all day about punishing those interested in moving mankind forward, or making them gamble I’ll leave for another day

God Bless America

---

There was actually a really good English television program called "The Dragon's Den" which will tell you all you need to know about what it takes to sell an idea.

The Dragons are a panel of successful venture capitalists (4 or 5) and people pitch ideas to them. Some have patents, some are in progress, some already have business but are looking to go global or expand rapidly, etc. Interesting viewing if you are into that sort of thing.

Quote:

---

Rather then go on all day about punishing those interested in moving mankind forward, or making them gamble I’ll leave for another day

---

If it is only about moving man forward publish it on the internet. Hell publish it here - if it is good someone will use it.

However I think you are more interested in cash.

So unless your idea makes people think - WOW - you will have to sell it. Just like xzin described.

You want my money? What is in it for me?

As one of my previous bosses once said to me: 'You get paid for what you work at.'

Any idea may be brilliant (I have several my self) but without some form of work to make the idea a reality, it won't make you money.

BTW what is the top most of the two pictures? All I could come up with was a device for measuring the calorie content of a slice of toast... : )

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lost-Ninja

As one of my previous bosses once said to me: 'You get paid for what you work at.'

Any idea may be brilliant (I have several my self) but without some form of work to make the idea a reality, it won't make you money.

BTW what is the top most of the two pictures? All I could come up with was a device for measuring the calorie content of a slice of toast... : )

---

Toaster is what that is hehe.

I have a couple ideas, one however is wow. I have the idea that would be awesome. I know what Iwant out of it and what I want it to do. However, I'd need someone to design the electronics and software required for it. Lot of research and design would be requiring having each device interface in to existing hardware and working with the software. Pretty pricey I bet. I think the best action would be to patient and sell the idea. Just a matter of making sure the patient I get would prevent any type of spin off so my idea wouldn’t be stolen. Kind of like the MP3 reference I was making, something that I wouldn't want to happen. Especially if I invested that kind of money into it.