Most first-time inventors get the cost math wrong in one of two directions. They either underestimate everything because they only count the patent fee, or they overestimate because they read forum threads written by inventors who tried to self-manufacture and learned...
A founder who came through our office last year had hired a freelance industrial designer for $6,500 to “do the product.” Six weeks later she walked out with beautiful renders, a clay model, and a deck of mood boards. The freelancer’s invoice was...
Free invention help exists. It is real, it is useful, and it is also less practical than most first-time inventors expect. The federal government, several nonprofits, and a few state programs offer free patent searches, free attorney time, and free education for...
The first 30 days after a new invention idea are the cheapest period of the entire project. You have spent nothing yet, your time investment is small, and the decision to keep going or stop costs you almost nothing in either direction. The mistake most inventors make...
The Twin Cities metro hosts more than 700 medical device companies and supports 35,000-plus manufacturing jobs across the seven-county region. If you have a product idea and you live within driving distance of Minneapolis or Saint Paul, you sit on top of one of the...
Most inventors with a consumer product idea spend between $4,500 and $9,500 to get a complete, presentation-ready prototype package built by a professional firm. Add $399 if they want a patent search up front, and $1,499 if they file a provisional patent before the...
Most inventors imagine an invention prototype as a physical object. A hand-built model. A 3D-printed shell with working parts inside. That picture is out of date. The first invention prototype most licensing-track inventors should build is not a physical object at...
Most inventors hear “market your invention” and picture Facebook ads, influencer posts, and retail launch budgets. For an inventor planning to license the product to a manufacturer instead of self-manufacturing, almost none of that matters. The audience...
The U.S. tool industry generates roughly $35 billion in retail sales each year, and the major brands file or license thousands of new utility patents each year. If you have a tool invention, a hand tool, a power tool accessory, a garage organizer, a workshop fixture,...
Patent license money flows through several distinct streams: a possible advance at signing, ongoing royalty payments tied to sales, milestone bonuses if the deal includes them, and minimum guarantee floors. Independent inventors who chase a big upfront fee often walk...
