How To File A Patentby Ned D’Agostino 8/25/2011 It is important from the onset to point out that filing a patent is not an easy process and will not be the same as filling a bank application form. The form is in essence a contract, which once accepted, protects the patent holder from copy or duplication. For those wanting to know how to file a patent the best advice is to obtain a patent attorney or legal firm to do this for you. Initially this may cost more, but the cost could be negligible in the long run if you consider that one word that is used with too much ambiguity can allow for a copy of the product. A quick example of this is when describing the product and its design, if the words are ’part C is screwed on to part D’. Another inventor may be able to design a product very similar that is glued together, so a trained patent attorney would use wording that would protect the patent holder from such legal loopholes. For those who are used to simple step by step forms it must be noted that many parts on the application are blank pages where drawing and specifications need to be included. It is highly recommended for first time patent applicants to hire professional legal help. ... |
Convert Books to Kindleby Stephen J Wright 8/25/2011 In turn, the amount of authors and publishers that want to convert books to Kindle format, has skyrocketed and for the many books out there that have perhaps been out of publication for some time or that just don’t or no longer have a digital copy of the book available, the options are fairly limited as to what can be done to make a digital version of the book to sell online, whether it be for the Kindle or the likes of the iPad. The best solution is via document scanning services that can provide book scanning and conversion to Kindle. It doesn’t have a major cost, although this can indeed depend upon the book itself but to convert books to Kindle, this is the easiest and cleanest way to go about it. Book scanning companies will take your physical books and scan them onto their hard drives as high quality images. Books can be scanned either as they are, or they can be taken apart if you’re not interested in the book being damaged which can often lead to a slightly cheaper price. Once this process is done, the images scanned onto the ... |
Innovation Skill Set: What Is Observation And Why Is It Important?by Dean Hambleton 8/25/2011 The "player" that a marketer keys on in this analogy is your customer and the "key" that you read in order to be successful is how a customer uses your product. To be a successful marketer you have to be innovative. A major key in being innovative is your ability to observe your customer. Observation is best described by that immortal, Dr. Yogi Berra, "You can see an awful lot just by watching". This is a prescient observation about what observation is. You watch to see how your customer uses your product. This will give you keen insights in how to improve or market your product. A marketer who has done this is Kelly Rowland, the singer. As I write this article in August of 2011, Ms. Rowland is having great success. The reason why Ms. Rowland’s brand is so successful is because she observed her fans. She "keyed" on them. Her fans have given Ms. Rowland great insight into what they want. Ms. Rowland is a humble woman, but she is a keen marketer. How she has marketed her music is a benchmark to be followed in the marketing of any product. Ms. Rowland’s strategy started with a ... |
10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity and Innovate Thinkingby Chuck Boyce 8/25/2011 Check out these 10 ways to boost your ability to innovate and come up with creative solutions for your business by challenging your brain to think in new ways. 1. Exercise Regular exercise has not only proven to increase productivity at work but we all know a healthier body goes hand in hand with a healthier mind. Go further and try out a sport or martial art which requires you to employ new strategies. 2. Strategy Games Strategy games are a great way to build your brain power and train your mind to look for new opportunities. Try chess, backgammon and Risk. 3. Attend Art Classes Why not try out your hand at painting, drawing, graphic design or sculpting. You will not only work your brain in new ways and learn to unleash your creativity but be will be reminder how to really dig deep and bring your passions alive by creating something. 4. Travel Just go somewhere. Pause and book a ticket somewhere right now! It doesn’t have to be far. Perhaps you have always wanted to go to Las Vegas, New York or South Beach. Though heading abroad can give you a totally new perspective on the world and truly open your mind to new ideas that will fuel your creativity. 5. Cooking Classes It ... |
Innovation Skill Set: What Is Networking And Why Is It Important?by Dean Hambleton 8/25/2011 A network is group of people that we meet in our professional field as we progress down the road of life. This group of people gives us keen insights that we never would have gotten in any other way. This is a critical tool that social media gives us. By being members of a professional group, and meeting on social networks, many great insights about an industry are shared and learned that would never have done if we had just stayed in our small circle of friends. Networking will be critical in the development of modern Africa, as it attempts to evolve from an emerging market to a middle class market economy. In a perfect world, a scenario could happen. Davos is a critical networking event that happens each January in Davos, Switzerland. At Davos, leaders in many fields, such as government, technology, business, entertainment meet for a week to 10 days of meetings. It is a Mecca for entrepreneurs to go. It is here that they may meet people who are looking for their particular expertise. Let’s say an entrepreneur in water development were to come to Davos and meet the President of an African nation. Through this low key personal relationship, this entrepreneur may now bring his skills to Africa, set up a business in Africa, hire African nationals, and create clean water. Networking such as this is how great brands and content are created in our social media era. This is why networking is so important. Investing time and energy ... |
Are You An Innovation Leader? Do You Want To Be?by Lance Winslow 8/25/2011 We all know of companies and corporations on the leading edge of technology, and are out innovating all of their competition. Take Apple for instance, they are blowing the doors off the competition in the smart phone space and tablet sector, impressive isn’t it, sure it is, but did you know that there is such an innovative company in almost every industry sector? It’s true, generally there is, not always, but typically there is, and perhaps you haven’t thought about it this way. We all know about Apple’s progress because it is in a very popular industry, personal tech, and they sure know how to run a PR road show, Steve Jobs obviously knows how to rally the troops doesn’t he. Before retirement I was in a not so glamorous sector; mobile car washing. We really were solid innovators in our field. Have you ever heard the name Wayne Hiezenga? Well, he totally revolutionized the garbage industry, but again, not so glamorous, but he revolutionized the industry with automatic robotic lifters, lifting the trash cans into the truck without the drivers having to get out of the vehicle. The refuse business has never been the same since. Now then, you might be thinking so what, right? Well, let me ask you; what industry you are in or what sector of our society and civilization do you hang your hat? Look, why don’t you become an innovation leader in your industry? Why not be the one who is the creative genius and eminent achiever ... |
The Innovator’s Skill Set - What Is Association?by Dean Hambleton 8/25/2011 In social media, great amounts of content are being created overnight. This means that new products and new brands are constantly making their appearance in the market place. When a new brand appears, how does a conventional marketer create a branding strategy to off-set this new product? Association is the ability to connect seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas from different fields. Association may also be described as the "Medici" effect. This refers to the creative explosion brought on by the Medici family in Florence, when the Medici’s brought together the creative energy of sculptors, painters, scientists, poets, philosophers, and architects. As these individuals connected, new ideas blossomed at the intersection of their respective fields, bringing on the Renaissance, ... |
5 Ways to Reduce Risk During the Detail Design Phaseby Daniel Rowntree 8/25/2011 With any new product development project there are a whole host of things that can be done to reduce the risk of the product failing once it is launched onto the market. However, there are a number of things which can be done specifically in the detail design phase. These 5 actions focus on ensuring that the product does actually perform as required by the product specification. 1. Carry out an FMEA This should already have been started in the feasibility and specification phase, but this is the time to focus more effort on ensuring that you really have captured all the possible risks. Make the document realistic, and don’t spend too much time looking at remote or obscure risks. The FMEA format is very dry and it is important to ensure that you keep the development team engaged in creating the document and keeping it up to date. 2. Prototype and test your designs functionally, aesthetically and technologically There are dozens of prototype and model houses out there just waiting for you to call them up and order a set of pieces for your tests. But rather than get everything prototyped, make sure that you know exactly what it is that you want to test and how you will test it. Do you need a fully functioning prototype if all you want to do is get feedback on the styling from the sales team? Do you need the whole product prototyped up if all you want to test is the performance of a ... |
The Innovative Skill Set: Why Is Experimentation Important?by Dean Hambleton 8/25/2011 In the social media era, creating new content is critical. To do this you have to be innovative. Experimentation creates new and innovative products and content. To create new brands, sometimes you have to stop and approach something from a different direction. Experimentation allows you to do this. Sometimes a working prototype is built to see if the rendition is workable. Examples of experimentation to create new products are the car industry. In 1908, Henry Ford had an idea that went against the grain from conventional thinking. There were many renditions of the automobile. The conventional wisdom was that the car would be powered by an electrical engine. This created great cost. The cost made it impossible for the average American to own a car. To coin a phrase, Ford had a better idea. Henry Ford understood that the car market had to revolve around an average buyer. To construct a car for the average American would be the key to success in the car business. Ford understood that the person who devised a car for working people would create the dominate brand in that space. Ford understood that the only way to create a car like this, a car "for the masses" would be to create a car with oil driven car. Oil was the new type of fuel. Most people in 1908 did not think that oil was a reliable for m of energy. How to change people’s minds? How to create a car brand that runs on oil? EXPERIMENT. Ford ... |
The Definition of Lean Innovationby Glen D. Ford 5/14/2011 There are two trends today that are or should be on every entrepreneur and business leaders mind. Today’s market demands that every business at least evaluates how they react to the concepts behind those trends. I’m referring of course to lean processes and innovation. Over time, every business develops a certain amount of fat. These are processes, tasks and departments which do not directly serve a key objective of the organization. Essentially they can be trimmed without affecting the organization’s ability to deliver value to its customers. Lean techniques are intended to remove that fat from the organization. Innovation is the life blood of most if not all organizations today. Being able to identify and determine new and better ways to do things is mandatory to survival. Mere improvement isn’t enough. You need to be able to radically improve or shift your value proposition in order to compete successfully. There are many forms of lean innovation. However, the most frequent use of the term is to refer to the use of lean techniques on the Research and Development or R&D department. In simplistic terms, the presumption is that R&D is the primary source of innovation and that it - like any other part of the organization - has accumulated wasteful fat. Given those presumptions it makes sense that the fat be trimmed and the R&D become more focused on those tasks that bring actual value. In this article, I’m going to intentionally not argue with the presumptions. Of course, most strategic consultants would disagree ... |
Innovation: Internal Vs Externalby Robert McDonald 5/14/2011 I was just recently asked a question - Does innovation come before or after culture within an organization? I spent some time thinking about the question and realized that the answer depends on where you get your innovation from. Let me explain. Some companies have a culture that stimulates and encourages innovation and some do not - It’s not enough to say you are an innovative company - you have to walk the walk too. Companies that drive innovation internally begins with the leadership of the company, and it is nurtured within the culture of the company on all levels, always, not just periodically or in a specific focus groups. Some companies are not focused on this, and seek innovation from consultants, from innovative product groups and design firms. One way or the other isn’t good or bad, right or wrong - it just is. I respect, and give a lot of credit to companies who get their innovation from external sources because they recognize their strengths and importance of focus - they hire and partner with others who’s strengths will compliment them, help them achieve their goals and their vision for the future.This increased focus on core activities instead of racking their brains about innovation keeps the company moving forward quickly and with momentum, all the while working collaboratively with a focused innovation group for the improvement of the company, the product and ultimately the customers benefit. Value is the by product of such activities. Innovation is something new, something better, it’s about change. It ... |
The Secrets for Developing a Successful Prototype of Your Ideaby Phil Staunton 5/14/2011 Prototyping is one the most important stages of the design process. A prototype allows many different aspects of the product to be tested, including its general aesthetic and shape, dimensions, mechanics, electronics and materials. Every unique product will require a very different approach to prototyping because both the type of prototype required and the timescale and cost involved will vary with the complexity, size, functionality and type of product. Approaching potential buyers with a 3D computer generated model and renderings enables them to visualise the final product, gain an idea of how it would work and potentially express an initial interest. However, the best way to establish firm commercial interest from buyers is to place a prototype in front of them that gives an accurate reflection of the finished design.This is becauseprototypes allow potential clients and buyers to get hands on with the product and explore how it will work. Types of Prototype There are several types of prototypes, all of which have different functions. A visual prototype gives an idea of the general shape and form the final product will take, but it is not necessarily made in the same material as the final product. Visual prototypes can be made using rapid prototyping, a process which creates 3D models of the product directly from CAD data. It is, as the name suggests, a quick process and is ideal for simple plastic products. For slightly more complex products a proof of concept prototype is usually needed. This will validate the functionality of the product and ... |
8 Reasons Why An Innovation Strategy Is Critical To Business Growthby Gerald Gillis 5/14/2011 What differentiates companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon from their competitors? What enables those companies to create innovative new products and services on a continuous, consistent basis? What do they have that others do not? Quite simply, they have a thoughtful innovation strategy that drives a well-honed process for creating new products and services to add to their mix. Businesses can grow in three ways: 1) Add more customers; 2) Charge more for the same products or services; and 3) Add more products or services to generate additional revenue streams. If either of the above methods is done singularly, business growth is linear. If all of the above are done, business growth is exponential. Below are eight reasons why an innovation strategy is critical to business growth: 1. Provides competitive-advantage protection. Innovative companies who are consistently introducing new offerings into the marketplace are always keeping their competitors scrambling to play catch up. 2. Has the same or better Fortune 500 success rate as acquisitions. Innovate or acquire? Done properly, innovation has repeatedly been shown to be successful and cost effective. 3. Innovation pays for itself. Greater market share can be attained by selling more to existing customers and discovering new customers with an expanded range of offerings. 4. Helps ensure resource alignment. The innovation strategy provides direction so that process requirements are understood, manufacturing schedules are developed, and marketing tools are created to support new launches. 5. Determines risk posture and portfolio mix. Higher and lower risk innovations are blended with the existing portfolio to develop sales and ... |
Innovating for Success and Perfectionby Matthew Hohn 4/3/2011 Innovation is as important as invention. New technologies continue to surprise us as innovations have always bemused us by proving that there are great and countless possibilities of using and improving certain devices to function various tasks. Innovation is the process of improving, enhancing, and transforming certain things or practices to further better their performance and functionality. The humanity’s imperfection and frailty breeds the necessity for innovation. In addition, the longing for new and better things also increase the need to innovate inventions. There is no boundary for innovation as there is no boundary limit for invention. Among the great benefits that innovation provides us is the fact of perfecting and improving things. The basic principle of innovation is that there is always a room for improvement. Thus, no matter how great a breakthrough that an invention has been considered, it can still be improved as certain mechanical weaknesses and glitches or by simply finding the possibility of integrating such functionality with another device and vice versa is made possible. The people and society continuously confront issues and problems as a result of certain methods of development and progress. A glaring example of this concern brought about by progress is the environmental degradation. Certain devices especially those electronic and those that emit carbon significantly contribute to the depletion of our ozone layer that intensifies global warming by adding more greenhouse gases in our atmospheres. Due to this alarming situation, certain gadgets, devices, and tools were subjected to review and remodeling to suit ... |
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