Having an amazing idea, no matter how creative and original it is, doesn’t mean much if you are unable to bring it into reality. This process can sometimes be complicated, but with enough effort, everything is possible.
In a world that is rapidly changing, where new technologies arise on a daily basis, many inventions do not get to see the light of day. With the right guidance, this does not have to be the case.
In this article, we bring you some useful tips that could make the process of expanding your idea into a full-blown product much easier for you.
1. The Idea Itself
How to know if your idea is good or not? Well, that is a very difficult question to answer. It depends on too many different factors. Having said that, the fact is that you will have a greater chance of success if your end product is:
• Original
• Useful
• Marketable
• High-quality
You will have to learn to think like a businessman! For someone with no experience in business, accepting this mindset could prove to be kind of tricky. This is why you should not go into it alone. Ask for help and direction, do loads of research, and never lose focus.
2. Stay Confident
If you do not have faith in your vision, nobody else will. This may sound like one of those cliché sayings, but it is crucial to your journey. Whatever you do, keeping the focus on your goals is key. Of course, this does not mean that you should dismiss all criticism. There are ways to use said disapproval to your own advantage: to improve and advance your idea. Asking for different opinions can be very useful, so don’t be afraid to do that!
3. Analysis
Before you take any action, remember to always deeply analyze the situation surrounding your future product. Who will benefit from your idea? How? Is the market for this product large or small? What are the barriers to entry? What is your competition like? Marketing strategy? These are all very important questions that have to be answered before you bring your idea into life. Planning everything in advance will greatly reduce the overall cost of the whole project.
4. Design
Considering that you probably don’t have enough funds to develop the full product right away, prototyping is the way to go. Creating a prototype of your product is one of the most important steps of this process. Having a good, functional prototype will help attract future investors.
When building the prototype version of your product, our advice is to think as a future customer. A potential buyer wants to see the way your product works and in what ways will it potentially enhance their life or business. You have to make sure that your prototype includes the most important functionalities that truly showcase your idea.
Ask yourself: would I buy this? What needs of mine will it be able to fulfill? What could be done to make this product even better? If you can’t answer these questions with confidence, maybe your product needs some redesigning after all.
5. Asking For Help
No matter how knowledgeable you are there are always going to be some things that are beyond your grasp. In those moments it’s in your best interest to seek advice from an expert.
There are companies like InventHelp that could save you a lot of time and energy and assist you with a patent, while you can always read more on how to become a successful inventor. Remember, your primary focus should be the development of your idea, so wasting time on things that could be done much faster by professionals is not a good option. That especially goes if your product is to be placed in a high growth market.
If you try to do everything alone, you will probably end up making a lot of mistakes. Those mistakes could end up costing you much more money than a consultation with an expert would. Surrounding yourself with informed and well-educated individuals could easily be your ticket to success!
6. Funding
Turning your invention idea into a marketable product without appropriate funding is very unlikely. Proper development, testing, marketing, production- could all end up being very expensive. So finding a good source of funding will have to be high up on your priority list. Finding an investor could prove to be a difficult task. It’s important to be persistent and meticulously research all possibilities. You could try using a crowdfunding platform or perhaps your personal connections to find potential investors.
The important thing is to be well-prepared when you are meeting a potential investor. You have to be ready to present your idea in a clear and straight-forward manner. Besides that, you will have to have an answer for every single one of their questions. You are basically trying to sell your idea to them, so make every word count!
7. Testing
Rule number one in entrepreneurship is knowing your market. Customer feedback is essential for long-term success. It is very unlikely that your product will be absolutely perfect right at its launch. You have to keep up with the market demands or else you will soon run out of business. That’s exactly why constantly testing and improving your product, gaining valuable feedback and always keeping up with the newest trends is a must!
8. Long-Term Planning
Turning your idea into a profitable product is actually just the beginning! A successful product may be the end goal of the process covered by this article, but you have to be well prepared for what comes next. When your business starts to grow, you will have to be persistent in constantly improving your product.
Running a business always brings some kind of risk. Your goal should be to minimize those risks by constantly researching and planning. You should have a detailed plan, clear goals, and you should be flexible enough to respond to unexpected circumstances.
Being an inventor in a world where everything changes so quickly is not easy. Nonetheless, without creative individuals like them, this world wouldn’t be the same place. This article is supposed to give you an overview of all things you should consider before starting the process of turning your idea into a product. Of course, your journey will be a unique one. Many things can’t be predicted and sometimes your plans will fail. The important thing is to never get discouraged. If you truly believe in your idea and the potential it has, you should always keep on trying.
Nicola Holder 