I Have Looked and “There is Nothing Out There Like This” is an excerpt from my Ebook “Common Sense Inventing” http://www.rogerbrown.net/ebook
By Roger Brown
There isn’t a week that goes by without someone sending me an item for review or an item they want to bring to market, and they state in their letter/email the fatal words, “There is nothing out there like this.” Unfortunately, 98% of the time that is a false statement. Most of the time, I don’t even have to go past the title of their product to know it already exists. My first thought is, “have they even taken 30 seconds to type their own title into Google and see if anything shows up?”
It is quickly very apparent that they haven’t done any research at all; otherwise they would have surely seen the numerous items that show up exactly like the product they are describing. The big question is, why haven’t they taken a couple of minutes on the Internet and looked for this so called million/billon dollar idea? Instead, they start looking for someone or a company that can take this brilliant idea and run with it.
Sadly, what comes next is the fact that they are upset and complain people want money to do what they would not do themselves. Inventors will pay hundreds to thousands of dollars having prototypes made, searches conducted, provisional application, utility patent applications filed, design sell sheets created, etc. Yet, they fail to take a few minutes of their time to look for their product or idea and see if, by chance, anything shows up.
I find it very hard to believe that anyone that can get on the internet has not heard of Google. This simple FREE tool can bring you information instantly on almost any topic or product. Clicking on the “images” button is another great tool (again, for FREE). I will agree that everyone is not suited for searching through the patent office database; it is not very user friendly. However, I am talking about doing a basic search a 5th grader can do with one hand tied behind his back.
This lapse in judgment costs inventors money and time they could have used on a product or idea that is actually marketable, and weed out those that are not. The main issue I see that normally pops up is the inventor complaining about all the money they lost working with these various types of companies. They fail to see that they initiated the process themselves, and could have avoided a lot of the problems by taking the first steps themselves (for FREE).
Below is a just a fraction of items people swear, “There is nothing out there like this,” and will be the next big million or billion dollar idea. Take a look at the list and check off how many you recognize without even taking the time to look them up online. For the ones you don’t recognize, time yourself to see how long it takes you to find them online. Was it really that hard to do the search? Would you rather pay someone $100 or more to do that same search for every idea you come up with?
Colored Toothpicks
Toothbrush with toothpaste inside the handle.
A remote or App to find your lost car keys, glasses, TV remote, phone, etc
A tab to use to raise the toilet seat so you don’t have to use your hands
A light for inside your purse to find your keys
Glow in the dark dog leash
A device to alarm if you leave your child in your car
Proximity alarm if your child walks a certain distance away from you
Colored salt so you can see how much you are using
Diapers with wetness indicator
Clip/fastener/snaps/ Velcro to hold your socks together in the washer and dryer so they don’t get lost
Back scrubber wand that holds a lotion/soap inside the handle
Hands-free back scrubber for the shower that attaches to the shower wall with suction cups
Collapsible cup/bowl/box
Automatic feeding/watering bowl for pets
Plastic bags that absorb gases so your fruits and vegetables last longer
Elastic band that goes around your trash can to hold the trash bag in place
A flashlight that has a flexible end you can wrap around things to hold it in place
A twist tie for bread packaging
A device you can put your business cards in and it organizes them for you
An App to remind you of important dates, taking medicine or things you need to do
A device to tell you how much propane gas is left in your grill tank
Dry erase markers that wash out of clothes
A tripod to hold your golf club off the ground as you wait your turn
A spinning device to trim your dogs nails
A hand held device to help you thread a sewing needle
Magnetic tab to hold a paintbrush to the paint can.
Plastic stand to hold open Ziploc bags
Dual bottle dispenser to hold mustard and ketchup
Car seats with warmers
Colander with trap door bottom
Utensil with clip to hold it on the rim of the pot used for cooking
Foldable splatter screen used for cooking
Candle holder that catches the melted wax to form a new candle
Suction cup mat that has bristles on it to scrub the bottom of your feet in shower
Stuffed animal you can record your personal message on to be played later.
Protective sleeve for your credit cards to hamper RFID reader
Every inventor needs to STOP when they get an idea and take 15 minutes to do a preliminary search online before getting excited about their idea. Please take the time to do the things that are free upfront. You can also go to stores that you assume would carry that same type of product and see what is already on the market and who would be your competitors in the market place. You will be surprised how quickly you might find out your million/billion dollar idea already exists. The time you spread upfront doing a little legwork will save you aggravation, rejection and money in the long run.