Minnesota
Inventors Congress
And the
Minnesota
US Small Business Administration Office
Presents
Inventing Success™ Workshops
June 11 & 12, 2010
What is the most important investment an inventor can make?
To learn how successful
inventors develop marketable products!!
Attend these sessions and find out
from the experts how to spend
your time and money wisely as you
develop your idea.
Friday, June 11, 8:00 a.m. to 9:45
a.m.
GAME ON!! - - Are
YOU Ready for SHOW TIME?
Keynote
Speaker: DON KELLY
Patent
Agent,
Inventor Coach. www.PatentAgentPlus.com
Inventors’ Champion Don Kelly kicks off the Invention and Idea Show with an
entertaining,
information-packed session on bringing inventive ideas to market:
- - Getting Ready
from Day #1 ~ When lightning strikes
-
- Validating Inventive Concepts; Invention Triage
- - Selling Others on
that Great Invention
- - Invention
Protection while Pitching to Investors and/or Manufacturers
- - Exhibition
Pitfall: Bad Booth Behavior
Recognized for his open, humorous style and
considerable experience in counseling inventors
from workbench to market,
Patent Agent Don Kelly answers all your questions and more!
Room 1.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level. 2010 Exhibitors attend this session free.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, 10:00 a.m.
Generate Interest in Your Product
Ideas
A
Step-by-Step Process.
LINDA POLLOCK
Successful
Inventor, Founder – Inventing Rocks. www.InventingRocks.com
What
if others could instantly “get” what your product is or does, without a lengthy
explanation or sales pitch? What possibilities would that open up? What if it
were extremely easy and simple to do? Would that help you get your product out
there faster? Have you ever wondered how to write an effective benefit
statement and design a sell sheet? If you’d like to learn, we’ll be covering
the process step-by-step. What will it take for you to be there?
Room 1. Aspiring/Emerging/Established
Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thinking Globally: Tips on Securing International Patent
Protection
JOHN THUENTE
Patterson, Thuente, Skaar, & Christensen. www.ptslaw.com
This
workshop will look at the rules and practices for securing patent protection
outside the United States. It will focus
special attention on how to determine when foreign protection might be
necessary as well as on the best means to get it, especially by using the
international patent filing system known as the Patent Cooperation Treaty
(PCT).
Room 2.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Trademarks &
Copyrights: A Business Perspective
ROGER BELFAY
Attorney
at Law. www.rogerbelfay.com
Learn
how Trademark and Copyright law relate to the business of turning your
invention into cash:
- What is the relationship between
your business plan and Trademark protection?
- How do you establish your
Trademark rights?
- Do you even need Trademark
Protection?
- What is the relationship between
your business plan and Copyright protection?
- How do I preserve my copyrights?
Room 3A.
Aspiring/Emerging Inventor Level.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Design
for Success.
DAVE CLARK,
Business Development
Manager, Malco Design & Deliver Group. www.malcod2group.com
This seminar is a
crash course in the techniques of design for manufacturing. You’ll learn the
nuts and bolts strategies that manufacturers use to reliably avoid problems,
speed products to market, and turn great ideas into successful products. We’ll
open your eyes to a whole world of design considerations that you probably
never imagined. These topics can literally save you tens of thousands of
dollars, and a lot of gray hair.
Room 3B. Aspiring/Emerging Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday 12:00 p.m.
Patents - What Inventors Need to Know!
MICHAEL NEUSTEL
Patent Attorney,
Neustel Law Office. www.neustel.com
Michael Neustel is a
U.S. Patent Attorney who counsels inventors and small businesses on various
patent matters including patent searches, patent applications and patent
infringement. He will discuss the most
common mistakes made by inventors with patents and how to avoid them. Michael will also discuss how to effectively
protect your patent rights against companies when working on a budget. A Question/Answer session will be held at the
end of the seminar.
Room 1. Aspiring/Emerging Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sales Calls.
Create an Effective, Dynamic and Memorable Sales Presentation!
BILL McHENRY
President,
Entrepreneur Sales & Marketing. http://entrepreneursales.com
Learn how
to develop effective sales presentations through understanding the process of
selling. Bill’s presentation, “The 7 Step Sales Plan” offers valuable
information, tips, techniques, and the components necessary to create a solid
plan for presenting your product and keeping the attention of your
audience. With over 25 years in sales
and marketing and a background of training, developing and successfully leading
large sales teams of over 100 staff, Bill delivers the methods and proven
techniques to assure well organized and well received sales calls. Across the
country, Bill has shared this lively and informative presentation - helping
inventors and entrepreneurs be prepared to seize opportunities that they cannot
afford to lose. By understanding each of the steps of the sales process, you
will be more prepared to manage and execute them! Bill will also include the
importance of developing your network and how you can expand your network to
help the sales process.
Room 2.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Funding Options, from
Economic Development Loans to Venture Capital
MARC SALMON.
Partner, Arch Funding
LLC. http://www.archfunding.com
Investors consider
many factors when determining what they want to invest in – the product, the
market size, selling costs, management and your exit strategy. Depending on
your research in each of those categories it can make a difference on whether
you want to license your idea or form your own company. In this session you
will learn what each of those factors mean and how it can help you determine
your goals for you and your product.
Room
3A. Aspiring/Emerging/Established
Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Basic Networking:
The Fundamentals of Building Your Network
RON WACKS
Entrepreneur, CEO, Microbusiness Strategies,
and Co-Producer, IssuesLive
Author, Instructor, “Power Networking: How
to Solve any Problem by Connecting with the Right Person” www.microbusinessstrategies.com
You often hear about networking as an
important tool to build your business or endeavor. What is “networking”? Why should you care about it? Why do you need to effectively network? And
what will that accomplish for you?
Learn what networking is and get great
tips to help you build a solid network. And
learn the difference between networking and having random conversations AND the
difference between being well-connected and having a bunch of contacts.
Tips include:
• How to properly introduce
yourself—what to include in your “elevator speech”
• How to engage someone in a
conversation and how to overcome your fears
• Where to meet prospective clients,
contacts and good referral sources
• Follow-up techniques – I’ve met them,
what do I do now?
• Cultivating excellent referrals—why a
referral network is critical
• How to build a network from
relationships you have…or need
Room 3B.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday 2:00 p.m.
Licensing your Product.
WARREN TUTTLE
Housewares Industry
Marketing Guru. www.monasheemarketing.com
Learn
from the person who helped launch the TV mega-hit Smart Spin, MISTO The Gourmet
Olive Oil Sprayer, The Toss and Turn Pan and QVC's Adjustable Depth Rolling
Pin. Warren also works with Lifetime Brands, the world's largest manufacturer
and distributor of kitchen utensils, searching for innovative new
products. Speed Prep and The Odor Absorbing Splatter Screen are two such
products just introduced to high acclaim at the recent International
Housewares Show in Chicago. Warren serves on the Board of Directors of the
United Inventors Association and resides in Connecticut.
Room 1.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Minnesota Indian Business Alliance
"Enlightenment and
Business –
How You Can Carve Your
Own Path With Entrepreneurship"
JEFFREY A. STAMP, PhD.
Inventor, Founder
& CEO, Bold Thinking. www.boldthinking.com
Starting
a business in Indian country is more than simply an economic activity. It is an
intensely personal journey that requires both skills as an entrepreneur and the
personal capacity to become entrepreneurial. In this session, we will
talk about the core philosophy of entrepreneurship and take you on a guided
journey of the process of starting your own business as an entrepreneur.
In addition, we will discuss the educational and financial resources
available in our Native American New Enterprise Program, a program created by
experienced Minnesota entrepreneurs, and discuss how you can use these tools to
begin your journey as an entrepreneur.
Room 2. Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor
Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Invent
Outside the Box for Success
JACK SMITH
Patent Illustrator,
Consultant, President Inventors’ Network. www.patent-illustrators.com
Open up possibilities for
yourself. What do I need to do next? What if I could think outside the box? Learn
what outside the box really means. Find out how to get out of your box. Hear
how outside the box innovators achieve their goals using five simple success
principles. You can learn and use these principles too.
Room 3A. Aspiring/Emerging/Established
Inventor Level.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Best
Practices for New Product Development.
DAVE CLARK
Business Development
Manager, Malco Design & Deliver Group. www.malcod2group.com
Coming up
with an idea for a new product is always very exciting, but that is only the
start of the invention process. Whether you are an experienced inventor or
someone embarking on this journey for the first time, you can benefit from
knowing and following best practices in new product development. David Clark, of The Malco Design and Deliver
Group, a new product development veteran whose has put over 200 end items put
to shelf during his
20+ year career will share with you “10 Best Practices of New Product
Development”. These are proven practices
that are easy to learn, easy to implement, and extremely relevant for inventors
struggling with limited
resources.
Room 3B. Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday 4:00 p.m.
"Bold Thinking: How
Entrepreneurs Convert Ideas Into Opportunities."
JEFFREY A. STAMP, PhD.
Inventor, Founder
& CEO, Bold Thinking. www.boldthinking.com
Entrepreneurship
is more than simply writing a business plan. In this session we explore
what entrepreneurs think about and ultimately what entrepreneurs must do in
order to manage their ideas from conception to the marketplace. If you
have been thinking of or are starting your own business, you don't want to miss
this session. Dr. Jeffrey Stamp, an experienced Minnesota entrepreneur
and the inventor of the Baked Lays® Potato
Crisps, will lead this session and bring an experiential and entertaining way
to look how ideas are converted into opportunities. He will also explain
the important keys to identifying the consumer benefits you need to enter the
marketplace. Join us as we walk through the techniques to help
bold-minded entrepreneurs look at their business in a bold new way.
Room 1. Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor
Level. FREE
admission!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Saturday, June 12, 8:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
How to Market and
License your Brilliant Ideas. Part one
RON DOCIE, SR.
Inventor; President,
Docie Invention Services; Author- The Inventor’s Bible, Agent. www.docie.com
It
is the American Dream to bring the next big idea to market and achieve success.
Whether it’s a small gadget that makes something work smoother or a
technological breakthrough that forever changes the way we live, it is human
nature to create, invent and build a better world. Using real case studies
learn how to bring your brilliant ideas to life. Ron will talk about the
important lessons he’s learned from over three decades in the business of
successfully marketing and commercializing inventions. Be prepared to throw
your questions at him about selling and marketing your idea!
Room 1.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level. 2010
Exhibitors attend this session free.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Saturday 10:00 a.m.
How to Market and
License your Brilliant Ideas. Part two
RON DOCIE, SR.
Inventor; President,
Docie Invention Services; Author- The Inventor’s Bible, Agent. www.docie.com
It
is the American Dream to bring the next big idea to market and achieve success.
Whether it’s a small gadget that makes something work smoother or a
technological breakthrough that forever changes the way we live, it is human
nature to create, invent and build a better world. Using real case studies
learn how to bring your brilliant ideas to life. Ron will talk about the
important lessons he’s learned from over three decades in the business of
successfully marketing and commercializing inventions. Be prepared to throw
your questions at him about selling and marketing your idea!
Room 1.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Saturday 12:00 p.m.
Power
Networking:
How
to Solve any Problem by Connecting with the Right Person.
RON WACKS.
Entrepreneur, CEO, Microbusiness Strategies, and
Co-Producer, IssuesLive.
www.microbusinessstrategies.com
Ask
yourself this question: Do you want to call people or do you want them to call you?
You've heard it many times: "it's not what you know, it's who you
know". Whether you're employed or
self-employed…in business 20 years or 20 minutes, Power Networking is the most important tool you can have for
success. Power Networking is
different than any networking seminar or workshop you've ever attended—you'll
learn how to cultivate relationships and develop them into long-term
relationships and partnerships and pull a rabbit out of a hat…and people will
call you.The most important thing one can do
each day beyond getting up in the morning is effective power networking.
Room 1. Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Patent Law: A Business
Perspective.
ROGER BELFAY.
Attorney
at Law. www.rogerbelfay.com
Learn
how patent law relates to the business of turning your invention into cash:
- What is the relationship between
your business plan and patent protection?
- How do you preserve your patent
rights before filing a patent application?
- Do you even need patent
protection?
- What kind of application should
be filed and when?
- How do I preserve my rights to a
patent outside of the United States?
Room 2.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Saturday 2:00 p.m.
How I Became “The Needle
Lady”
Learn the Lessons of What Not to Do!
PAM TURNER
Inventor,
Entrepreneur, Spiral Eye® Needle. www.spiraleyeneedle.com
Find out how I became
an inventor - From inspiration to prototypes. From money issues to angels
in waiting. From "it can't be done" to "here it is!" From
manufacturing it in your kitchen to licensing your patent” From "there
will be no ROI" to "We are interested in your
product"
Room 1.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Turning Your Idea into a Profitable Product:
Myth & Reality
KEVIN ANDERSON
Business Development Consultant
Can you develop a product the market wants?
In this interactive workshop, learn how
to position yourself for success by participating in this unique presentation of
business basics you must have to succeed.
You will learn why and how these basics affect your success.
Kevin will present and discuss a model
that he has used in all his businesses.
He calls this successful model “ICE” an
acronym for Identify, Communicate,
Execute. He will walk you through
each part of the model and how each impacts the process from idea to
profitability. We’ll discuss how to identify the basis for revenue, quality and profits.
As a part of this
interactive discussion, Kevin will use his broad skill sets and history as an
example. All your work will remain
confidential as you choose. Prepare to
learn the myths and the realities of how profitability really happens and how
to get there whether you’ve already started or have an idea on a napkin.
Room 2.
Aspiring/Emerging/Established Inventor Level.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aspiring/Emerging/Established
Level Descriptions:
Aspiring:
Limited financial resources; knowledge of the process is low; initial stage of
development; needs to learn the basic product development process.
Emerging:
Limited financial resources; knowledge of the process is low to mid; prototype
stage; knows it will not make a fast million; understands the time commitment
to develop; knows the value of a patent; knows how to find out if there is a
market; and is learning how to commercialize the product.
Established:
Using personal financial resources; knowledge of the process is good; advanced
stage of development; may have a direct connection to the potential market; has
a business plan and marketing plan developed; learning how to make the decision
to license or manufacture your product; and knows what it takes to finance a
start up operation.
Note:
Please don’t let these descriptions stop you from participating in any workshop
you wish to attend!
The 8:00 a.m.
sessions on Friday and Saturday are open to the public and are free for 2010 Expo
exhibitors. Workshop speakers and schedule are subject to change. No advance registration
necessary. $20 Fee per session. $15 MIC members Fee per session. Online – prepay only – 3 for $40.00. At the
door – 3 for $50.00.
Redwood Area
Community Center
901 Cook Street
Redwood Falls MN 56283
Held during the Minnesota
Inventors Congress’ Invention & Idea Show™ 2010
Minnesota
Inventors Congress
P
O Box 71
Redwood
Falls MN 56283
800.468.3681
info@minnesotainventorscongress.org
www.minnesotainventorscongress.org
SBA's
participation in this cosponsorship is not an endorsement of the views,
opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs, services and cosponsored
activities are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with
special needs will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact: the Minnesota Inventors Congress at
507-627-2344 or info@minnesotainventorscongress.org. Cosponsorship Authorization #: 10-01.