Imagine that you had a great idea for an invention and you wanted to share it with the world. How would you go about it? Perhaps you need to speak with an investor or manufacturer and convince them that your idea warrants support and their commitment. Are you comfortable telling your story? Do you think that maybe you could use a bit of advice on how to speak with authority?

That will be the focus of our next Tampa Bay Inventors council meeting, how to be an effective public speaker! This will be an excellent opportunity or anyone who will be sharing their invention at the Florida State Fair to get a crash course on presenting at your best. Our next speaker will be Mr. Bob Turel, with more than 30 years experience as a professional trainer and 16 years as a Toastmaster, Bob is perfectly positioned to assist you with your presentations and public speaking goals. He has assisted hundreds of corporate professionals and business owners to polish their communications skills as they relate to making important presentations, both in-person and on-camera. Bob works with people in a one-on-one format or in small workshops, and always provides the personal touch in his coaching practice.

Join us on Wednesday February 8th and get ready to actively hone your skills as an effective communicator! You may have the greatest invention in the world but if you can’t get the word out effectively, success will likely remain out of reach. Join us this Wednesday and improve your odds!

December Meeting 12/14/11

Greetings Inventors,
Just a friendly reminder that our only December Meeting is Wednesday the 14th. I know that it has been a while but due to a trick of the calendar, our December meeting is as late as it could get! On tap we will have a visitor from TBIC past... former president Randy Landerneau to share some thoughts with our inventors. TBIC present, Mark Stadnyk to discuss some important issues, and TBIC... Well you are just going to have to attend to find out! Could be Santa... or maybe Gus from WWTVP.
As a Christmas gift to any new members who join TBIC on Wednesday and pay $75... they get membership all next year free! In fact that applies to all members who enjoy the company of inventors, pay $75 this December and get all of next year free! A great way to move your tax deductions a year earlier and insure that survival of TBIC Future!
See you all next Wednesday!
Wayne

Many of you have heard a bit about the United Inventors Association and the efforts they make to unify the inventor community here in the United States. For our next meeting we will learn a great deal more about this organization as we are joined by the current president of the UIA, Mark Reyland! Mark has some exciting news for inventors in Florida and will travel from Cincinnati to deliver it in person next Wednesday, November 9th at our only meeting this month. I will only tell you that what he has to say will get you excited and glad that you are a member of the group!
Mark will also share his vision of inventing in America and the role the UIA plays. He says “At the UIA we don’t have anything to sell your members, no books, CD's or coaching. This is about education and access to professionals.”
Mr. Reyland’s list of accomplishments include: Director of Classified Technology Development for a fortune 500 company, National Security Agency liaison to the Korean government, and a successful technology and product inventor with many products in the marketplace for industry and consumer product retail.
He is currently the Founder and CEO of Obvious Ideas LLC, a Cincinnati based product development company specializing in providing fully developed products to traditional retail and the direct response industry.
He also serves the inventor community as Executive Director and Board Member of The United Inventors Association of America, one of the country’s oldest and largest non-profit inventor organizations.
Please join me in welcoming Mark Reyland to our TBIC meeting on Wednesday, November 9th from 7 -9 pm!

Inventors Meeting October 26th

So you think you have a great idea for an invention but what are chances that anyone else thinks it is any good? What if you had a tool to figure out what companies might think about your product before you showed it to them? You only have one chance to make a first impression so shouldn’t you be prepared before you make the call?

On Wednesday, October 26tfh, TBIC will be joined, via Skype, by Patrick Raymond to talk about a diagnostic system he created called the InventionScore®, a method to measure the value of your IP and help inventors make better deals when presenting to companies for investment or licensing.

Patrick served from 2008 to 2010 as Executive Director of the United Inventors Association and founded a Manhattan inventors group in 2007. He spent a decade as an adman on Madison Avenue and became an accidental inventor, entrepreneur, new product judge, and public speaker for the independent inventor community. His unique 5-pillar InventionScore® program is recognized as a powerful, predictive and practical methodology for inventors who want to find a quick and affordable path to landing a deal. A high InventionScore® means you have bargaining power because you are “deal-ready”. A low InventionScore® shows how and where to improve before presenting to any company.

Join us at the next TBIC meeting, Wednesday 10/26/2011 from 7-9 pm, Hosted by the Tampa Bay Innovation Center at 7887 Bryan Dairy Road in Largo, FL . Suite 220, at the top of the green staircase. Learn if the InventionScore® can help you!

TBIC meeting 10/12/2011

Considering that we haven’t had an open meeting for a while, this Wednesday we will not have a speaker but will instead concentrate on working on inventor projects. Joe Navarro will help evaluate inventor’s projects to help determine best approaches for manufacture and materials. Michel Mansfield will share his advice with other inventors to help them determine their next steps and marketing approach. We will also have time for general questions on inventing so if you have a project that you are stuck on, this meeting will be a great opportunity to work with other inventors and make some headway. If you missed seeing Jim Debetta or Stephen Key at our previous meetings, we will have those videos available too. This will be a great opportunity to catch up and discuss your project so make plans to join us on Wednesday, October 12^th from 7-9 pm.

New Media experience at TBIC on 9/28/11

On September 28^th, we will attempt to do something different and by utilizing high tech, we will have our first Skype conference with a product design company from out of state! Chris Hawker and Abraham Alexander of Trident Design Company in Ohio will share their experience of designing and selling innovative products.

Trident Design, LLC is an invention incubator with expertise in product design, branding, licensing and consulting. They work with independent inventors and innovative manufacturers to help create products, from cooking gadgets to medical equipment. Their products reflect striking design, functional excellence, and breakthrough technology to make a difference in the marketplace. An example of their approach is the award-winning PowerSquid, an update to the power strip and featured in countless media stories (New York Times, Popular Mechanics, the Today Show and more) and sold virtually everywhere.

Trident not only develops products for others, but they are also inventors too. They have licensed numerous products for others to manufacture as well as manufactured some products themselves (including setting up manufacturing in China). They sit on both sides of the table, and can relate to both the independent inventor as well as corporate clients.

This Wednesday, September 28^th, utilizing Skype video, we will walk through three invention case studies. Each of the inventions took a very unique path to success and profitability and they illustrate the various methods with which an inventor can attempt to monetize their inventions. They will also explain a systematic process that they use when working on their own inventions, products for corporate clients and for independent inventors. Throughout the presentation will be general advice, tips and potential pitfalls to avoid. We will follow up with some Q & A for our inventors to get some feedback regarding their own situations.

This is sure to be an interesting and memorable meeting with the potential to help set the course for your own successful invention! Be sure to get there early so that you can take part in this new media experience! See you there!

Wayne

Double Shot next Wednesday, September 14th TBIC Meeting

For our next inventors council meeting we have lined up a double shot!

First, we will have a presentation from Chapman Mold (http://www.chapman-mold.com) discussing the injection molding process. Once you have concluded your ideal prototype, the next step is to prepare your “market-ready” product and Chapman Mold is accommodating to inventors and limited runs of production. Jason Robinson is the VP Tooling & Engineering at Chapman Mold and will join us to talk about Proper CAD design, Tooling and part costs, Cavitations (low volume, prototype vs. high volume steel multi-cavity) and the importance of doing your homework. Also, Plastic types & what is really required, & Prototype (cast parts) vs. tooling costs.

Next, we will talk about what you need to get your product sold…

Melinda Dixon of Merlin AI Soft (http://www.merlinaisoft.com) will educate us on using the internet to launch and sell your products and/or services. She will discuss Mobile Application Development and its potential to compliment your innovation. She will also discuss Website Development & how the way it looks & behaves can affect your sales. How to make your site user friendly and load quickly, what should not appear on your site along with key elements that your site should include. She will touch on Search Engine Optimization and why you need it to get your website to the top of a Google search. Merlin AL Soft also provides Software Development and she We’ll explain how software can help your business grow & function smoothly. Merlin A.I. Soft also works with inventors on a per project/as needed basis to help you get started with your marketing and selling.

This will be a fun, fact-filled evening and I’m sure most inventors will find it rewarding. Learn what options are open to you to build and sell your invention this Wednesday, September 14th from 7 to 9pm. For our location information, visit www.tbic.us.
See you Wednesday!

August 24th Inventors Meeting

Do you need help figuring out how to get your invention on the market? Do you want to hear advice from someone who knows the ropes? On August 24th, the Tampa Bay Inventors Council is pleased to welcome Jim DeBetta to speak to our inventors from 7 – 9 pm . Jim specializes in coaching inventors and consumer products start-up companies. He also assists clients with product development, engineering, sales and market representation to major retailers. He was VP of Product Development for Kevin Harrington, from the ABC show Shark Tank and reviewed products sent to the company to determine if they were suitable for an infomercial or retail distribution. He has a solid network of product engineers, factory brokers, angel investment firms, licensing experts, and sales and marketing professionals with various areas of expertise. Jim can help find factories to produce products, create pricing strategies, help with marketing and public relations, and selling products to major retailers. Jim was part of a highly successful start up company that produced sport optics and lead the company from insignificant revenue to nearly 50 million dollars in sales in under 8 years. Jim’s experience has reached far and wide working with various products, retailers, manufactures, and factories. He knew it was time to help those that had a product in mind or ready for production. His goal is to teach others the process without unnecessary expense, time and red tape. Jim teaches inventors how to create sales and marketing strategies, understand the world of licensing, develop a product using CAD design, raising money to fund a business, and locating factories overseas to produce products. He is now reaching out to individuals who want to learn how to do it for themselves. He is also the author of "The Business of Inventing" and has written hundreds of articles for industry publications, newspapers, and websites such as Inventor’s Digest, Georgia Magazine, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Jim also appears as a guest speaker for leading trade and consumer organizations, speaks at international conferences, and hosts forum and blog discussions on prominent invention and entrepreneurial websites. On Wednesday, August 24th, learn from his extensive experience with start-ups and small consumer products companies. Jim will share his thoughts and help our Tampa Bay Inventors to get the edge that you need to be successful with your invention!

Monetize your patent(s) 8/10/11

You have a great idea for a gadget, gizmo or do-hickey but how do you make money from it? That is the focus of our next Tampa Bay Inventors Council meeting on Wednesday, August 10th. Our next speaker, Ron Stein will talk about how to “Turn Your Idea Into a Revenue Reality.” We will take a look at how to succeed in monetizing patents, whether the goal is to build a product company, licensing, or selling the IP. He will discuss zeroing in on the target market for the problem you are solving, how to set you and your invention apart from the competition, and how to use education driven marketing to get the attention of the people that are important to your success.

Ron Stein, President of FastPath Marketing LLC, works with businesses to help them create a competitive edge that attracts their target audience through effective strategies and action plans tailored to their situation. Ron has over 20 years experience in marketing, sales, and business development and has held key positions including: CEO, Division General Manager, VP of Marketing, VP of Sales, VP of Business Development, and field salesman for both startups and established industry leaders such as Motorola, VideoServer, Paradyne Networks, and SercoNet. His experience is extensive, ranging from bringing innovative new products to the market to managing a portfolio of more than 200 patents.

Ron offers a five step program that guides individuals and groups to revenue success and works with tech companies, manufactures, resellers, and professional services firms. He has been a guest teacher at the University of Florida Center For Entrepreneurship & Innovation and is currently a member of the advisory team at the Tampa Bay Innovation Center. TBIC is thrilled to have Ron attend our next meeting. Join us from 7-9 pm next Wednesday & discover how you can get on the right path!

Wednesday, July 27th TBIC hosts a legend in the inventing community!

Ron Klein is the grandfather of possibilities...
...and has earned that title for the earth changing innovations that he has introduced! Early in Ron's career he invented the Magnetic Strip on the Credit Card and the Credit Card Validity Checking System. Ron also developed the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for Real Estate and Voice Response for Banking. If that wasn't enough, his company offered the NYSE technical expertise in hardware and software development to support Financial Trading. Ron developed a system to provide up to the minute BOND Quotation and Trade information for the members of the New York Stock Exchange and other Financial Institutions.

He is responsible for technology that you may use everyday and he wants to inspire you to achieve your own success! Ron will also bring some of his books, "The Grandfather of Possibilities" for those who might want to learn from a master.

Ron was the host of "THE GRANDFATHER OF POSSIBILITIES SHOW" on Internet Radio. Some of his celebrity guests included: Betty White, Willie Jolley, and Nathan Osmond, of the Osmond family. Entrepreneurial guests Eric Dezenhall, Rick Frishman, Harris Rosen and many others. Ron promotes a positive "can-do" attitude, "you can turn every negative into a positive and find a gift behind every challenge."

Ron bicycles 30 miles a day and has earned gold medals in Triathlons and the State Senior Olympics.

Now you can meet this energetic inventor at our next TBIC meeting on Wednesday, July 27th. Join us from 7-9 pm at 7887 Bryan Dairy Rd in Largo, Suite 220 (right up the green staircase). See what you can achieve with your inventions when you learn a few tips from Ron! (come early if you want a chair!)


See you there!

Wayne Rasanen

Patent Reform Legislation at TBIC on 7/13/2011

The Senate and House have both passed their own version of the "America Invents Act." This Wednesday we'll discuss the similarities and differences between the two Acts and how the most significant changes will affect the individual inventor for years to come. Join us this Wednesday from 7 – 9 pm to learn about how the U.S. Patent Law is being harmonized with the rest of the world and what it means for your current patents and any that you may be planning to file. To help us sort it all out we are pleased to have Kim A. Jacklin, a registered U.S. Patent Attorney (JD, BSEE). Ms. Jacklin managed the patent department of a billion dollar company with a worldwide presence. In that role, she lead the development of a large international patent portfolio, oversaw all corporate patent litigation, drafted and negotiated patent and technology licenses and evaluated patent assets for merger and acquisition activities. She has extensive experience drafting and prosecuting patents before the United States Patent and Trademark office, including patents directed to technologies in the areas of computers and communications technologies. In the 1990s, Ms. Jacklin co-founded Jacklin Research, Inc. providing technical literature search and consulting services to patent attorneys. She credits her experience as a business owner with giving her a greater appreciation of the challenges facing start-ups and other new businesses. Join us with all of your questions on intellectual property this Wednesday and learn what strategies you may need to consider in the future. See you there!

Meeting June 22, 2011

Hello Inventors, I have returned this week from an exciting visit to E3 and will share some of what we are planing at our next meeting on June 22nd. Our special guest speaker will be Darla Phillips and she will help you understand some more of the basics about getting your product developed, licensed, and on the market! Darla has been very successful with her luggage spotter tags and wants to help other inventors by sharing her experience. Darla is always a treat as she breaks it down into simple terms that are easy to understand and has been a favorite speaker for our group. If you have not heard her speak, don't miss this meeting! You will be truly inspired! Need your Product or Invention Manufactured, Licensed, or sold in Retail? Darla's "LOOK! Marketing" is currently looking for Mass Market Retail Ready Products (patented or patent pending)! For $99, our team will evaluate your product for potential licensing and/or big box distribution! If we consider your product mass market, we will discuss licensing options with you. The evaluation will also include several areas of distribution and overseas manufacturing opportunities! You will be able to network with Darla and arrange your evaluation after the meeting so don't miss your chance to connect! This will be a fun one folks so don't miss it! See you Wednesday, June 22 at the Meeting! For more information visit www.tbic.us

The How to of Business Investment 5/25/11

For many inventors, the path to success sometimes runs through finding an investor who takes an interest in your innovation. What does it take to get someone interested in sharing the risk and putting their money on the line? That is what we shall be discussing at the next meeting of the Tampa Bay Inventors Council next Wednesday, May 25th. Join us as Nick Fenger shares his experience investing in start-up companies and tells us what it is that a potential investor wants to hear before opening their checkbook. Nick has Authored 32 manuals of business management skills and has a Ph.D. Business Problem Solving from St. Louis University a M.A. in Organization Development from Washington University, St. Louis, and has placed over $7M into over 23 different ideas and more than 50 products. This Wednesday, he will share his vision about what it takes to bring your ideas out of the garage and too the bank. If you have ever thought that you might need someone to show you the ropes on finding an investor, than you can't afford to miss this meeting! Join us and discover the amount of money you will need to raise in the first round of funding and how to go back to the well for more!

Successful Marketing 4/27/11 TBIC Meeting

Let’s say that you have a brilliant innovation that you want to share with the world. We have talked about defining it with product developers and building it with rapid prototyping to help you prepare for the market. How you get it known about and sold is the product of marketing. That is where we will focus our attention in our next meeting on April 27^th 2011. Marketing and defining you innovation and methods to help you cope with the challenges. Joining us to speak on the topic is Ian Ippolito, founder and CEO of vWorker.

VWorker is a marketplace that connects businesses to virtual workers and can save them 36-80% versus traditional workers. Entrepreneur magazine called vWorker "one of the 100 most brilliant companies on our radar". It is a four time consecutive winner of the Inc. 5000 "fastest growing private company in the U.S.” award. It has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fast-Company and many other journals and magazines as a company exemplifying the shift of power to the new world-wide digital economy.

Ian Ippolito will discuss the challenges and obstacles he encountered in creating vWorker, and the marketing techniques that he employed to help him overcome them. This is a great opportunity to learn from someone who has traveled the path and faced the music. Join us on Wednesday, 4/27/11 at 7-9 PM and learn to steps you need to take and the words to the chorus so that you can succeed with your innovation! This will be an important lesson for any inventor so make sure that you get your seat early, this could be a packed house!