Product development: TBIC Meeting 3/23/2011

Inventors need to consider their product carefully and make sure they have an effective design. Some are able to craft a nice looking prototype but the rest of us need to work with talented people to build a winning product. On March 23rd, TBIC will welcome R&R Associates, a Sarasota based Product Design and Engineering firm providing services that span the entire product development process, including product definition, market analysis, design, engineering, in-house rapid prototyping, and overseeing the final design into production. For over a decade, R&R's award-winning designers and veteran engineers have originated pioneering solutions for companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 500.

Founded as Riza Design in 1999, the company evolved into R&R Associates, bringing two talented brothers together to expand the firm's capabilities. With branch offices in San Francisco and manufacturing facilities in Izmir, Turkey and Shenzhen, China, R&R launched its Sarasota headquarters in downtown Sarasota in 2007. R&R Associates has successfully provided its design and development services to innovators from a wide variety of backgrounds, from amateur inventors to global corporations like Xerox, Lipton, and Crestron Electronics.

Come join us 3/23/2011 from 7 - 9 PM and learn how successful products are created!

Find your Target Market this Wednesday

You have a product idea or innovation but wonder if it will sell. How big is your market, where can you find them and how can you market to them? One of the most important things that you can do is to try to get some market research to determine what your market is and how you can sell your product to them. That is why on this coming Wednesday, 3/9/2011, we will focus on ways to find and generate valid market research.

Joining us this Wednesday is Danielle Weitlauf, the TEC Launch Manager of STAR Technology Enterprise Center (STAR TEC). Danielle worked with the STAR TEC on the Pinellas Technology & Business Innovation Exchange (PTBIE), an annual tradeshow where the defense industry and subcontractors exhibit. Danielle also supports the regional federal contracting industry through the Florida Federal Contractors Association (FFCA). She has over ten years of experience in economic development, and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University and an executive MBA from the University of Sarasota.

Danielle is now assisting start-up companies find their market and learn about perspective customers. She will share how Star TEC approaches the issue of generating valid market research and provide some tips to starting your own client research campaign. Danielle will also share details about the up-coming Idea Camp and some other programs sponsored by STAR TEC. Knowing your market is vital to finding success as an inventor, so don’t miss this opportunity to add some skills to your experience. Join us this Wednesday 3/9/2011 from 7-9 PM and don't forget our special meeting with Stephen Key on Monday 3/7/2011!

Meet inventor Guru Stephen Key this Monday at a special meeting!

TBIC is pleased to announce that we will have a special meeting on Monday, 3/7/2011 to visit with the famous inventor and finalist in the 2011 Edison Awards for two of his products, Stephen Key! He is launching his new book with a tour at inventor organizations all over the country! His new book, from McGraw-Hill, "One Simple Idea" is launching this month and will be available in book stores across the country as well as online. You can learn more about Stephen and his book at www.inventright.com (a really great site for all kinds of inventor content!)

He also has a new website that just launched called Inventor Notes www.inventornotes.com It's a "Yellow Pages" for the inventing community. It contains a who's who directory of industry experts along with a list of companies looking for ideas and a list of helpful inventing resources. Please check out the site when you have some time. Hopefully this will be helpful for our members.

Originally, we were going to have this extra meeting just for paid members but we decided that we would rather share the wealth with all of our inventor friends so if you want to meet and learn from the best, make sure that you join us this Monday from 7-9 pm. We really want you to join the group and help keep the council strong so that we can keep bringing events like this to Tampa Bay!

I look forward to seeing you all on Monday, March 7th!