Browse Category: For Inventors

Interview with Ed Mauro, Source Direct Founder

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Our founder, Ed, was interviewed today on the Innovation Divaz radio show!

The Innovation Divaz really know the who, what and why of inventing, and love that they can share their knowledge connections and great women invented products with their audience. Meet Melinda Knight – business woman, inventor and expert social media and celebrity gifting guru! And her co host, Dhana Cohen who has been inventing products, businesses, marketing contests, and events for over 20 years! The Innovation Divaz not only co-host this fantastic talk show, they also run the ULTIMATE connection platform for the entire inventor industry at www.inventorznetwork.com! 

 

Source Direct is a member of the Inventorz Network, and looks forward to the opportunities still to come with their organization! Want to listen to the full interview?

Use the player below:

Source Direct and the United Inventors Association (UIA) – a great pair!

The world can be a scary place for inventors – scams around every corner, shady business deals, and a lack of knowledge on different steps of the inventing process. Due to the rising need of educational resources for inventors, different organizations were formed to help the everyday inventor. The UIA is definitely one of them.

From the UIA Website: 

The UIA is a Federally Registered Non-Profit Educational Foundation. Our commitment is to provide educational resources to the inventing community, while encouraging honest and ethical business practices within the industry service providers. If you are not a member of the UIA we invite you to join the thousands of other inventors who are. It’s Quick, It’s Simple…and It’s Free. 

Source Direct has been working with the UIA for years, and subsequently, helping many inventors who need it! Networking with reputable organizations is one way to make your dreams a reality, especially if you are an inventor. If you are interested in joining the UIA, click this link! Membership is free!

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Don’t delay – call today!

 

 

 

SUCCESS STORY: Time to Brush!

Spotlight On: Time to Brush – http://www.timetobrush.com/

About the Product: This amazing toothbrush and toothpaste caddy holds toothbrushes and different brands to suit the entire family and keep your dental appliances clean and neatly put away.  Time To Brush is a complete dental station designed to teach your children proper hygiene at an early age. Good brushing habits established early can prevent gum, tooth & mouth issues later in life. Your child will relate to Bobby Brush as he shows your child a fun way to ongoing dental health. Educates children on how to brush correctly with a fun 2 minute animated audio/video that walks children through where and how long to brush each section of the mouth. Bobby Brush will teach your children to always brush properly and thoroughly for maximum clean. Includes “Why Children Need To Brush For Two Minutes” – a handy guide written by a pediatric dentist.

Testimonial from the Inventor: My name is Winston Lawer, President & Owner of The Good Habits Company located in Minneapolis MN. Ed asked if I would reach out with some feedback from our experience working with Source Direct.

I came to Ed with a product that was rather complex and involved electronics. I used to source companies in China and India on my own and decided to try Source Direct and to let Ed Mauro do all the work since he doesn’t capitalize on the project unless we generate income.

Ed worked with me along the way and fielded my questions, followed my instructions and offered feedback along the way. Things have worked out nicely on our first run with Ed and we are in the process of looking over another project we have in development and are going to have Ed source it as well.

He is a gentleman with experience and is a respectable man who knows his field. I can say this because I know from sourcing myself and my personal experience working with Ed he gets things done correctly and knows how to.

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Don’t delay – call today!

Is your invention GOOD enough to succeed in the marketplace?

Ideas for new inventions can come at a dime-a-dozen. Everyone thinks they have the latest and greatest idea for making the world a better, more efficient, and cooler place to be. Despite a biased belief, not all ideas will work – or even make it to prototyping.

Here are some things to keep in mind when attempting to bring your product idea to life:

Cave_invention

  • Does it serve a purpose? Consumers are consistently looking for a solution – does your product provide a solution to their imminent problem? If you are looking to create an item purely of a novelty nature, consider that it’s “purpose”.
  • Is the target demographic realistic? Speak to different consumers in your target demographic to see if they like or dislike the idea. Pre-development testing is a good idea, so you get an understanding of what could happen on the store shelves. Is this something that your demographic can get excited about?
  • Has someone else come up with this idea, or something similar? This is huge. Obviously, there are different competing brands with virtually the same product (Coke/Pepsi, McDonalds/Burger King, Mac/PC). Yes, the examples provided are broad, but you should make sure that there  are enough unique identifiers to your product to make it different. 
  • Do you have the captial to pull this off? By capital, I don’t necessarily mean money (completely). Do you have the supplies, resources, materials, and financial backing? It takes a lot of work to bring a product to life.
  • Is your idea solid? Could you pitch this idea in front of potential investors, and be confident? You must have 100% confidence in your product to see it to completion.

[box type=”info”] A funny quote about inventions..
“The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, ‘You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.” ― George Carlin[/box]

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Don’t delay – call today! You can also email us by clicking here. 

What are your NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS?

In 2014, did you follow through with all of your New Year’s Resolutions? Here are some interesting statistics when it comes to New Years Resolutions (courtesy of http://www.statisticbrain.com/):

 

New Years Resolution Statistics Data
Percent of Americans who usually make New Year’s Resolutions 45%
Percent of Americans who infrequently make New Year’s Resolutions 17%
Percent of Americans who absolutlely never make New Year’s Resolutions 38%
Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution 8% – WOW!

It can be concluded based on the data above that it’s pretty tough to hold on to your New Years Resolutions. As an inventor, was it a goal to create your first product prototype? Or maybe to design your packaging? Inventions can take lots of time, and goal setting is incredibly important. Here  are a few tips to keep in mind if developing your product will be a New Years Resolution in 2015:

  • Set realistic goals. Most benchmark time-frames fail because of improper planning. Know how long a certain goal will take, and plan accordingly.
  • Stick to your timeline. If you stray from the allotted time, it will make your vision harder to achieve.
  • Consult a professional if you aren’t hitting your goals and moving backward instead of forward.
  • Be sure that you are satisfied with your idea before setting goals and timelines. Back-tracking is detrimental to your product success if it’s on a deadline.

Would you like some assistance in setting goals and preparing your invention for 2015? Our experts at Source Direct would love to hear from you. Give us a call today at 888-373-3876, extension 212. Consultations are always free.

Start planning for 2015 now! Get your invention on shelves before the next busy season!

SUCCESS STORY: Weave Scratcher

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Weave Scratcher, http://www.weavescratcher.com/

About the Product: The Weave Scratcher™ is the first of its kind; a hair tool made especially for Women who experience one of the most common factors in wearing hair weaves, braids or wigs…THE ITCHY SCALP!

aboutWS Products invented the Weave Scratcher™ in 2011 after surveying many women who became frustrated with the fact that there was nothing on the market that can relieve the annoying itch that comes with wearing a weave. As avid weave wearers, WS Owners already knew the common yet dangerous solutions women resulted too…patting of the head, use of a rat tail comb and bobby pins. Each resolution is quick but the ending results can be painful and eventually damaging to the scalp such as cuts, sores and at times disturbing the installation of the hair style. Knowing with continue use of these quick fixes would eventually lead to damages for all women a solution to the problem was born the Weave Scratcher™.

WS products carefully designed the Weave Scratcher™ to reflect many of the common items used but safer for the itchy scalp. A tool that is very light weight, thin like a rat tail comb with round soothing balls on a curve edge that does not come off like a bobby pin. The main concern was not only to create a tool safe for the scalp but also something that is stylish and can be used on the go. A tool small enough to carry in a wallet, clutch, purse or jacket pocket and that would be invisible to the eye while in use. This is how The Weave Scratcher™ came to be, it is “The quick fix…to relieve the ITCH!”

The Weave Scratcher™ is the first of a line of products with solutions for women that wear hair extensions. WS Products is excited about the Weave Scratcher and its outcome. It’s the #1 Itch reliever for women that wear hair extensions worldwide. Order yours today and not only will you be satisfied but YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!

Testimonial from the Inventor: “You are in good hands with Source Direct. I have nothing but good things to say about Ed Mauro and Source Direct. My experience with them have been great and very professional. They are a company that goes far beyond their call of duty and will do all that it takes to get the job done.”

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Don’t delay – call today!

Avoiding Suspicious Activity – Inventors, Be CAUTIOUS!

“There is no greater fraud than a promise not kept.” – Gaelic Proverb

Fraud is everywhere. Lies, deciet, scams – it’s all around us. Sometimes we may see an opportunity that is too good to be true, and more than likely, it typically is. Take a look at this infographic (courtesy of http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/internet-scam-hotspots-infographic/).

scams

Understand, though, that there are ways to make sure you aren’t being scammed. One of the main reason why scam artists get away with their tactics is because consumers don’t do enough research. Before you say yes to anything, no matter how big or small, know the benefits (or even the consequences). Property can be stolen right from under your nose if you aren’t careful.

That’s where inventing scams come in. Our founder of Source Direct, Ed Mauro, was a new inventor back in the late 80’s and witnessed every scam and setback you can think of. “Come to us and we’ll manufacture your product and have it on every shelf, in every store, in the entire USA!”, before they’ve seen the invention or concept! Some invention support/promotion organizations alike to us (Source Direct) may turn down ideas – not every single invention will be a winner in the eyes of the organization. Ask for a complimentary consultation with Source Direct to see if your product may be a fit!

Over 25 years has passed since his first invention, and now Ed has brought his expertise to all Source Direct clients to make sure that the development of their product is seamless and non-stressful.

A few red flags of shady Invention Production Companies could be:

  • Saying YES to your product idea before seeing a prototype.
  • Asking for a large sum of money up front without a promise of services.
  • Promising that the item will immediately become a success – it’s all based on the market, economic climate, supply/demand, and product quality and usefulness.
  • Not having any past successes.
  • Lacking a website or a phone number associated with the company.

What should you ask the Invention Production Company for?

  1. Client Testimonials/References (for applicable clients – some may have confidentiality agreements).
  2. Website/Phone Number/Email
  3. Signed contract or proposal, clearly stating the project outline and expectations.
  4. Mailing Address – to an actual location (a red flag could be a P.O. box).
  5. Marketing samples from previous inventions.

Here are a few scam prevention articles that have been published for the benefit of aspiring inventors:

  1. http://inventors.about.com/cs/avoidingscams/ht/Invention_Scams.htm
  2. http://www.ipwatchdog.com/inventing/avoiding-invention-scams/ 
  3. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0184-invention-promotion-firms

The faulty and shady techniques of inventor support organizations inspired Ed to create Source Direct, a resource for inventors who are looking for support from concept to completion. Source Direct is a member of the UIA (United Inventors Association of America) and the Inventorz Network. Past successes, products, and our mission can be seen on TheSourceDirect.net.

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Our experts would be happy to hear from you, and find out more about your product. Ask for Nathan!