Inventing on a Shoestring Budget!: Insider Tips for Bringing Your Product to Market Without Breaking the Bank! [Paperback]

Barbara Russell Pitts (Author), Mary Russell Sarao (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Written by inventors for inventors, this guide outlines the steps involved with moving a product from the idea phase to market on an extremely limited budget. Filled with advice on how to save money during every phase of the inventive process and how to avoid falling into the traps set to ensnare unwary inventors, this handbook defines the steps involved in developing, protecting, and marketing ideas while maximizing the chances of getting products to market. Tips include how to find out if your idea has already been done; how to obtain free (or nearly free) help; how to pace expenditures; when to spend money and when to hold back; how to know who may or may not be trusted; and where to find sources of funding to enable the pursuit of the invention.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must have for every inventor's bookshelf and workshop. In my 35 years of dealing with inventors, this is the one to read."  —Ronald E. Brown, president, Patent Search International

"A most comprehensive and well-planned guide for inventors! It addresses every possible topic an inventor needs to consider during each phase of product development and is written in a clear, easy-to-undertand format."  —Edie Tolchin, EGT Global Trading, Inventor Resource

"Tells the inventor, in simple language, how to evaluate an idea, how to protect it, and how to get it to market without going broke . . . the essential resource for every successful inventor."  —Alan Beckley, business consultant, Small Business Development  Corporation, former president, Texas Inventors' Association, and inventor of the Savvy Caddy®

"Exceedingly reader friendly and inventor helpful. It nails the issues squarely and to the point, while maintaining a very supportive and 'can-do' tone, which all of us need to hear, especially when the going gets rough."  —Carol Oldenburg, administrator, United Inventors Association

About the Author

Barbara Russell Pitts and Mary Russell Sarao are the coauthors of The Everything Inventions and Patents Book and a column, "Two for the Money," which appears in Inventors’ Digest magazine. They have been awarded U.S. and Canadian patents and are the co-inventors of Ghostline® poster board. They have lectured extensively at seminars, workshops, and organizations around the country and were two of the inventors featured in the documentary film, The Big Idea. They both live in Dallas, Texas. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Second Sight Publishing; 1 edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978522206
• ISBN-13: 978-0978522209
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #760,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read! No fluff...just facts, February 15, 2009

By 

Nikki Lee (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inventing on a Shoestring Budget!: Insider Tips for Bringing Your Product to Market Without Breaking the Bank! (Paperback)

I have read several books on inventing and starting up a business and this is by far the best book I've read about the subject. Most books are packed with stories and a bunch of fluff but this book is strictly facts and information that every inventor needs to know. It covers everything from patents to finances and has so many money saving tips that I had never heard of before! I highly recommend this book and have it on my desk as a constant reference as I build my invention into a successful business.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-read Blueprint for all Inventors, January 31, 2008

By 

Nick Romer "Author, Make Millions Selling on QVC" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inventing on a Shoestring Budget!: Insider Tips for Bringing Your Product to Market Without Breaking the Bank! (Paperback)

This book is a wealth of information and a must-read for anyone embarking on the journey of inventing. As the title suggests - this book addresses a problem that plagues many inventors - how to go about protecting and bringing a product to market with little or no finances. The information provided by these proven authors details the steps you need to take to make your dreams and ambitions a reality, along the way debunking myths like the "poor man's patent" (mailing your ideas in a sealed and dated envelope, page 48). If you have a great idea and looking for guidance, this is a sound blueprint clearly written from the point of view of experience and I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, July 15, 2008

By 

David Leithauser "David Leithauser" (DeLand, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inventing on a Shoestring Budget!: Insider Tips for Bringing Your Product to Market Without Breaking the Bank! (Paperback)

This book has lots of useful information. The tips will more than pay for the book if you actively pursue marketing an invention. The coupons in the back alone will save many times the cost of the book if you use one or two of them.