(9) The Internet and Home-Based Business
An additional item worth mentioning, with respect to the marketing/business plan front, is that I've established a domain name, web site (just the address, not any content yet), and email address for more formal communication with manufacturers and vendors. This is to mainly help establish some legitimacy, as well as start using the name in public to help support a future registered trademark application. As of right now, I'm going to start using the TM notation on some things, to establish this right. I'm pretty sure the TM term, while conceptually descriptive and related to the product, doesn't actually say what it is - therefore it's neither a generic nor descriptive term, but a real 'exclusive name or word used as a business trademark', that can be protected.
The email moniker seems to have helped with a couple of communications, perhaps somewhat more credible than "tedacdc"; my typical online avatar (used mainly for informal communication and collection of spam).
I've started to lay out the website, taking input from others who have gone before - there's no end to the list of really bad websites out there, created by individual inventors, and my job involves establishment of online presence and capability. So I think I can design a really good website, though I'll probably outsource the initial programming, while retaining rights to the source code, to I can change it by myself later.
I've actually been very informally maintaining my wife's website, which is a whole other story. She and her neighbor have started a computer training and safe use business for children and adults, starting first with Kindergartners and Word/Excel training for adults. We've set up an in-home computer center, and it's all called 'WhizKids LLC'. This should be pretty successful, and I certainly look to the exercise to help 'test run' various marketing and business methods involved with starting a home business, and will apply the lessons learned to the business of my invention. In fact, there are some very interesting 'cross-selling' and 'cross-testing' opportunities, as well as 'cross-collaboration' opportunities. Developing a home-based business can really benefit from collaborating with all the others in your community, who are in various stages of creating their own businesses, or offering local/online services to those who are.
Another interesting development is a neighbor I grew up with in NJ has evidently obtained a patent for a meatball cooker, several years ago, and has just now started focus-testing it. Another in my neighborhood appears to have created and trademarked a business that could reference my invention. Between these persons and others online I've shared information with, it appears there's opportunity to expand my rapidly expanding online virtual community to some other actual inventors. Perhaps an opportunity for additional cross-selling and marketing exists. The online Inventor community is very vibrant, active and useful.
Lots of converging stories to this Invention saga; probably should write a book. In fact, isn't this Blog the starting point for that?
The email moniker seems to have helped with a couple of communications, perhaps somewhat more credible than "tedacdc"; my typical online avatar (used mainly for informal communication and collection of spam).
I've started to lay out the website, taking input from others who have gone before - there's no end to the list of really bad websites out there, created by individual inventors, and my job involves establishment of online presence and capability. So I think I can design a really good website, though I'll probably outsource the initial programming, while retaining rights to the source code, to I can change it by myself later.
I've actually been very informally maintaining my wife's website, which is a whole other story. She and her neighbor have started a computer training and safe use business for children and adults, starting first with Kindergartners and Word/Excel training for adults. We've set up an in-home computer center, and it's all called 'WhizKids LLC'. This should be pretty successful, and I certainly look to the exercise to help 'test run' various marketing and business methods involved with starting a home business, and will apply the lessons learned to the business of my invention. In fact, there are some very interesting 'cross-selling' and 'cross-testing' opportunities, as well as 'cross-collaboration' opportunities. Developing a home-based business can really benefit from collaborating with all the others in your community, who are in various stages of creating their own businesses, or offering local/online services to those who are.
Another interesting development is a neighbor I grew up with in NJ has evidently obtained a patent for a meatball cooker, several years ago, and has just now started focus-testing it. Another in my neighborhood appears to have created and trademarked a business that could reference my invention. Between these persons and others online I've shared information with, it appears there's opportunity to expand my rapidly expanding online virtual community to some other actual inventors. Perhaps an opportunity for additional cross-selling and marketing exists. The online Inventor community is very vibrant, active and useful.
Lots of converging stories to this Invention saga; probably should write a book. In fact, isn't this Blog the starting point for that?
posted by T | 11:15 AM
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