The product, from inventor Drew K. of Buffalo, New York, is a simple plastic disk that slides over an existing storm/screen door push latch handle for greater ease in opening the door.

The efforts of InventionHome brought exposure to Drew’s product, ultimately leading to this distribution arrangement.

Congratulations, Drew!

Due to the highly competitive nature of the DRTV industry, we cannot disclose any detailed information about the product at this time. The Licensee (company) prefers to keep all details secret until the product is ready to hit the market. Although, we can disclose that this license agreement was completed only after a long period of review, diligence, testing and discussions between InventionHome and the Licensee.

Furthermore, this particular inventor-client had a second invention listed with InventionHome in 2012 that was also licensed. This product is presently rolling out nationwide on a television commercial and will be in retail accounts soon. Details of BOTH of his products will be posted as soon as we are permitted to do so.

Our featured “Open Innovation” company for this month is Quickie Manufacturing Corp (“Quickie”).

Quickie began using InventionHome’s submission management system (SMI) two years ago to help streamline their product submission process and to drive more product opportunities to their company. Today, they have a well-defined submission and product review process and are actively seeking new product opportunities from outside inventors and entrepreneurs and continue to receive new products through InvetionHome’s product alerts service (Hotlinks).

By centralizing all of their inventor submissions into a single-portal, the product development team at Quickie is able to respond quickly to products of interest, while managing all submissions through the entire review process. According to a Quickie representative, “InventionHome’s Open Innovation system has given much more structure to both our submission and review procedures, enabling us to put a greater focus on finding new ideas that are ripe for our company.”

“InventionHome’s Open Innovation system has given much more structure to both our submission and review procedures, enabling us to put a greater focus on finding new ideas that are ripe for our company.”
-Quickie

Founded in 1919, Quickie is a leading supplier and distributor of innovative cleaning tools and supplies. Wholly owned by Jarden Corporation since December 2010 and headquartered in Cinnaminson, New Jersey with manufacturing facilities in Lumberton, North Carolina, El Paso, Texas and Mexico, Quickie designs, manufactures and distributes over 300 cleaning products for traditional in-home use as well as commercial, contractor-grade applications. These products include mops, brooms, dusters, dust pans, brushes, buckets and other supplies sold primarily under the leading brands Quickie Original®, Quickie Home-Pro®, Quickie Professional®, Quickie Microban, Quickie Green Cleaning® and Lysol™. Quickie has over 100 product-related patents containing value-added features and innovative designs, and is the leader in almost every stick and smallware category in cleaning. Quickie’s historical success is attributable to its commitment to innovation and new product development.

If your company would like to learn more about streamlining your product submission process and driving more opportunities directly to your company, please contact Bob Raspet at 866-844-6512 x 117

So, your company’s CEO just mandated more innovation. You need to figure out how to begin shifting your revenue mix over the next few years to products that don’t even exist today.

Where to begin?

Consider the paradigm shift that is happening right before your eyes. Companies are no longer stuck on the idea that everything needs to be invented in-house. More and more often, companies are turning to outside innovation as a way to grow their product lines.

Today, consumer-innovators are sweeping the invention industry at a pace never before seen in history, pouring billions of dollars into product development each year.

This phenomenon was brought to light in 2011 when researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management published a study showing that in total, consumers in the United States are spending upwards of $20 billion annually on product development, which is equal to 33% of the total amount that commercial enterprises are spending. Similarly, inventors in the United Kingdom are investing in product development; they outpace commercial spend in their country (144% which is upwards of $5 billion).

These statistics should be a wake-up call for companies to understand where innovation is and will be coming from in the future. Both Supply and Demand for consumer innovation is at an all-time high.

If you’re ready to take the plunge and begin opening your doors to outside opportunities, InventionHome can help you automate your product submission process at no cost and help drive targeted innovation from around the world directly to your door step.

For more information, email Bob Raspet at braspet@inventionhome.com or call 1-866-844-6512 x117.

Crown Bolt, a leading retail supplier to The Home Depot, is steadfast in its commitment to find innovative new products by tapping into the ingenuity of independent inventors. To help with this effort, executives at Crown Bolt have partnered with InventionHome to reach out to the inventor community for hardware related products.

The following product categories are of particular interest to Crown Bolt:

• Hardware products

• Fasteners




• Builders hardware

• Home hardware




• Gate hardware




• Rope, chain, wire and accessories




• Rod and steel

• Hardware coatings, finishes,
  metals or materials

Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to submit new product ideas via Crown Bolt’s website

Based in Aliso Viejo, California, Crown Bolt has been a global hardware supplier for over 30 years. Using an innovative approach to hardware retailing, Crown Bolt has consistently delivered exceptional programs to their customers in fasteners, builders hardware, rope, chain, rod and steel.

The National Hardware Show and InventionHome are pleased to offer ALL National Hardware Show 2013 Exhibitors the chance for a face-to-face meeting with Rubbermaid and Irwin Tools (both part of Newell-Rubbermaid) to pitch your products. If you have a patent protected invention suitable for either company, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Both companies are seeking new products to commercialize and are open to outside innovation.

Irwin Tools is seeking new Power Tool Accessories and Hand Tools.

Rubbermaid is seeking innovative products in the following categories:
 

• Beauty and Style
• Beverage
• Cleaning
• Closet Organization
• Food Storage
• Garage Organization
• Home Storage
• Insulated Storage
• Kitchen
• Laundry & Utility
• Outdoor Storage
• Waste, Trash or Refuse

 

Simply submit your product for consideration by Rubbermaid or Irwin Tools

You will be informed before the show starts on May 6th if you were one of the lucky ones selected!
 

Here’s a simple and inexpensive invention that can save big headaches and a lot of money. I’ve you’ve ever driven a car behind a gravel truck or on a gravel road, it’s possible that your windshield was damaged by flying gravel or rocks. Oftentimes, the damage starts as a small chip and is barely even noticeable… and at that stage it’s relatively inexpensive to fix. However, if you don’t attend to it quickly, that chip can spread like a spiderweb, resulting in a big repair bill.

Inventors Dieter B. and John W. of Reno, Nevada developed Windshield First Aid® as a means to prevent further windshield damage in this scenario.

Windshield First Aid® is a kit containing easy-to-follow instructions, towelette pads, windshield bandages, and a protective sleeve. If a chip break occurs, people can quickly use the contents of the kit to cover up and seal the break, preserving the integrity of the rest of the windshield. This product will also prevent the break from picking up moisture and road debris. 

Dieter and John enlisted the help of InventionHome to assist them in finding marketing/licensing opportunities for their invention.

The term “Open Innovation” means different things to different people. For some, enlisting independent inventors in the search for product innovation means a fresh new outlook…more eyes and ears on industry trends and consumer desires…and great and plentiful opportunities. But for others, the thought of working with “outsiders” is an invitation for headaches.

No matter what your take on “Open Innovation”, InventionHome can assist you in many key areas, such as…

1. Finding Product Opportunities.

a. Our Hotlinks Service – InventionHome represents thousands of inventors and entrepreneurs from around the globe and we have a constant stream of new product inventions flowing into our company that we are able to share with you (via our “HotLinks service). We are careful to share only products that fit your category/criteria. Furthermore, we also maintain a very broad reach into the inventor communities through our networks, affiliations and partners and we possess our own direct distribution network of 200,000+ inventors and entrepreneurs.

b. Product Hunts - Did you know…we can go beyond HotLinks to do custom searches to tap into the market and our networks targeted to your needs? Let us know if you are interested in learning more.

2. Due Diligence

Many of you are receiving HotLinks, but just haven’t yet found a product invention that’s right for your company. When you DO, just give us a call or email us with any questions that you have. Our marketing team will gather additional information from the inventor to assist you with your review, while also providing a “buffer” between your company and our client. Some companies prefer to remain ‘anonymous’ to the inventor and we can oblige…right up to the point of contract negotiation if you so desire.

3. Contract Negotiations

For many companies who are new to the concept of “Open Innovation”, navigating the licensing process may seem daunting. Not so, when you’re working with InventionHome. With the help of our lawyers, we’ve worked hard to develop a license agreement template that addresses concerns both of companies and inventors to provide a “win-win”. We recognize that each new agreement comes with a unique set of variables, and we’ll work hard to customize an agreement that will meet the approval of both Licensee and Licensor.

Next time you see a HotLink item that interests you (even just a little bit), let us know about it so we can go to work for you!


For the third year in a row, InventionHome sponsors the National Hardware Show (NHS), the tradeshow for the $343 billon dollar home enhancement market.

Furthermore, InventionHome will work with the NHS to compile a master show presentation of all Inventor Spotlight products. This AfterShow Presentation will be made available to all companies exhibiting or attending the show, offering unparalleled exposure to inventors.

Details:

National Hardware Show (Las Vegas, May 7-9, 2013)

The NHS features the following categories:

• Hardware & Tools
• Lawn, Garden & Outdoor Living
• Plumbing & Electrical
• Paint Accessories
• Housewares
• Tailgate & Outdoor Recreation
• Storage & Organization
• Pet Products
• ^New! Farm & Ranch

With 2,100 exhibitors from 34 countries, and more than 20,000 buyers from over 100 countries, the International Home + Housewares Show has become the undisputed leading Housewares tradeshow in the United States.

One of the hottest areas of this year’s show was the “InventionHome Inventors Corner”, where more than 60 inventors and entrepreneurs converged to showcase their wares to a staggering number of companies seeking new product opportunities for license or wholesale.

As the VIP sponsor of the Inventors Corner, InventionHome had the wonderful opportunity to interact and discuss product opportunities with companies in attendance such as Rubbermaid, Target, QVC, S.C. Johnson, SkyMall and many others.

But, the success did not stop there. Well over 30 NEW companies were interested in teaming with InventionHome to review our client’s new inventions and we realized a combined total of 135 instances where companies asked for additional information on our products (“interest”). The interest is the starting point for discussing licensing opportunities for our clients.

Needless to say, our marketing department is working in overdrive to follow up on all these new opportunities, gather additional information to answer companies’ questions, and to push out all of our client inventions that meet criteria of these new member companies.