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Alison Newton: From Napkin to Market

November 4, 2010 by ron

Alison Newton of Alison Newton Consulting is a Product Development Expert and a Savvy & Stylish Entrepreneur.

Taking an idea from a sketch on the back of a napkin or a doodle on the back of a receipt to a tangible product can be overwhelming and frustrating but ultimately rewarding. This is something Alison Newton knows firsthand. After leaving the corporate world in 2009, Alison followed her passion by designing a luxurious yet comfortable footwear collection and along the way, realized other aspiring entrepreneurs could benefit from her extensive product development knowledge.

Drawing from more than 12 years of experience in product development with successful and well respected companies like Nordstrom, Saks, and Spanx. Alison now focuses her time on supporting and empowering entrepreneurs, nurturing their ideas, supporting their development and strategically launching their products! Demystifying the development process. Creating a customized plan for each client. Taking them through the process from design, development and product management to planning, production, distribution and merchandising.

“Oftentimes, talented entrepreneurs shelve their product dreams because they just simply get “stuck” in the process. My job is to provide support and empower them with the tools they need to move onto that next step, taking away any roadblocks and providing a clear plan for success. Seeing a client realize their product goals, gives me such satisfaction.”

Whether at the beginning of your product journey or re-evaluating a current product, the first step is to identify your needs and complete a product readiness assessment. Alison reviews and compiles a detailed evaluation of the assessment and then designs a customized plan to support the clients goals to realize their product. Simple and straightforward, concepts into reality.

Best Selling Author Tamara Monosoft on “Your Million Dollar Dream”

November 1, 2010 by ron

Start a small business, be your own boss, and do what you love. Whatever your dream, the only person with the power to achieve it is . . . you!

The founder of MomInvented.com, Tamara Monosoff has helped tens of thousands of people take control of their lives and careers by launching and growing successful businesses. In Your Million Dollar Dream, she brings her years of experience directly to you, providing expert insight and invaluable resources to help you:

Link your dream to practical business possibilities
Identify your skills and motivations
Create a compelling and effective business plan
- Get your business in the media spotlight
- Use Twitter and Facebook as powerful business tools
- Find the funding to support your business

Tamara Monosoff is the author of the bestselling book The Mom Inventors Handbook, Secrets of Millionaire Moms, and coauthor of The One Page Business Plan for Women in Business. Her new book, Your Million Dollar Dream: Regain Control & Be Your Own Boss, hit #1 on Amazon (on the date of its launch May 2010) in all three business categories: Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Home-Based Businesses. She has appeared on Today, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, The View, CNN, and the front page of the Wall Street Journal and is an expert columnist for Entrepreneur.com. Monosoff lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mike Drummond: The World of Innovation

October 19, 2010 by ron

Pulitizer Prize Finalist, Publishing Entrepreneur, Inventors Digest Editor-in-Chief: Mike Drummond’s credentials are awesome! In this interview Mike discusses trends in innovation and the role of inventors in the American economy.

As editor-in-chief of Inventors Digest Mike oversees all editorial as well as financial and marketing aspects of the nation’s longest-running publication in the invention industry. He serves on various company and academic boards, as well as judge and speaker at industry events.

His work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Wired, Salon.com, Fortune, Cnet, Business 2.0, Forrester Research Magazine, among others, and carried by the Associated Press and Knight Ridder/McClatchy newswires.

In addition to being a 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist he has also won numerous investigative, feature, and business-writing awards. He’s also the author of Renegades of the Empire (Random House/Crown Publishers, 2000), an inside story of Microsoft’s computer-game and Internet ambitions.

You can count on Mike to be candid and this interview is no exception. Follow Mike on Twitter @inventorsdigest, become a fan on Facebook. Contact him at mike.drummond@inventorsdigest.com.

Gary Sullivan of Allstar Marketing on “As Seen on TV” Product Searches

October 14, 2010 by ron

Snuggie, Topsy Turvy, Mister Steamy, Emery Cat, SmartSpin, the list goes on and on of the TV informercial megahits from AllStar Marketing. If you have ever dreamed of having your product seen on TV, this is a must listen episode! The Snuggie first aired in the hot, hot month of AUGUST and sales went out the roof; a clear indicator that this was a product with appeal.

Gary Sullivan is the Director of Merchandising at ALLSTAR MARKETING GROUP LLC. He shares with our listening audience their 7-Point Criteria that determines if your product is a candidate for prime time: Unique, Mass Market, Problem Solving, Priced Right, Easily Explained, Age Appropriate, Credible.

Jump-starting Entrepreneurship with Terry Whipple

October 7, 2010 by ron

Terry Whipple has a passion for creating a contagious environment for entrepreneurship! He is also adamant that the Midwest needs to foster a culture of entrepreneurism in order to compete economically in the 21^st century. He speaks from his experience facilitating and nurturing the growth of a successful entrepreneurial program in west central Wisconsin called the Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club. Terry shares his perspective on the Midwest’s entrepreneurial environment and culture; the characteristics of inventors and the constraints they face; what it’s like to work with an inventor; how clubs provide a safe place to gather, explore ideas and gain education from peers; why a mix of inventors and entrepreneurs is important for critical networking to occur, what resources are available to assist inventors and entrepreneurs; and how to start a club in your region.

BabbaCo by Jessica Kim: Scissors, Glue, Passion & Perserverance!

September 30, 2010 by ron

Fasten your seatbelt! Jessica Kim is the super-high-energy Founder-CEO of BabbaCo, a baby products company that creates innovative parenting solutions that are “simple, functional, super cute.”

Launched in 2007, BabbaCo is establishing itself as a premier personality brand of the baby industry. BabbaCo products can now be found in over 200 boutiques, buy buy Baby, Bed Bath & Beyond, Diapers.com, and Amazon.com.

BabbaCo received numerous parenting awards, have been featured on the Rachael Ray Show as “2010 Parenting Top Pick”, the Chicago Sun Times Pioneer Press, Pregnancy & Newborn, Parenting, and influential blogs (including People Magazine, Daily Candy, and Urban Baby).

Based on pure needs and a big vision, Jessica invents all of BabbaCo’s products and takes them from ideation to prototype to mass production. In less than 2 years, BabbaCohas launched 4 products.

This is Jessica’s second company. In 1997, she started her entrepreneurial path as a 19-year-old CEO of Jessica’s Wonders, an upbeat brand of premium baked goods. She founded the company out of her dorm room and raised $1 million in startup capital from 23 investors. It quickly grew to 3 outsource manufacturers, 13 employees, and full distribution in the largest chain of supermarkets in New England.

This mom of 2 young children (3 years old and 6 months old) shares how she got off the ground and made her simple solutions into products that help other parents. Follow Jessica’s mompreneur journey on her blog (www.babbaco.com/blog) and fan page (www.facebook.com/babbaco).

Tom Kershaw: Pushing Your Idea to Product Success

September 23, 2010 by ron

Most of us have seen the BALLBACK basketball return in the stores over the years. Now we have the inside scoop on how this highly successful product was conceived, developed and commercialized.

Tom Kershaw shares with us an amazing journey.

Tom sold a successful contract engineering firm (machine and tool design) before fleeing to Florida to chase other inventive ideas and profitable products. Today he’s called the “Inventor in paradise” with multiple patents, products and a claim to fame – for inventing the popular BALLBACK basketball return.

He is also the Vice President of the Edison Inventors Association in Ft. Myers, Florida, the author of “Inventor In Paradise” and a mentor to others through his web site www.Inventor-Entrepreneur.com.

Listen in as Tom shares hints, tricks and horror stories learned from pursuing profitable products.

David Clark: Best Practices for New Product Development

September 16, 2010 by ron

Wow! This is a must-listen interview. David Clark of Malco Design & Deliver Group shares his distilled wisdom on New Product Development Best Practices.

Every inventor dreams of achieving commercial success from his/her product idea. Unfortunately, too many inventors invest in projects only to be frustrated by poor results when they try to commercialize them. Dave Clark, a new product development veteran, shares with us 10 of the best practices inventors should adhere to. These practices are easy to learn, will save you time and money, and will greatly improve your odds of success.

David is the New Business Development Manager for the Malco Design and Deliver Group, a service business within Malco Products that provides product design, prototyping, and manufacturing services. David earned a BS in Marketing and Management from Mankato State University and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Venture Strategies. He has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and new product development.

Glenda Phillips, Inventor of SOK-ITZ Arm Rest Cover

September 9, 2010 by ron

Glenda Phillips of SOK-ITZ is an inventor with a heart of gold. She is a passionate advocate for Childhood Cancer Awareness, an active participant in the “Fly 4 Life” Event benefiting “The National Children’s Cancer Society” scheduled for September 19,2010, plus she held the 1st fundraiser for the initial Ronald McDonald House in Louisville, Kentucky.

The SOK-ITZ arm rest cover has many applications. Germ-phobic airline passengers use them to protect themselves from an unsanitary arm rest: easy to install, remove, take home, wash and reuse. Vehicle owners use them to protect the arm rests in their vehicle to increase resale value. Companies increase brand awareness by ordering SOK-ITZ with their logo for existing and potential customers.

Listen in as Glenda shares her inventive journey.