Stand Alone, Inventor!: And Make Money with Your New Product Ideas!

by Robert G. Merrick

From the creator of four successful inventions, each posting sales in the millions, these step-by-step lessons and real-life experiences will help aspiring inventors move ahead and succeed with a new product idea. Beginning with the basics of what to invent, how to test it cheaply to see if it will sell, and how to protect and distribute it, "Stand Alone, Inventor!" also offers guidelines on manufacturing and merchandising products from the ground...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0964383209
• ISBN13: 9780964383203
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Lee Publishing
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

This Inventor Stood Alone!

I purchased "The Stand Alone Inventor" several months ago, it was invaluable as a reference. I purchased it as a novice inventor... I am now in the process of shopping my "patent pending" invention to several interested manufacturers. I have started on my next invention which I am confident will be a winner - thanks to this book. I have read several "Do It Yourself" type books for inventors... this is definitely one of the best by far. Highly recommended!

Great Book !!!!

Personally I believe licensing your invention is the best way to go. However,if you decide to manufacture and sell your invention yourself......this is absolutley the best book I've ever read. Bob's book explains just how to do it. Bob has spoken to my inventors assoiciation ......InventorsAlliance.org.......he has a strait forward style and doesn't hold back on all the critial information you need to know.I highly recomend this book if you decide to manufacture and sell your invention.Andrew Krauss

You will save the cost of this book in your new business

I have a background of inventing and running a business. I am now retired, after manufacturing and selling a louver roof system. I did it the hard way and borrowed money against my house, my bank manager and I were on intimate terms and a few times I thought I was a goner. Although the product was sound I made a number of bad judgments.I have now sold my business and tinker in the back shed with new ideas and run a newsletter for our local Inventors Association. I am convinced that had I read Bobs book, which unfortunately had not been written 20 years ago, my groping in the dark for guidance would have been far less painful.Bob speaks about starting small, financing it yourself and creeping up on the market. There are plenty of people willing to take your money and promise you the world; I met a few of them. Bob suggests taking control of the situation and spending the minimum for the greatest return. He talks of evaluating, patenting, financing, and finally marketing and distributing your product, pointing to a number of resources that can help you at no cost or at least offering value for money.I live in South Australia so a number of resources were of limited value, but did give valuable guidance in what to look for here in Australia. Even with the additional cost of freight and currency exchange, Bobs commonsense approach will save me heaps in mistakes I won't make in my new product launch. The book is entertaining, inspirational and very easy to read.Wherever you are from, Commonsense is Commonsense.

The Entire Process--Start to Finish!

As an aspiring inventor and patent holder I found Robert's book very valuable--in fact I don't even know of another book that covers the invention process the way "Stand Alone, Inventor" does from start to finish. Robert not only tells you about his own experiences in successfully bringing products to market, but also those of other inventors and what worked for them. You learn about some of the keys successful products have as well as prototyping, protecting, licensing, promoting, pricing, marketing, distributing, and retailing your product--and much more. The author also guides the reader to stay clear of certain pitfalls and mistakes an aspiring inventor might make. There is also a 44 page resource section at the end of the book!

Professional Industrail Designer - This Book is 2 Thumbs Up

I have been a practicing Industrial Designer / Product Designer for over 30 years with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design. I have been a member of the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) in good standing since 1977. I have owned a successful design firm in Silicon Valley since 1982 and have been granted over 14 utilitarian and design patents and have won several design awards. When one of my clients loaned me a copy of Robert G. Merrick's book "Stand Alone Inventor" I looked at it, shrugged, and put it down, thinking to myself, "another do-it-yourself book". A few days later I had occasion to open it, mostly out of curiosity. I was amazed!! Mr. Merrick had put into his book tips and methodologies; insights and resources that had taken me over 30 years of trial error to learn. Some of these tips I even gained a new insight in - specifically on Royalties and the USPTO Disclosure Document Program. This is an excellent book as it guides the inventor through the entire process from idea refinement to product development and then through the ways of protecting an invention by NDA and DDP and the patent process on to the manufacturing, merchandising, advertising ending finally in sales and distribution. The "Stand Alone Inventor" is truly a must have book not only for all inventors but also for all professionals in the field of product marketing, industrial design and product development. I very highly recommend adding "Stand Alone Inventor" to one's library. I went out immediately and bought my own copy!!