On Saturday (November 1st) I had a chance to attend the Inventors Society of South Florida monthly event. I was surfing online for events for inventors to post to Inventing Women and I came across their meeting announcement.
Steve Greenberg, Author of Gadget Nation was the guest speaker. His presentation was interesting, fun and entertaining. And he had some great tips for inventors based upon all the inventors’ ideas he showcased in Gadget Nation. He talked about how he has traveled the country looking for innovative products. That’s why he has been dubbed “The Innovation Insider.” Steve is also a television producer and “star” and has been seen on ABC’s World News This Morning and World News Now, Fox & Friends, and others. You can read more about Steve Greenberg at http://www.gadgetnation.net/steve-bio.htm.
Steve took us behind the scenes of many gadgets he wrote about in his book, he talked about how he came to find out about the inventions, how much they cost to produce and if the inventor is actually making any money from his innovative new product. Some of the inventions he showed us included “ Flight Suit Bird Diapers” for bird lovers who want to let their feathered friends fly around the house. They are disposable and come with an outer “diaper” and inner unit which is tossed when used. The company is making money.
Other products he mentioned were:
The Kosher Lamp (making money)
Turkey Transporter – used to carry heavy turkeys from the pan to the carving platter (not making money yet)
Smittens –mittens specially designed so that two people can hold hands inside of one mitten.
Naughty Spot Time Out Matt created by a Florida Woman for mommy’s on the go who need to give their children a “time out” (breaking even) and she has created a line of products as a result.
My personal favorite were the Bright Feet Light Up slippers with headlights. I plan to purchase a pair for my husband for Christmas (shhh, don’t tell him).
Steve talked about how inventors come up with ideas. They see a problem and come up with a solution. Much like all of us do. Except that inventors actually do something about the idea. Inventors come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and walks of life.
He spoke briefly about home shopping channels and some of the criteria involved in getting on the show. Here’s what he shared:
The product has to be TV friendly – show well on TV
Cute products do well
Good demographics are a must
Products under $40 seem to do the best
Inventor must have a minimum number of units on hand in order to even be considered for the show.
When Steve was finished, he took time to chat one-on-one with several of the guests in the room. When it was my turn, I asked if he would allow me to interview him for an upcoming teleseminar. He said YES! So stay tuned as Steve is on my radar for a future event.
You can learn more about Steve’s book ~ Gadget Nation, inventions and more at GadgetNation.net. Watch the Gadget Nation Video at http://www.gadgetnation.net/gadget-nation-the-video.htm. And for more interesting tidbits, check out Steve’s blog at http://gadgetnation.net/steve-blog/
In case you were wondering, I purchased three copies of Steve’s book! I highly recommend this book for inventors and would-be inventors. You can read about each person’s struggles, successes and whether or not their idea has made any money yet.
I also joined the Inventors Society of South Florida. They are great people with incredible vision and I want to soak that up and learn all I can. Stay tuned, because there’s more to come.