Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #274139 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 310 pages

From Scientific American
Written by one of the most savvy guys I know on the subject of entrepreneurial inventing, Bob Merrick's book does a terrific job of verbalizing inside information on how to succeed with simple inventions.

Review
Bob Merrick's story of how he achieved invention success is a fascinating read, plus good guidance for how entrepreneurs can do it themselves. -- Dr. Rick Crandall, Ph.D., author of the best seller,How to Market Your Services: For people who HATE to sell, and founder, Community Entrepreneurs Organization.

Bob's book brilliantly presents creative ideas for launching new products. If you plan to profit with your new invention, start by reading this book. -- David Pressman, Author of the best seller, Patent It Yourself!

Stand Alone, Inventor! teaches how to go it alone with your inventive ideas and make your fortune. This is a how-to book for fledgling inventors, and anyone who desires to develop and market their own ideas or who want to work for themselves by starting their own businesses, especially persons wanting to start a home-based business. It is an invaluable resource for anyone who has a new idea for a product, but doesn't know how to proceed. The author provides practical advice drawn from his experience as a successful inventor and manufacturer. Step-by-step guidance shows how to go from brainstorm to store shelf on your own and without going into debt. Covers financing, manufacturing, packaging, advertising, locating distributors and direct marketing, including via Cable TV and the Internet. Includes a Resource Section of over 800 hard-to-find services, product sources, and buyer contacts by industry, which are needed to launch a new product. (310 pgs., 46 illustrations, 6"x9" Paperback, 1997) -- Book Description

What this country needs is more stand-alone inventors like Bob Merrick, who find out how to create their own job, and go on to create jobs for others. He teaches his readers how they can succeed and make a difference, if they assume responsibility for their inventions and for themselves. -- Joanne Hayes-Rines, Editor, Inventors' Digest magazine.

From the Publisher
Stand Alone, Inventor! is a book that provides aspiring inventors with a fast-track agenda. Successful inventor and entrepreneur, Robert Merrick starts off with needed basics: what to invent, how to test it cheaply to see if it will sell, and how to protect and distribute it, while avoiding partners, venture capital firms, and marketing scams. But it is his first-hand knowledge of manufacturing and merchandising products from the ground up that readers will find most valuable. In true marketing fashion, Merrick uses many photographs and illustrations to clarify his points.
Merrick proffers inside information as to who you must contact to gain store acceptance; what your press releases must say to get free ink in newspapers and trade magazines; what your sales materials must look like to be accepted by buyers; where you must go to get printing and other services for less than what the big guys pay; how to determine what price your product must sell for to make a profit; how to locate the right manufacturer in the USA and offshore; and, why you are the best person to oversee the marketing of your own invention!
The book includes a 43-page Resource Section that lists contact details on more than 800 hard-to-find sources and services for inventors. Here the reader is able to locate such things as low-cost manufacturers, color printers and package designers, along with contact information on key retailers and trade publications in given industries. Also listed are data on free-assistance non-profit inventor support groups, and much more.
Unlike many authors of books on inventing, Merrick suggests that inventors wait before trying to license or sell their ideas to others. Meanwhile, he advocates that inventors learn to use their ideas to begin to grow a successful company. This process results in a developed product that can always be offered to licensees.
In addition to his own, he tells the stories of several other successful stand-alone inventors, who followed his formula. The reader gains not only the how-to of inventing and marketing new products, but also a feel for the excitement and personal rewards that being an inventor can bring.

Customer Reviews

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!!

Use Caution before purchasing. Know what you want.
I bought this book hoping to learn additional techniques to help me with patent development and marketing strategies. I was looking for creative methods that would aid in building a strong company around a good idea. However, what I got was about 45 total reading minutes of "How to be like me". The book is mainly concerned with what Merrick has done to make money selling little gimmicks. If you are trying to sell something that can fit into someones pocket this book might give you some encouragment. (Not technique). If you are trying to invent and market something with company building potential read another book. A personal note: I bought this book primarily because it had a foreward by the director of the US patent office. That impressed me, but I found two problems with it. First, the book spends only a couple of paragraphs even discussing patents, Second, it seemed like the director didn't even agree with Merrick's stand. I will never buy a book again based on the author of the foreword.

How to invent with all the details spelled out.
Robert Merrick's book "Stand Alone, Inventor" is an excellent book for the person wanting to start out with small inventions. Merrick shows how to get out products without millions of dollars in financing and a staff of engineers to develope your idea. If you want to start out small and grow as you go, this book is an excellent guide to follow. It is not intended for the large system developer.

The author goes into detail on how to get your product patent protected, produced, and how to do test marketing. He then discusses packaging the product, and some of the different types of marketing and sales schemes that are available.

There is lots of detailed information including sample forms that can be used in your business. He also includes a large resource section at the end of the book. Merrick has not described just one product, but talked about the pitfalls and successes of many of his and others inventions. He has been very successful over the years with his business. If you were to follow many of the ideas he talks about, you to should be able to come up a winner and avoid many of the typical pitfalls that new inventors face.