Often inventors need to raise some early investments to help pay for prototypes, patents or other items to help get the project off the ground. You have three goals: one, avoid trying to write a 40 to 50 page business plan, two, to show you are serious about taking your product to market, and finally, you need to show your idea has a real chance to succeed.

Often inventors get into a routine that revolves around looking for a problem that affects many people and where they feel that they can create a great solution. Then they make sure the product can be made for 20% of the retail value and they might have a winner. But there is another way, one followed by kids for generations: just get a wild and crazy idea and try it out.

I’ve worked with entrepreneurs for more than 25 years, and most of the successful ones have created and developed their products on their own and love being independent. “Being my own boss” is the answer I usually get when I ask them what they like best about being an entrepreneur.

Promoting business brings the desired results, only when done the right way. One of the ways in which you can spread a word about your organization is by using lighted channel letters. They are widely considered a spectacular way for outdoor and indoor advertising. The effort is not only cost-effective, but it is considered as an important factor of branding by many entrepreneurs.

Many people struggle to raise the money they need to introduce their product. But there are ways to get around that problem by using a shoestring outsourcing approach I call OPM (Other People’s Money) deal making-or, if you prefer, the OPM entrepreneurial approach-because not only are most functions outsourced, but the outsource partners put up all or most of the money. I have compiled some stories of successful inventors in this newsletter to help give you some innovative approaches to consider when introducing your ideas.