Impress people and companies inexpensively by putting your image capital where it will do the most good
The following is a list of image-making components that most small inventors can assemble to create a basic, overall "glow of prestige" that investors, the media and manufacturers will notice. Even a good inventor and his company can look shabby without these elements. They include:
a. Professional letterhead. In this age of desktop publishing, this is a basic and inexpensive component of creating a company image. The company image and product image may be represented on the company stationery with a logo or motto. The inventor image should not be represented on the company letterhead. If you want to have your own personal letterhead, then the inventor's image may be represented with a picture or logo of your own, although this is not recommended.
b. Raised-lettering business cards. These are also a basic and inexpensive component of creating a company image. Business cards should indicate what field the company is in, who's card it is, and how he or she can be contacted, always include telephone and fax numbers. In today's fast paced "net" world it is now also important to have your e-mail address on your business card. Business cards are paper introductions and should not be advertisements.
c. Business address. A post office box will suffice for a business address if you do not have an office or wish to keep your enterprise separate from other business you are conducting. You should list the box number as a "suite" number, if possible, to give the business more credibility. This can be done if the box is located at a commercial mail box company. You should never use your home address if at all possible, because it may come up later that the two addresses, home and business are the same. This looks less professional than having a business address. However, working out of the home is a common practice for full- and part-time independent inventors. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is not something that should be advertised. By having a separate business address, two things are achieved: the enterprise seems more solid to investors, the media, vendors and end users; and you are allowed to have a private home life without every person who has a business card or letter from the company knowing where to find you at any hour of the day or night.
d. Company/personal history sheet. The company/personal history sheet acts as your brochure. A sample is presented in another part of this section. A personal history sheet is an example of how an inventor can promote himself or herself with a simple, one-page sheet. It gives people the image of how he or she wants to be perceived. A company history sheet can be set up the same way. You may want to integrate a company and personal history sheet for maximum impact and effectiveness, but this depends upon its intended audience.
e. Answering service or telephone answering machine. The use of an answering machine is so commonplace in today's business world that every inventor must have one (unless there is sufficient cash flow to warrant a live answering service). If at all possible, use an answering service for the human touch. A machine can annoy people after a while. Also, an answering service will be able to: (a) get more information from people than they are willing to leave on a machine; and (b) provide important contacts with information that you have for them. The best situation is when you can afford a regular secretary or assistant to answer your telephone.
f. Professional product drawings. This is the artwork that you should have created by a professional graphic artist. This artwork will represent the product when you are doing dog-and-pony shows for investors, the media and end users. This same artwork is often used in product brochures and other advertisements.
g. Product prototype. You should strive to have some sort of product prototype available to show the public. A prototype is one of the most powerful tools available for convincing people that a product is viable. The use of mock-ups or other non-working display models is preferable to only having drawings available.
h. Letters of reference. These are letters from end users, potential end users, associates and contacts who have reviewed the invention. These letters should contain positive information about you, the product or the company. The information from these letters is used to help promote you or your product during all phases of development.
i. Press releases/articles. Press releases and articles that have been published about you, your invention or your company should be kept in a portfolio for promotional use during all levels of the product development. If the information is in the form of TV coverage, then a videotape portfolio should also be made. See the Press Release info in elsewhere in this section.
j. Industry or government statistics. Industry or government statistics often prove the case for your product. All verifiable statistics and studies which prove the case for an invention should be kept in a single source report for presentation to end users, media and investors. This information forms the backbone for marketing at all levels of your product's development.
