My 91 Year Old Entrepreneur Grandfather…

[Posted by Jason Hatchett:]

My 91 Year Old Entrepreneur Grandfather has invented a little tool that clamps on to a chop saw or radial arm saw to Stop the material to make cuts. It sits on the fencing and slides up and down For different lengths of cuts. Most guys use a C-clamp and 4X4X2” piece of wood To do the same thing.

He goes around to construction sites and sells them to the workers and most see the value in it right away. He wanted me to put together a little website to sell them online but the nitch is so small I really don’t know how to market them. Could you give me some ideas? Check it out at
http://www.ChopSawStops.com

Thank You for any help,
Jason Hatchett

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[Posted by Ankesh:]

Can it be licensed?

See if you can get a patent pending application for it (less than $100).

Create a selling pitch for the product.

Cold call 8-10 construction companies. And go for a licensing deal.

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[Posted by Phil:]

There's Lotsa good threads on Inventions in the Sowpub Archives...

Here's just a few Quick picks...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=16652
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11062
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14490

Google out related web businesses and negotiate some joint ventures, newsletter advertising, contests, press releases and other marketing tactics just like with any other business...

Phil

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[Posted by Ravedesigns:]

Jason,

It's not everyday you see active 91 year olds making and selling neat products - I'm sure you could get some nice free press coverage if you contacted some local press and/or contractor related websites.

Like Ankesh mentioned I'd see about getting that patented as soon as you can though.

Steve

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[Posted by Pete Egeler:]

Jason,

Me thinks you under estimate your grandfather!

Google "chop saw" = 484,000 entries. Chop saw users = 108,000

Yahoo "chop saw" = 6,490,000. Chop Saw Users= 674,000

Chop saws are used in the building industry for sure. But, there are chop saws made for various materials. Wood, Steel, etc.

I'd do as the others suggest and at least pop for $100 to get the "Patent Pending" bit covered.

Then, submit to: Black & Decker, DeWalt, Ryobi, Makita, Hitachi (I think you get the picture.) DeWalt "claims" to be the largest builders of Chop Saws in the world.

Pete

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Hi Jason,
That's a cool product your grandfather invented. I just wanted to let you know that the heading over the second video on your homepage spells the word "action" as "cation". Good luck with the invention!

Joe

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[Posted by Garth:]

What a great story thanks for letting us in on your family achievements.


Patents cost a lot of money and time then if you don't make even more time to market it it's wasted money.

No.

Get your story out about your granddad's great invention then anyone that trys to swipe his idea could be easily characterized as committing "Elderly Abuse"

No one wants that hanging over their head. You'll the money that's due to your granddad.


So in a sense with publicity you are getting a Patent plus it'll be a lot cheaper.

Here's a side note about aging:

I was reading up on some medical research that showed that 2/3 of autopsys of older folks that had passed away showed signs of dementia yet these people's mental capacity were excellent just before they died.

This odd thing got them curious about aging.

After alot of research they found that extreme cognitive endeavors especially new ones was statistically relevant.

Anyway long winded way of saying your dad is likely to have many more years of "healthy longevity" because of his intellectual persuits and we'll get hear about even more of his great inventions.

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[Posted by Jason Hatchett:]

Yes, my grandpa is quite amazing. When he was a kid he had a slingshot around his neck and his brother pulled on it and let go and knocked his front teeth out. Then he and his brother were chopping fire wood and his brother chopped off the tips of his two middle fingers. He also has been in a train crash and a car crash on the same day. Been struck by lighting. Had a muzzleloader gun explode in his face (he still has black powder embedded in his nose). Had an air compressor explode in his garage just when he went into the house. It blew a cinder block wall over a foot. His house caught fire and he put it out his self because the fire dept. didn’t make it there for 3 hours and the station is less that 4 blocks away from his house (He’s also a ex-volunteer fireman) and oh ya, he fell off the back of a fire engine and broke his back. That’s all I can think of right now but I’m sure there’s more. If he survived all that, old age don’t stand a chance.

Anyway, where do we go to get the patent pending application? I think we’ll get that first just for protection. I think a press release would be a great idea. He’ll put money into it, he really believes in this, he’s made over 700 of them. You should see the pile of them in his garage.

Thank You for all your help. I’m getting him a new computer and I’ll show him this forum. His wisdom is astonishing.

Jason Hatchett

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[Posted by Bill:]

"A provisional application for patent is a U. S. national application for patent filed in the USPTO under 35 U.S.C. § 111(b). It allows filing without a formal patent claim, oath or declaration, or any information disclosure (prior art) statement. It provides the means to establish an early effective filing date in a later-filed non-provisional patent application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a). It also allows the term "Patent Pending" to be applied in connection with the description of the invention."

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/provapp.htm

fees: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/...eptember30.htm

Bill

Yes, my grandpa is quite amazing. When he was a kid he had a slingshot around his neck and his brother pulled on it and let go and knocked his front teeth out. Then he and his brother were chopping fire wood and his brother chopped off the tips of his two middle fingers. He also has been in a train crash and a car crash on the same day. Been struck by lighting. Had a muzzleloader gun explode in his face (he still has black powder embedded in his nose). Had an air compressor explode in his garage just when he went into the house. It blew a cinder block wall over a foot. His house caught fire and he put it out his self because the fire dept. didn’t make it there for 3 hours and the station is less that 4 blocks away from his house (He’s also a ex-volunteer fireman) and oh ya, he fell off the back of a fire engine and broke his back. That’s all I can think of right now but I’m sure there’s more. If he survived all that, old age don’t stand a chance.

Anyway, where do we go to get the patent pending application? I think we’ll get that first just for protection. I think a press release would be a great idea. He’ll put money into it, he really believes in this, he’s made over 700 of them. You should see the pile of them in his garage.

Thank You for all your help. I’m getting him a new computer and I’ll show him this forum. His wisdom is astonishing.

Jason Hatchett

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Dear Jason,

Thanks.

Lots of good advice.

Here's some Quick Cash Suggestions...

#1 - Take it to a few Shop Teachers at local jr and sr high schools. You can sell one to every Shop Teacher you meet. They are Worried about keeping the kids SAFE. Write down and video their Testimonials.

Put up a 2nd site JUST for Shop Teachers.

#2 - Get a Copy of the Shop Teacher Trade Association Journal.

A - Test a small ad
B - Call up - tell the editor the 91 yr old inventor story
C - Write up the full page article he requests from you (They NEED your story cuz they have no munny to hire reporters)
D - He may gift you the ad - No Charge. Be sure to ASK.

E - Whatever happens - GET Reprint Rights. So you can send this article out to local papers. And in any direct mail letter. It Credentials you & your product.

F - You might even slip this under windshields parked in front of Home Depot. (no risk, no cost, guaranteed sales. I've done it.)

#3 - Last and VERY IMPORTANT...

RAISE the price. 40.00 is TOO CHEAP.

You can't change the price later. It'll be LOCKED in.

Test 69.95 - 79.95 and 99.00
(Maybe a kit of 3 rail sizes with a How-To-booklet for 139.00)

A - The REASON WHY you raise the price is so you can Afford to PAY others for their Help. Joint VEnture sales.

Make up some Flyers. (I'd simply Give Out the Trade Mag article)

Show the chop Saw STOP gizmo to the guys who work in the machine tools section of Home Depot and other local Do it yourself Repair stores...

Offer them 20.00 per referral sale for sending do-it-yourselfers with chop saws to you.

Notice - you STILL make the 40.00 bucks profit.

Happy Holidays,
Glenn Osborn

P.S. - I learned to do this from a mentor. Judy Kendall - Mother of the FuzzBuster Radar Detector. She took Co #1 - from 50K to 31 million in 19 months.

Then set up a 2nd Co - Based on a Radar Detector inventor working from his garage. Much smaller detector.

Sold 25 million dollars worth for him.

ALWAYS test your prices. ADD Value - Make sure you have room to Pay Joint Venture partners. And for distribution layers.

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