[no_wuckin_ferries_mate]

I have developed several concepts or technologies that seem to be worth following. Working models on my kitchen table.

Now I need to make it a bit bigger. As usual money is the problem. Any inventors here that could give me some useful tips?

It is about some new methods for wind, wave and ocean currents.

Thanks
NWFM

[pup55]

There are several ways....

First of all, go to your local community college, if there is such a thing where you are. You might be able to work with a friendly prof or staff person who can hook you up with local resources to have bigger prototypes built and scale up experiments run. They might also be able to help you with publicity to attract investors. A lot of the professors in some of these engineering schools have side jobs that include working with industry to do just this sort of thing.

Secondly, in some areas, there are "business incubators", which are little places, usually old warehouses that are taken over by the local government, or college sometimes, that have facilities for people just like you who are trying to develop products to bring to market. They can also help you work on a business plan, if you need that kind of help to make it even bigger.

Thirdly, there is always the option of taking it to a local company that is in the same business that you are in, or an upstream supplier; If you are generating power by wave action, maybe the power generating people will not give you time time of day but you might be able to work with someone who makes turbines, or switching equipment, or other upstream equipment that supplies the power generating industry and work with them.

Fourthly, there are probably such a thing as trade shows for this industry, alternate energy, you might be able to get a day pass the next time there is one in your area, and walk around and meet people that you can potentially work with.

Of course, the more people you work with, the more likely they are to steal your idea and cash in, and that is the tradeoff. The benefit of course is that people have been working in this area for awhile and might be able to tell you where all of the problems are to your approach.

What you will find, shockingly (well, not really) is that some of the technical people in these older industries believe that the ultimate technology in that industry has already been invented (sometimes by them) and you will have a hard time getting people to take you seriously, especially if you do not have credentials in this field. I actually do have credentials in the field I am in, and it is still hard to get some of these dinosaurs to pay attention to you when you invent something that is a little bit out of the box. Someone with no reputation or credentials entering an established industry is difficult. It's hard to get people to accept new ideas from an outsider, especially if money is involved.

Fifthly, you can put an ad in the paper and attract some angel investors. The problem with them, of course, is that they turn into devil investors if you take too long to scale your project up.

This invention business is difficult, especially if you need to eat occasionally. It doesn't mean it's not do-able though.

[no_wuckin_ferries_mate]

Hi pup55,

thanks very much for your elaborate consultation.

I will check for your points 1 to 4. I am near Sydney, and it should not be too difficult to find what you suggested.

On a side note, I have been to some open day events and was a bit discouraged because they took people for tours to show the amazing and unbelievable PV on roofs and so, while I originally come from Europe where you see that on every fourth house roof, and it is really nothing to write home about any more

Anyway I will get in contact. The problem somebody stealing the idea is always there, however I do not have the funds to go for a patent. But I think it is important, and I have some time at hand right now so I feel like pushing it a bit now.

Never heard about angel investors. I will check that.

Thanks again for your encouraging words.

NWFM

[SeaGypsy]

Peter Pedals at Rainbow Power Company in (don't laugh!) Nimbin, is worth a call if you have something workable or heading that way. He has been in the game over 30 years, working on all kinds of gadgets to do with energy at the micro and mini level and has a lot of contacts. His specialty has been using large flywheels to store energy from micro power systems, then geared release/ clutch mechanisms for driving power tools. There's not much he doesn't know about what's happening in the field. He is very community self sufficiency oriented. He makes a profit selling solar gear and mini hydro then puts the money into more experimental ideas.
I have known Peter for of\ver 20 years and never heard a bad word about him, he can be trusted.

[no_wuckin_ferries_mate]

Thanks Gypsy, will get in contact.
Never been to Nimbin, might be about time

[SeaGypsy]

http://www.rpc.com.au/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-AJF_UdXt8

Pretty cool hippies!