Hey everyone! As you know, my real specialty with inventors is teaching them how to prepare their products for retail. However, I have done some great licensing deals and have been a part of many more. I teamed up with my buddy Roger Brown who is a true licensing pro and we sat down and talked about the need to teach people the real “down and dirty” details of what it takes to really get a product licensed to a big company. After we chatted, we decided to simply sit down and talk about it….and then record it. Real fly on the wall kinda stuff! So, I hope you will check out our new 3 CD product offering that teaches you licensing basics and what you need to know to get on the right path to getting your product idea sold. I hope you enjoy it…some of the best 40 bucks you may ever spend!

Want to learn how to license your product to companies for just 40 bucks? Jim DeBetta and Roger Brown will teach you! Here’s how! http://www.jimdebetta.com/looking-2-license

People will tell you that you should always look to do what you love and the money will follow….but is that really true?

For the lucky few, doing what you really enjoy and making that into a successful business is something to really appreciate. Often, I work with inventors who are not happy in their current career and want so badly to make their invention into a million dollar business. So why do so many fail? They are clouded by the ultimate dream of making money and are not dialed into the amount of effort and time it takes to get there….if they get there at all.

Sometimes, it is OK to do what you “like” until you get to what you “love” as long as you are able to enjoy pursuing your dream safely. Taking the correct steps to starting a business takes knowledge and patience. It involves working with others who have been there and hearing from those who have succeeded and failed to learn what happened and how you can avoid financial ruin. It is exciting to think about running your own business and not having to answer to anyone but your customer, but like having children, the job of being responsible for growing your business and maintaining it is a 24/7 endeavor filled with ups and downs (hopefully many more ups!) and enjoying the small successes and happy moments along the way. The rewards can be many….but they start and end with you!

As most everyone I know in my life already knows, I have been working very closely with Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank. Me connecting with Kevin has certainly been a wave of exciting times and introductions to the world of infomercials that most people never get to see from the inside. It truly has been overwhelming! With that though comes a lack of attention to other endeavors and to certain people I work with and know personally. I used to always say that if I had an opportunity to advance myself and my career I would always look to take the leap, but I was not prepared for the amount of commitment I would have to make to “keep up” with Kevin and his never ending stream of business opportunities and the vast amount of inventors and celebrities alike who send in their product ideas all while looking to get on TV with an infomercial or gain entry into major retail stores. Kevin is a true rainmaker….

So, what do you do when an opportunity presents itself? First, think about how your life may change and if you want those changes to occur. Secondly, think about the people you work with and know and how your relationships may be affected – positively and negatively. Lastly, do you want to make a change and even accept the opportunity? For me, this has been a great experience and as I go through each day I am finding ways to handle both this new challenge and find balance among my friends, my family, and people I have worked with and trusted over the years….

Are infomercials right for you and your product?

May 10, 2010

Having been working closely with Kevin Harrington of Shark Tank over the past few months, I have learned from the inside what goes on in the world of infomercials and how the business functions – and how people make AND lose money! Some eye openers for me…..how much money it takes to script, edit, [...]

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What I am learning from working with Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank

April 16, 2010

For those of you that do not know Kevin Harrington, he is currently one of the stars of the ABC show Shark Tank. If you are an inventor or aspiring entrepreneur you likely have tuned in. Before the show, Kevin was already THE leader in the infomercial business and was the guy that [...]

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What does raising money and selling to retailers have in common?

March 30, 2010

Raising money has always been a burden for anyone looking to embark on a new business venture….and inventors are no exception. After talking to thousands of inventors, it is clear that raising money is the most difficult task followed by selling their products to major retailers. So, what do these two often dreaded [...]

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How to handle the naysayers!

March 25, 2010

One of the most frustrating things in life is when you work hard at something, believe in it, and do all you can to make it successful and someone comes along and tries to knock you down. Now, I myself have always been very comfortable with whatever I do in life and always do [...]

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How long does it really take to develop your invention idea?

March 19, 2010

How Long Does It Really Take To Develop Your Ideas?
When people first approach me, they usually have a great idea in mind but have not done much more than a basic patent search or created some rough drawings of their product idea. That is a great start indeed and most people who think of [...]

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Inventors – how much have you spent and how long has your journey been?

March 12, 2010

Ok…been thinking about how much inventors spend on getting their product ideas developed and how long it takes them to go from A to Z – from idea on a napkin to having a product that they can actually sell on line or to retailers.
I can tell you that from the thousands of inventors [...]

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Choosing happiness is the key to business success!

March 10, 2010

Have you ever watched Joel Olsteen? He is what I call a “religious lite” speaker and he talks all over the country and spreads words of encouragement and hope to millions of people. His books are NY Times best sellers and he fills stadiums to the brim everywhere he goes. There is [...]

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Hey inventors! The hot products for 2010 are…..

March 8, 2010

Hot Products for 2009…same as 2010?
Here is an article I wrote for Inventors Digest a year ago….funny how some things have not changed! These product categories are still hot…just add in multi-use products like 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 products…think Iphones….enjoy!
Categories for 2009 that hold strong interest for consumers/retailers
With tough economic times [...]

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