Can you imagine how great it would be to know what one question you should ask before you get started on something you’ve never done before? The answer would tell you whether a person or company is legitimate so you can trust them with your idea.

In the inventing and new product development business that one question is: “Where can I go to BUY the new product ideas that you worked on for your clients?”

If their clients’ ideas are not in the stores, politely thank them and move on. Do not, I repeat, do not listen to any other answer.

This may not be a typical blog topic, but I thought it was time to address it. We have more and more customers who lost outrageous amounts of money from all the bad advice they got from invention promotion companies, fast-talking patent attorneys and others, before they found us. It’s becoming increasingly frustrating.

People who are doing this for the first time need a complete solution from someone with experience in all areas of product development. We research, design, engineer, build the product sample and negotiate the license and patent with the corporation. On some of the packages in the stores you’ll even see my cursive “D” on the back.

If anyone says it can’t be done all under one roof, it’s because they want to sell you on whatever limited service they offer. These invention marketing companies do not design, engineer or build anything. They will just talk, talk, talk you into thinking that you will get royalties for an undeveloped idea or undeveloped patent. Wrong!

These invention marketers tell people all they need to do is dream up an idea or make a website of an idea and that some major corporation will pay them royalties for it. They pretend they made a prototype and call it a virtual prototype.

Even if invention companies have pretty literature, glorious testimonials, lots of paper patents or even a fake product package, tell them you want to go see some of their clients’ products on the store shelves; better yet, three or four client products in different stores. In reality, all they build is ink on paper or pixels on an electronic screen.

Go to the stores and find out who is for real, before you trust them with your idea or your hard-earned money. In my case, you can find my clients’ products in stores all across the country – or, to save gasoline, just visit Davison.com’s Product Section. 

TV, video games, computers, cell phones, iPods, text messaging - children nowadays are so obsessed with these activities that they’re forgetting how to be creative. And why should they be, when all their entertainment is provided for them at the touch of a button?

Well, it shouldn’t be that way. There are many things you can do to help your children become more creative and less reliant on electronic devices for their enjoyment.

One easy way to foster creativity in youngsters is to create a space in the home where they are encouraged to explore their imaginations and develop their talents. When given the proper tools in a relaxed, gadget-free atmosphere, children will do what comes naturally - create!
Here are some simple steps to achieve that goal:

1. Remove all electronic distractions - anything that runs on batteries or electricity - pull the plug, turn it off and put it out of sight. Your kids might experience some withdrawal symptoms at first (such as whining), but don’t worry, this will pass.
2. Set up a brainstorming table or area of your home. Dedicate the space to creativity and one-on-one interaction with your child. Invest some of your time, turn off your cell phone, and find out what interests them. You’ll be surprised at what they’ll create and how well they will respond when you are involved.
3. Get supplies - pencils, crayons, markers, paper, paints, clay, glitter - anything children might want to use to create something. Also have drinks and snacks ready, so their attention will not be drawn away when they get hungry or thirsty.
4. Spend time with your kids and encourage them to tell stories through their art. One way to do this with young children is to have them draw pictures of things going on in their family; something as basic as Mommy or Daddy holding their hand is a simple place to start.
5. Teach them how to creatively display photographs and memorabilia in a scrapbook around a particular event or theme. Creating a pictorial story, and what is sure to become a family treasure, will instill them with the confidence to attempt other creative pursuits.

Those are just a few tips to get started. They may sound simple, but they work; I’ve tried it with my own kids. Creative children are not only happier children, they’re more active learners who likely will grow up to be happier and more productive adults.

So, don’t just sit there, get crafty with your kids and you will have a relationship with them that has real depth - while their creativity soars.

It’s a challenging question - How do you know when all the people in your organization are really working in unison to move it forward? An analogy I like to use is a team engaged in a game of tug and war. They all need to be tugging at the same time, with equal effort.

Say you have 20 people on either end of a long rope, facing off and pulling hard. The ribbon tied in the middle moves a little in one direction, then the other. It appears as if everyone on your team is tugging with all their might. But a closer look reveals a common scenario.

One person has a really hard grip on the rope, but their posture is all wrong - they’re standing up straight, not leaning backwards or bracing with their legs, so they’re not ready to withstand a strong tug from the other side. Their heart and mind is in the right place, but the experience isn’t there.

Another member of the team has the right body posture and makes it look like they’re tugging hard, but their hands are barely touching the rope. For whatever reason, they don’t want to put in the effort.

Then, there is a person who has the correct posture and body alignment, a tight grip and is pulling hard on the rope. They’re giving it all they’ve got, but they’re at a disadvantage because they have to compensate for the others who are not.

Every once in awhile, an even bigger impediment comes along - someone comes up to the line, sees everyone tugging and sends a message like: “Hey, why are you tugging? It’s 5:01 p.m.!”

While the team may have had a lot of dysfunction, at least they were going in the right direction and the rope was moving…As soon as that bad apple arrives and makes them question the mission, the members are disrupted and lose momentum. They wonder if it’s time to give up.

Now, there’s a very uncomfortable, odd feeling that occurs between the bad apple and the team getting the work done. There’s going to be a clash of emotions. At that moment, the outcome is decided - either the team presses on to win, or the bad apple wins and the mission collapses.

When you get momentum going in the right direction, you need to recognize bad apples when they appear, because once you stop, it’s too hard to get the momentum going again, whether it be for a new invention, a new company or a game of tug of war.

Some bad apples may have had poor training or poor parenting. Some may be inexperienced. It’s a difficult mission to manage bad apples and remove the dysfunction, but it’s crucial because we all have to work harder to make up for their lack of effort and disruption. We’re always on a mission to get the dysfunction out.

It’s a big challenge - trying to get everyone’s mind and spirit moving toward a common goal, a shared mission. As adults, sometimes we need to draw on those childhood games, like tug of war, that were invented to teach us how to think right and get things done.

The lesson is simple - for a team to win, everyone has to put all their energy, experience and effort in and work together to accomplish the goal.