Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!: Make Your Million-Dollar Idea into a Reality
Greiner’s obsession with an idea for an earring organizer launched her into a long career as inventor and entrepreneur. With no background or education in business and none of the advantages of the Internet age, she now has more than 400 inventions to her credit, 15 years on QVC’s Clever & Unique Creations, and her notoriety as the “warm-blood shark” on Shark Tank. Greiner has much to share with aspiring inventors. From her own early efforts, both failures and successes, she shares what she’s learned along the way from concept to market shelf, including designing, patenting, manufacturing, pricing, and marketing. Greiner includes step-by-step instructions and checklists to identify the basic elements—usefulness, uniqueness, safety, well-priced, desirable, and easily demonstrated—of promising inventions. She includes advice on how to use social media and online surveys to do market research and the pros and cons of getting financing through friends, family, banks, crowd funding, or venture capitalists. Most fascinating are her behind-the-scenes looks at QVC and Shark Tank as she recalls the ups and downs of pitching ideas. --Vanessa Bush