Some people have said to me, "I don't have any good ideas," or asked me "How do I come up with invention ideas?"

For anyone who has uttered anything resembling those statements, you'll be happy to know, coming up with ideas is easier than you think. If you follow the 4 step process below, you'll be on your way to becoming an inventor.

• Step One - Instead of going through your day, doing your normal routine, slow down. Easy enough, right?
  
• Second Step - Now that you see your daily activities passing by you, start to take notice of frustrating or inefficient situations. Ask yourself "is there an easier or better way to do this?" Then think about how you might make the situation easier. A new product? A new service? Inventions make our lives easier, and this is the core of the invention process. Unfortunately, this is as far as many creative ideas get. The third step is as crucial as the first two.
  
• Third Step - Now that you have this great idea, don't let your ingenuity go to waste . . . document your idea. Keep a running tab of your ideas. Use a notebook, post-it, back of a receipt, an email to yourself, whatever works to help you write down the idea. Personally, I write ideas down in my palm pilot.
  
• Fourth Step - Do something with your idea! Once you've done your background research and seen that your idea is unique, take action. Of course I'll say submit it to IdeaTango.com, but there are plenty of options you have. Talk to a patent attorney, write your own provisional patent, talk to manufacturers, etc. Leave your mark on the world, take action.

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