Links

The following links are offered as a starting point for more research by inventors.

Business Resources

SCORE, formerly known as The Service Corps of Retired Executives, is an organization devoted to aiding small business in developing and growing their businesses. SCORE offers free advice and help for inventors.
The Greater Knoxville Chapter of SCORE (SCORE-Knoxville) has a page of Tips for Inventors
Tennessee Small Business Development Centers is a Tennessee based organization that is partially funded by the SBA and the State of Tennessee. The TSBDC has offices in Oak Ridge and Knoxville, TN. The TSBDC has many on-line resources, including videos on Crafting A Business Plan, Understanding Intellectual Property such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks, and Finding and Attracting an Investor, among other topics.
Mississippi Small Business Development Centers is a Mississippi based organization that is partially funded by the SBA and the State of Mississippi. The MSBDC offers on-line resources, including videos, and has offices throughout Mississippi.
Entrepreneurs of Knoxville is a Knoxville, TN, organization of local businesspersons and entrepreneurs. They have weekly meetings and the group's focus is to have the members develop successful businesses.

Invention companies: The PTO has information on scam prevention. The PTO has an informative brochure available here on scam prevention. This brochure identifies questions an inventor can ask an invention company before sending them money. The PTO also publishes complaints regarding invention companies.
The US PTO has an article in the Inventors Eye on how to Protect Your Innovation: Avoid Scams
The Federal Trade Commission has a page here regarding invention promotion companies and scams. The FTC Search Results for Invention Promotion has several pages with consumer information.
Avoid Invention Promotion Scams

Technology 2020 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is a local incubator.
The Development Corporation of Knox County operates Fairview Technology Center, a business incubator facility
National Business Incubation Association (NBIA): www.nbia.org is an organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship.
The US Census Bureau offers a web site for County Business Patterns, which gives geographically-based business infromation valuable for market research.

Knox County Public Library provides valuable resources for researching information on invention development.
Inventors' Digest: www.inventorsdigest.com is a magazine aimed at providing information to inventors.
Everyday Edisons, a PBS show featuring real inventors and the steps taken to bring their products to market.
Enventys is a company founded by Louis Foreman, the executive producer of Everyday Edisons, publisher of Inventors Digest and the author of the book The Independent Inventors Handbook.
So You Have An Idea by the Franklin Pierce Law Center offers information regarding profiting from an invention or idea.
How to Finance Your Invention or Great Idea is a helpful book available from Jack Lander, an inventor mentor.

Third Dimension Models, Inc. of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 865-824-6754 from 8 to 4, 865-435-2169 after 6, provides prototyping services
APTUS DesignWorks Inc. in Maryville, TN, provides engineering and prototyping services

Music City Inventors of Middle Tennessee meets at Nashville State Community College
Inventors Club of KC (ICKC) has live streaming of their monthly meetings
Edison Inventor's Association of Fort Myers, Florida.
Inventors Society of South Florida in Delray Beach, Florida
Edison Nation is an Internet networking site for inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
United Inventors Association is dedicated to inventor education and support

United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO): www.uspto.gov includes much information useful for inventors.
European Patent Office (EPO): www.european-patent-office.org includes information on European patent protection.
Seeking Cost-Effective Patents by the Franklin Pierce Law Center offers information on deciding what to patent.
Google Patent Search easily search and view patents on the web (Google does not have the most recent patents)
Patent, Trademark & Copyright information from the National Paralegal College