TALKING ELECTRONICS
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Discussion-13
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HOW TO LEARN ELECTRONICS
This concept is NEW.
It's how to learn electronics, or any other subject.
If you want to gain knowledge for a career or for any other purpose, the only way is to have INCENTIVE.
And what better incentive than MONEY!
But the first thing you will ask is: "What area should I study?"
Most subjects are enormous in content and it would be virtually impossible to study anything in its totality. The only solution is to concentrate on a small area.
If you need to solve a problem outside this area, you can seek advice.
But the question still remains: What should you study and what topic should you concentrate on?

Let's answer this in an unusual way.
Let's take it from the reverse stand-point.

Do you want to be free from the boring "day-to-day" work?

Of course you do.

The only way to get out of the drudgery of working from 9-5 is to run your own business or invent something.

I'm not talking about an internet business, where "you rip off the other guy" or an insurance scam or viagra scam or any other scam. There are plenty of these around. In fact nearly every "business venture" is a scam and everything you find on the internet is a SCAM. I have looked into 120 internet "businesses" and they are all phony. Some sites "appear" to be genuine but every product can be purchased in a retail store at a lower cost and most are selling information on how to "do what I am doing." They are selling "hot air." There is no law to prevent this.
Any of the products on the internet are absolute junk. Like the magnet attached to the fuel-line of your car to get 27% improvement in mileage. It's rubbish!
One company offered cheap health insurance. It folded.  20,000 people got ripped off. One woman had to pay $100,000 for cancer treatment.
Don't let internet hype influence you. It's all a DREAM. No-one is making any honest money. 95% of people are losing money each week - going into bogus schemes. The others are selling "packages" on how to rip off the other guy.  The internet is self-imploding. There is only a limited number of new visitors to the internet and everyone is pouncing on their naivety.
I'm not talking about using the internet for fraud. I'm talking about a genuine business you can operate and pass on to your children.  A business that starts with an idea - an invention.
Elsewhere I have talked about starting your own business in the service industry, this time I want to cover inventing.

Thousands of things are being invented every day and appearing on the market. Someone is behind them.
It's just a mater of making sure that someone is YOU.

Now we come to: "what to study."
Obviously you need to study something that will advance your invention.
Once you have an idea, work out what how much you know to get it operational and decide if you need to take a course or study in your own time through books magazines and library research. 
It does not matter if your idea is in electronics, plastics, recycling, perfumes, detergents, gardening aids or invalid aids, there are openings everywhere.
Once you have a concept, GO FOR IT.

This is exactly what I did and made a success in three different areas: Education, Publishing and Electronic Kits.
What is the secret behind the success?
It's producing something and selling it cheaper than anyone can do it themselves. When it comes to books and magazines, it's selling a book cheaper than anyone can photocopy the pages. It's selling kits cheaper than anyone can purchase the individual components. Buyers are not stupid. They can tell instantly if a product is "value-for-money."
That's why we have sold over 750,000 books and over 300,000 kits. Selling something for the lowest price is simple economics. You are guaranteed to sell large quantities. Even if you only make $1 per item, you will not finish up with a garage full of unsalable merchandise.
Many products fail, simply because they were too expensive. You need to asses your market carefully and price your item according to its demand.
Many importers make a fortune with mark-ups as low as 15% as turn-over is less than 30 days and this represents 180% per year!  Everyone goes for the big dollar.  Big mistake!
There is more money in long-term "low-price" turnover than a quick buck.
I can name hundreds of items that died due to over-pricing.
Simply re-introducing them will make you a fortune.
But this is getting off the point.
The theme of this article is to introduce something new to the market, that you have designed and/or produced. In this way you can enjoy a long life of continuing sales.

With a little effort, it's amazing what you can achieve.
Once you see an end-product, getting there is just a matter of dedication.
So, the first thing to do is look around and see what needs to be invented or improved.
If you can see a need for something, others will possibly need it too.
Many small businesses started with an idea. The "hills Hoist" clothes-line, the Victa lawn-mower, the paper clip, the "Super Soaker"  - to name a few.
You can start small and as sales pick up, other things can be added to your inventory.

I can name many things that need inventing and they will make the designer a fortune.
A heating system that only heats a room when a person is detected in the room.
An automatic outdoor furnace that only adds a log of wood when needed.
A solar hot water heater with a concentrator to raise the water temperature to almost boiling-point. This water is then pumped around the house via a hydronic heater.
A wind turbine to compress coolant to heat water. This water is then stored and pumped around the house. You can get hot water and chilled water via this method.
There is also a need for better quality tinned food, such as a log or loaf containing vegetables with sausages, that can be cut into slices and served on a plate.
Tins of say chicken wings in a cheese sauce.
An electronic ticket that is topped-up at the local shop and sits on the dash-board when parking. This will save putting money in a meter and avoid a parking ticket!
An integrated alcohol detector. You need to blow into the detector to start the car.
A bar-code on the road to be detected by a car and slows the vehicle automatically - near schools, dangerous curves etc.
Producing a Science/Electronics magazine with a kit of components on the front cover. It could include features such as Meccano parts, a model Stirling Engine, electronic kits and  pieces of equipment for science experiments such as soap-making, crystal-growing, brine shrimps etc.


PATENTING
Many people will advise you to protect your invention with a patent or "registered design."
These will be "Patent Attorneys" or some other "vulture" wanting to divest you of your money.
Patents protect you from almost nothing. They merely give your opposition a "head-start" to copying your idea.
Many underground companies subscribe to a service that advises them of new patents.
These are scrutinized by the unscrupulous manufacturers and if found to be viable, they will devise a means to get around the patent.
Suppose your invention was copied.
How are you going to sue the manufacturer?
How are you going to find the manufacturer?
All your money, time and effort will go into trying to organise a court case and this will take you away from the getting the product marketed.
The solution is to bring it out at a reasonable price and get a head-start on the opposition.
Once you get it into stores, they will not stock two of the same item and your problem will be solved.
On the other hand, you may find the opposition improves the design and you can copy their product!
When writing a book, you have a natural copyright on its content.  If you produce instructions for your product with diagrams, photos etc, you have a natural copyright and if you keep your prototypes and a journal, you can prove in court the invention was yours. You simply sue for loss of income. The change of getting any settlement from a case like this is about 1%. I have never yet heard of a winner.

KEEPING QUIET
It all depends on the nature of your invention. If the concept can be easily copied, keep it to yourself until it is launched.
If you need feedback and ideas, you will have to talk to others.
Remember: No-one is going to keep quiet - even with a confidentiality agreement.
Make sure you know who you are talking to and keep the critical features secret.
Everyone is out to "make out of you."  They are all smarter than you.
Sometimes you have to be satisfied with a small return rather than 100% of nothing.
Don't think: "this will be my $1 million invention."  Use it as a "stepping-stone" to more ideas and be satisfied with royalties as low as a few percent.
If someone offers you high returns, it will be a trick. No-one can offer more than 15% on any invention as the pie has to be cut into so many pieces, such as manufacture, marketing, wholesaling, wastage etc that only a few percent remain for the inventor.
Everyone thinks their invention will make them rich. This is a DREAM!
Think along the lines of 10 inventions before giving up your day-job.
It's the same with rental properties. You need at least 5 properties (fully owned) before you can sit back and retire.
Keep a level head and work on your idea.
As I said, some of the best things to introduce are items that have "gone off the market."
A new generation is constantly entering all markets and the product will be new to them.
Even the possibility of taking over "discontinued lines" has its rewards as many people want to buy another of the same item after it has worn out.
These are small niche markets that some importers specialise in.
These markets are already developed. The retail outlets know the product and only have to "re-order."
The more you delve into the subject, the more ideas you will come up with.
The market is limitless. 

Good luck Colin Mitchell