To truly motivate someone to do what you want them to do, begin by putting yourself in their shoes and figuring out what they want or need. If they can benefit from your product or service (assuming you commercialize it) then you already have something to offer. For example, free or discounted usage of your product or service for a limited period of time, access to data you collect in surveys, financial reimbursement for their time, etc. I have had a great deal of success with this approach and highly recommend it. And for those people warning you to be concerned about other people stealing your idea, don't listen to them. Ideas have no value; its the execution that gives them value. If you're really concerned, file a provisional patent application. But whatever you do, don't let this amateur concern delay your progress! Hope this helps. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. As always, I highly recommend using our framework to navigate the idea development process available through www.ideaessentials.com Thanks and best of luck!

We often view competitors as a bad thing, when in actuality, they can be very valuable assets. They are a source of business intelligence and much can be learned from their successes and failures (at their cost). Markets can be better understood as well as how to market to them by studying how your competitors reach them. Competition keeps us sharp and lean and combats complacency. Sometimes, we can even turn competitors into strategic partners... Consider these points and please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Daryl

I can't offer you studies, but after years of working with startups and entrepreneurs from around the world, we developed an online platform that provides the tools and resources to take any idea from concept and grow it into a profitable business. Its called Idea Essentials and can be found at www.ideaessentials.com It was developed exactly for people in your situation. I wish you the bets of luck.

Rather than try to raise the money to achieve your vision, instead start as small as you can, develop some traction with paying customers and then grow your business into what you envision. Not only will you have a greater chance of successfully raising money, you will also get better terms since you are de-risking the concept and investors expect to be compensated for taking risks. Not to mention that you will become VERY resourceful! For a step by step, easy to follow guide on exactly how to grow your concept into a profitable business, follow our step by step process at www.ideaessentials.com Thanks and I wish you the best!

Our platform at www.ideaessentials.com will guide you step by step through the entire idea development process from concept to commercialization. That is what it was designed for. I hope that helps. Best of luck to you.

Great question! You can go to the US Patent and Trademark search engine or Google Patents and do a search on the company name. This will pull up any filings assuming its under that company name. This is where its important to also obtain the names of other key figures who might have filed the intellectual property under their own names, rather than that of the company. Perform additional searches using these names as well. A good IP attorney or agent would be worth the money to pay to have them conduct the search. But keep in mind that functionality, like that of the Amazon "1-step" purchase button, gets a lot of attention, but there is little that you will see on the internet in terms of platforms that are novel. Hope that helps! Bets of luck to you.

The easiest place to start is with any competitors currently in the space you are interested in. If they are publicly traded, their financial statements are a treasure trove of information regarding the market. Even private companies reveal a lot when a Googled, although sometimes its a matter of putting together the puzzle pieces to see the big picture. Trade associations can also be very helpful. Sometimes these reports can be expensive, but most of the time they are free. Yet another option is to talk to the people you think would be customers. Learn everything you can to develop a better understanding of the demographic and let that specific criteria guide you. For step by step guidance and resources on identifying and articulating markets, check out our platform www.ideaessentials.com Thanks and best of luck to you.

An easy answer would be to pre-sell tickets so the amount raised covers your $40k requirement. In doing so, the attendees are acting as the investors. With that said, accepting money as an investment is a commitment that should be taken very seriously. Be sure that you can deliver on your promises. Bets of luck!