How $40 in laundry helped me start a product invention business

Gadgets are always cool. Who hasn't played with a gadget that has made their life easier in some way or shape? I'm talking about one of those simple gadgets or tools everyone knows about and that you never thought something like that could even exist as an idea in someone's head.

A gadget is probably one of the most magical things that exists, because there are so many things they can help you with.

How your laundry can help you get rich

Laundry is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. And if you're looking for an easy way to make money, this is it! Now, I'm not talking about the kind of money that will allow you to retire early or buy a house in Hawaii. What I'm talking about is how your laundry can help you get rich.

If you're like most people, you probably have at least one hobby that costs money — whether it's golfing or fishing or playing fantasy football. And if you're like most people, you probably spend more money on that hobby than you do on your kids' college education! So why not use your laundry dollars to fund your passion? Here's how: Buy gadgets and other things related to your hobby from Amazon and other online stores.

When you buy these items using Amazon Prime Pantry (or another delivery service), they'll be delivered right to your door at no extra cost! You can also buy used items from sites like eBay and Craigslist and resell them on Amazon for a profit (but don't forget about sales tax).

Sell your used gadgets for cash.

How to start inventing products that people want

I'm not the kind of guy who likes to spend a lot of time cleaning. I'd rather be doing other things. So when I came up with an idea for a laundry gadget, it was because I wanted something that would make my life easier. I started with a simple question: What's the biggest problem in laundry? It turns out that most people don't have any problems.

They just do their laundry and get on with their lives. But there are some people who struggle with certain aspects of their laundry routine — like how to fold clothes or what to do with wrinkled shirts — and those people can benefit from new innovations that make their lives easier.

So I started brainstorming ideas for products that would help people overcome these problems.

How to design a product that will sell

It's easy to get lost in the day-to-day tasks of running a business, especially when you're just starting out. The biggest mistake I've made is not focusing on the big picture sooner. I was lucky enough to have a friend who had been through this before and knew exactly what I needed to do.

She pointed me in the right direction and helped me understand how to design a product that would sell. I learned that my idea was too complicated for most people. So, instead of spending time making my prototype work better, I took her advice and simplified it until it worked perfectly.

The first step was making sure that I had the right materials for my prototype — something cheap but durable enough to test out my idea on real people. I found some nice vinyl at a craft store and bought some Velcro strips so that I could easily put it together and take it apart again if needed.

Then I started playing around with different ways I could attach my device onto clothing with Velcro tape. It wasn't pretty, but it worked!

The secret to starting a product invention business

I had a problem. I was a product designer, but I couldn’t come up with any new ideas. I was working on an idea for a product that would make it easier for people to do laundry. It wasn’t working. I just couldn’t think of anything new. My idea was too similar to other products already on the market.

Then one day, my wife asked me to help her with some laundry while she cooked dinner. We were both busy, so she asked me to fold a few things while she prepared dinner. She handed me a pair of pants that had been sitting in the dryer for days because they were too big for our son’s current size and there wasn’t time before he outgrew them anyway.

So there I was folding these pants that I knew would never fit my son again — not only because they were too big but also because we had already bought him new clothes that he could wear instead of these old ones from his childhood.

In Brief...

Most people I know always say that they "want to" be an inventor but never actually get around to doing anything about it. I'm going to repeat something I said above, which is that invention and design aren't brain surgery or rocket science; it's just a series of simple steps.

You wouldn't believe how easy this can be - without any previous experience, I was able to get my first patent in my very first year. So take some inspiration from my story, and get started!