inventors showcase magazine

June 2012

CONTENTS

Dr Paul Thomas - Many will remember the nervous

student that entered Dragonsrsquo Den in season 1 looking

for money to buy land and grow BLACK TRUFFLES

HOW HAS HE PROGRESSED Pages 6 - 9

Do Fairies exist If you believe you can overcome anythingIncluding the Wicked Witch of Recession See How Sarah Blinman did it Pages 10-11

Does he need any introduction The man we all aspire to emulate

STEVE JOBS Pages 12- 13

About Inventors Showcase - 5

How you can become anything you wantBy award win-ning entrepreneur Richard McMunn Pages 16- 17

Successful Inventions of the Past

Microwave Oven - Page 18 Rubikrsquos Cube - Page 28

Velcro - Page 35 Scrabble - Page 38

Inventions on the verge of success

Pebble Watch - Page 14 Anyway Spray - Page 19

DermXtract - Page 23 Smart Mat - Page 26-27

Reestore revolutionary design - Page 29 Sci-Tie the cable tie with a twist - Page 30

Horse Face Veils - Page 49

The Dragons arenrsquot always right

Some of their lsquorejectsrsquo

That made it big Page 24

Up and coming Entrepreneurs

Matt Gubba - Page 25 e247 Shops - Pages 20-22

Meals in Fields - Pages 32-34

Review of 40th Geneva Inventors expo

Pages - 50-51

How Playground Chats Created A lsquoMumpreneurrsquo Kiddiebikes - Page 31

Why Franchise Page 39

A selection of franchises Business Doctors - Page 40

Hens Dancing - Page 41 Handyman - Pages 42-43

Ticketcomm - Page 44 Your Own Store - Page 45

Razzamataz - Pages 46-47 Health and Safety Check - Page 48

Letters from readers - Page 52

Classified Ads - Page 53

I am not an Inventor but I have a theory

Irsquove never seen my theory as the subject of an official study never the findings of a University research programme or even the widely held belief of government officialsBut I believe it to be true anyway

I can trace it back to my early memories way back in time to when I was a young child When my paternal Grandfather used to pick me up in his 3 wheeled Bubble Car (the finest German engineering of the day) and take me back to his home Where my Grandmother would have prepared a royal spread of the finest best red salmon and cucumber triangular shaped sandwiches with the crusts cut off with jelly and ice-cream and the obligatory slices of bread and butter for afters

Not being particularly partial to this lsquoposhrsquo spread my Grandfather would disappear into his garden shed and await the call when I needed chauffeuring back home

Irrespective of the fact this was my big opportunity to sit and watch a television for an hour or two the lure of the garden shed and to see what went on within was too great and much to my Grandfatherrsquos frustration I would have to follow him

The inner sanctum was an Aladdinrsquos cave of tools and gadgets The walls were festooned with screwdrivers hammers g-clamps spanners and files of every imaginable size Whilst on his work-bench was an incandescent light bulb fixed to a huge magnifying glass with chips all around itrsquos rim clamped to a stand that later in life I recognised as the type to be found in a school chemistry laboratory

Piled on the bench were small drawer units full of watch parts little cogs valves transistors coils wires of various colours and to my amusement some things called lsquoCatrsquos Whiskersrsquo on which he could listen to Billy Cottonrsquos Band Show Around the Horne and The Navy Lark amazing

Of course I couldnrsquot touch or even go too close I could smell the heat from the soldering iron sat in its cradle and see the flux trickling down onto the bench making the ancient greasy stain ever bigger

But there at the end of the bench was the star object a cross between a large mantle clock and a small steam engine and if I stood quietly for ten minutes or thatrsquos what my Granddad said I could hear the slow tick suddenly turn to a bubbling then hissing sound which eventually turned to a rumble and a spurt of water from one side of the machine to the other With a deft flick of a little brass tap a big white mug started filling with a steaming brown liquid My Granddads hourly cup of tea WOW a Tea-maker

It was much later in life when I was bought a lsquoGoblin Teasmaidrsquo as a wedding present that I mused over the fact that I could have been an heir to a Teasmaid fortune had my Grandfather ever patented his little comfort gadget I wondered how many other technological gems never emerge from the garden shed

Which finally in a roundabout way brings me to the crux of my theory It is my fervent belief that EVERYONE has had an idea to improve upon an existing product or to invent in their own mind something that would do a job to make their livesrsquo easier

Everyone knows someone that has had a great idea but done nothing about it

I believe itrsquos in our make-up itrsquos what makes us human ndash My

theory is lsquoWe are ALL INVENTORSrsquo

Orange Rabbit - How a single mother of 5 can

set-up and operate a successful business from homeand we can highly recommend her

Pages - 36-37

Star Feature

Five Steps to turn an idea into a Business The first article we are happy to feature from

Jacky Tustain of Concord Business Solutions

Pages 4-5

THIS MONTHrsquos STAR FEATURE

What is Inventors Showcase Magazine

Just as the name implies the new Inventors Showcase magazine is primarily a place for new inventors innovators and entrepreneurs to showcase their inventions and ideas This will help those entrepreneurs be able to provide valuable insight into the world of inventing while increasing their potential of being spotted by investors and buyers In addition to helping these new inventors we also aim to provide a publication which contains a wealth of informative articles for would-be innovators and entrepreneurs as well as being of great interest to the general public We invite articles from individuals and organisations who are involved with the intellectual property at every level While we welcome and actively encourage submission from anyone we also seek out articles from around the world and back so that we can give a more balanced view of the innovators which have collectively changed or continue to change the world we live in Share your ideas with the world Go to our submissions page wwwinventorsshowcasemagazinecom

We want your storytell us and tell the worldFor FREE In each and every issue Inventors Showcase will print the most interesting articles about how you as an

inventor entrepreneur andor innovator formulated your ideas developed them and then put them into action These articles will form the largest part of our publication and will be of the greatest interest to like-minded people who are looking for inspiration as well as business development professionals who are looking for the next BIG THING (Thats YOU) Complete a submission form on our website (wwwinventorsshowcasemagazinecom)

and tell us in your own words- bull Who you are - (With picture) bull WhenHowWhy did you start inventing bull Previous SuccessesFailures bull What is your latest Invention bull How did you get the idea bull What problem does it solve bull What stage is it at Future Steps

bull and most importantly What advice would you give to others

Characteristics of an Inventor The Inventor has an enthusiasm for improvement of everything they touch The Inventors vision is usually supported by a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings and aesthetics that normal people donrsquot ever question The overall blueprint to realise the vision is clear however details may be incomplete flexible and evolving The Inventor promotes the vision with enthusiastic passion With persistence and determination the inventor develops strategies to change the vision into reality The inventor will work tirelessly to prove a concept that has only ever existed in their subconscious to prove it to themselves alone Inventors take no realistic cognisance of costs market customer needs for any concept they have to prove as viable An inventor is usually a positive thinker and a decision maker

A microwave oven converts only part of its electrical input into microwave energy

A typical consumer microwave oven consumes 1100 W of electricity in producing 700 W of microwave power an

efficiency of 64

The other 400 W are dissipated as heat mostly in the magnetron tube

Additional power is used to operate the lamps AC power transformer magnetron cooling fan food turntable motor

and the control circuits Such wasted heat along with heat from the product being microwaved is exhausted as warm

air through cooling vents

High heating power delivered directly to the meal bypassing the kitchenware makes the microwave oven the most efficient appliance for cooking or reheating small meals

To begin with letrsquos think about vending machines ndash picture a snack or drink machine possibly in an office or sports centre They all function pretty much the same and as long as theyrsquore plugged in they will dispense products for the right amount of cash Pretty uninspiring really arenrsquot they Now clear your mind of this concept and be prepared to be amazed at how Nicole Turner and Maurizio Costantini have brought a vending revolution to the UK one which will enable community retailers to take on the 24 hour supermarkets and allow people to shop locally 24 hours a day Nicole and Maurizio live in Southport and have worked in the hospitality industry most of their lives mainly in restaurants and bars which is how they first met

Although they had steady occupations Nicole was looking for something different to do something more dynamic and inventive One evening they were discussing how much easier it would be if they could pop to their local shop out of hours and still be able to buy products ndash like a 24 hour supermarket but without any staff Most of us have these conversations and think nothing of it ndash Nicole however realised that this was exactly the sort of concept that could revolutionise local shopping so she immediately set about finding out if it was possible ldquoI got straight onto the internet to see whether there was already something available which could make our idea possiblerdquo says Nicole ldquo My search resulted in me identifying an Italian company called Magex who already provided vending machines for library books and DVDrsquos but could also produce custom machines to order toordquo

After contacting Magex and finding out more about the company and their uniquely flexible production methods Nicole and Maurizio made the decision to go ahead with their lsquo24 hour shoprsquo idea and took on the UK licence for Magex machine installations They decided to trade as lsquoe247 shoprsquo and are now supplying UK retailers with these amazing units Describing the machines Nicole says ldquoEach machine is made to order and is customised to provide the correct storage environment for your goods The machines can take ambient or chilled products the size of the unit and the range of items it can sell is limited only by what you the retailer decides is the right design for yourdquo ldquoThe machines arenrsquot there to replace staff far from it ndash they are a 21st century way for you to trade 247 giving you the ability to compete with large national

chains If people need to pick up a packet of mince or some fresh ingredients after a long day at work why should you miss out on this sales opportunity

On-Board CCTV - to capture the image of any would be thief Touchscreen Selection Mechanism ndash no buttons to break or vandalise Stock Control Reporting ndash letting you know when to replenish goods Highly Detailed Sales Reports ndash helping you to identify your best-sellers Moveable Display Modules ndash letting you change your product range when you want to Multiple Payment Options ndash notes coins pre-paid cards

One of the more interesting concepts which Nicole and Maurizio envisage is where a small group of community retailers could come together and have one machine which they all use to sell their goods lsquoout of hoursrsquo A perfect example would be a local fruit shop and bakery on a small shopping parade sharing the same machine Apart from splitting costs for the retailers it would provide a real alternative for consumers not wishing to travel to a major supermarket Smaller businesses need to be able to compete with larger chains an e247 shop machine levels the playing field quite substantially The clear advantage of using these machines in this scenario is that it keeps local money within the local economy which is good news for both customers and retailers alike

If your store is closed people canrsquot buy from you - investing in one of our machines is the perfect solution to the problemrdquo Each of the machines has a variety of well-thought out reporting and safety features They are designed to be situated outdoors and have a number of excellent features such as

Refrigerated Apples Vending Machine c1951

Although Nicole and Maurizio have the exclusive UK rights to the machines there are ways for other interested people to become involved in this revolutionary new sales platform

If a person identifies a particular niche market with clearly defined boundaries with regard to location andor product selection then they could certainly be considered as a potential franchisee

Similarly businesses can apply to be an exclusive local vendor

This has the advantage that your own local competitors wonrsquot be able to have an e247 machine making you the only local 24 hour retailer in your business sector locally

Nicole and Maurizio funded their business using their own capital they didnrsquot approach banks or other business angels meaning they have complete control over their company

If yoursquod like to see images the machines in situ or would like to know more about the endless possibilities these machines have visit the e247 shop website at wwwe247shopcouk

Remember the machines are custom built and can accommodate a huge variety of items Some machines are currently vending items like

Fresh Farm Produce Fresh Milk Toiletries Pharmacy Essentials Books Groceries

The immense benefits of being open 24 hours a day shouldnrsquot belong exclusively to large supermarkets who have adequate staff and resources ndash smaller local retailers can pull back their market share from the lsquobig-hittersrsquo by investing in an e247 shop machine So what are you waiting for Why not email Nicole at infoe247shopcouk and see what e247 shop can

offer you and your business

By choosing to go ahead and create their company

Nicole and Maurizio have not only demonstrated their

own entrepreneurial skills they have created a vehicle

which will help other people to expand their existing

business which is particularly important in tough

economic times Let e247 shop help you to make

your mark in the business world too and see just

what you can achieve with this dynamic retail aid

The first reference to a vending machine is in the work of Hero of Alexandria a first-century engineer and mathematician His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed holy water

When the coin was deposited it fell upon a pan attached to a lever The lever opened a valve which let some water flow out

The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until it fell off at which point a counterweight snapped the lever up and turned off the valve

The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London in the early 1880s dispensing post cards

A few people have been fatally injured after having a vending machine topple over on them either while they were attempting to steal from the machine or venting frustration over a malfunction which caused a failure to dispense the purchased item or dispense the proper change An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (11 November 1988

p 2697) documents 15 cases in which men trying to get a can out of a vending machine were crushed Three died the other 12 required hospitalisation for injuries such as fractures of the skull toe ankle tibia femur and pelvis intracerebral bleeding knee contusion and one punctured bladder

The global skincare market is worth billions of pounds to manufacturers who regularly come up with yet another lsquomust haversquo molecule or nutrient to make our faces fresher and more appealing Itrsquos a tough market to get into but Steven E Cano has come up with such an innovative new product he may well be the next big name in skincare

Steven 26 has always dreamed of being an inventor

(or a superhero) and has a very diverse career

history ndash ranging from loss prevention to being a

concrete finisher

Ever since he can remember hersquos always been

creating gadgets and trying to create solutions to

problems Steven has always wanted to bring a great

product to market but it wasnrsquot until his twin

daughters were born just over a year ago that he

decided to act upon his dreams

ldquoI originally got my idea from a Ninja Carpet Extractor and the fact that Asia has been using sinks full of hot and cold water to cleanse pores and to maintain skin health for centuriesrdquo says Steven who realised that if he could combine the two methods then he could create an exciting new product that would truly revolutionise the way we clean our skin He set about designing a device that combined the two methods and came up with the lsquoDermXtractrsquo system The product is a complete skin cleansing system designed to assist with acne and other dermatological issues as well as offering exceptional skin cleaning to the wider market

So what does DermXtract do

Steven has designed a unit which provides hot water

to a hand held wand with bristles so that during use

your pores will open allowing the angled bristles to

gently deep cleanse your skin

Once yoursquove finished the unit provides cold water via

the wand to close your pores again to keep your

skin as clean as possible

Itrsquos very similar to using a sauna and a plunge pool

but with DermXtract you have the whole experience

within one small unit

Of course this invention has taken time and money to bring to market Steven says he couldnrsquot have got his invention off the ground without financial support provided in the early days by his good friends Edwin Barcenas and Minister Monica Hines Like many inventors Steve needed friends and family to invest in his first project ndash unless you win lsquoDragonrsquos Denrsquo itrsquos unlikely that yoursquoll be able to get a millionaire investor for your first invention no matter how brilliant it is

The product is currently awaiting patent and Steven is now actively looking at routes to market for DermXtract Hersquos negotiating with manufacturers with regard to product licences and is also investigating distribution and marketing He knows that simply having a product is just stage one ndash the next part is to get it out there and sell it to the world If yoursquod like to see the product then you can visit his website at wwwdermxtractcom where you can also get in touch with Steve if you have any queries Sometimes it takes a change in life to kick start our ambitions having two little girls was Steversquos inspiration it shows that anyone can follow their dreams or ambitions if they wish - though whether or not Steve gets to be a fully-fledged superhero may be subject to debate

Allow me to introduce you to Matt Gubba

An entrepreneur from London He is the founder of Business Circuit which is a networking community for UK entrepreneurs Unlike other networks users of Business Circuit are encouraged to initiate contact with other entrepreneurs business leaders and investors absolutely free Face to face meetings are also encouraged The site states that it currently holds over eleven thousand us-ers and is growing rapidly Here is my interview with Matt Angela I am so thrilled that you have decided to be a

part of this series on ldquoUp and Coming Entrepreneursrdquo I feel this could be a way to get your name out there and have other entrepreneurs take notice of your venture First of all tell me a little about yourself and your busi-ness Matt My name is Matt Gubba and Irsquom from London

I founded the business networking community ldquoBusiness Circuitrdquo in 2011 Business Circuit helps entrepreneurs business owners and investors in the UK to connect with each other online and at networking events Angela Why did you decide to become an

entrepreneur and run your own business instead of being in a more traditional work environment Matt Ever since I was a teenager I always knew that I

wanted to be my own boss I guess Irsquove just always found the idea of working by someone elsersquos rules re-strictive and frustrating Matt shared with me that he is single with no chil-dren which lead me to the following questions

Angela If you are single with no kids how do you

find time to socialise Are you ldquoputting off a relationship for your careerrdquo How do you balance work time and play time

Matt Sometimes balancing work and play can be

tough particularly when Irsquom up against deadlines My social life more often than not takes a bit of a back seat I do have a girlfriend but she is very supportive of what I do and she understands the sac-rifices that must be made in order to succeed I think itrsquos critical that those close to you are behind what you are doing Angela How did you get started in this business Is this work your passion would you do it even if you were not earning money Matt Business Circuit began when I spotted a gap for a different kind of networking organisation in the marketplace At the time I was running an accountancy firm and was using social media and networking events to promote it I felt that I could create a better and more effective networking community so I set out to do it I love what I do and although financial rewards are important they are not the only reason that I do it As you can see Matt saw a need in the community and a way that he could fill a gap He didnt just dwell on the idea but turned it into reality in 2011 when he created Business Circuit It is that drive that attention to his surroundings and ability to follow through that makes him such a successful entrepreneur Angela How does your business benefit those in your community Matt Business Circuit helps entrepreneurs and

business owners in the community to market themselves in a low cost and highly effective manner I believe that in the current economic climate the ability to save on marketing costs is more important than ever Angela Where do you see yourself 5 years from now Matt In 5 years time I would like to see Business

Circuit as the UKrsquos leading after work open network-ing community And with the growth which his company has seen in its first year his five year dream could very well be-come a reality Would you like your idea to be fea-tured in our magazine for free Contact us via our website wwwinventorsshowcasemagazinecom

ldquoUp and Coming Entrepreneursrdquo

Have you done the same Have you seen a product on the market and come up with your own improved version

Now do you need promotionCan you afford a Magazine advert Now you can afford it

Send your story to us and we will publish your story FREE

When we see sufficient downloads of Inventors Showcase magazine to prove viability we intend to publish a printed version for High Street news-standsand advertorial articles will still be free

Help us to help you - TELL YOU FRIENDS

STAR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

What advice would you give - please tell us

Wwwinventorsshowcasemagazinecom

George de Mestrals patent expired in 1978 but the term Velcro is a registered trademark the subject of more than 300 trademark registrations in over 159 countries

NASA makes significant use of Velcro Each space shuttle has ten thousand inches of a special Velcro

Velcro held together a human heart during the first artificial heart transplant

The Army have a silent version of Velcro developed for use with soldier uniforms as the ripping sound could betray a soldiers position The new version created especially for the Army reduces the noise by over 95 The manufacturing process to create this noiseless Velcro is however a military secret

Velcro was not the first patent registered by De Mestral At the age of 12 he designed a toy airplane and patented it

George de Mestral (June 19 1907 ndash February 8 1990) He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999 for inventing Velcro hook and loop fasteners

Velcro (C)

The hook-and-loop fastener was invented in 1941 by Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral who lived in Commugny Switzerland The idea came to him one day after returning from a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps He took a close look at the burrs (seeds of burdock) that kept sticking to his clothes and his dogs fur He examined them under a microscope and noted they had hundreds of hooks that caught on anything with a loop such as clothing animal fur or hair He saw the possibility of binding two materials reversibly in a simple fashion if he could figure out how to duplicate the hooks and loops At first people refused to take him and the idea seriously when he took his idea to Lyon which was then a centre of weaving However he did manage to gain the help of one weaver who made two cotton strips that worked But the cotton wore out quickly so de Mestral turned to synthetic fibres He chose nylon as being the best synthetic which had several advantages Nylon doesnrsquot break down rot or attract mould and it could be produced in threads of various thicknesses

Mechanising the process of weaving the hooks took eight years and it took another year to create the loom that trimmed the loops after weaving them In all it took ten years to create a mechanised process that worked He submitted his idea for patent in Switzerland in 1951 and the patent was granted in 1955 Within a few years he obtained patents and began to open shops in Germany Switzerland Great Britain Sweden Italy the Netherlands Belgium and Canada The fabric got its first break when it was used in the aerospace industry on astronauts bulky space suits However this reinforced the view among the populace that Velcro was something with very limited utilitarian uses Now Velcro fasteners are used for just about every conceivable application where a temporary bond is required It is especially popular in clothing where it replaces buttons or zippers and even shoe laces

Are you a Franchisor -

tell us about what you offer

Are you a Franchisee -

Tell us why you went into the business and how you have fared

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS

Horse Face Veil

Sunburn and rain scald on horsesrsquo faces is a big problem especially in harsh climates Sunburn on horses blisters and forms into scabs which can lead to infection The Horse Face Veil protects a horsersquos muzzle eyes and blaze areas which are those most susceptible to sunburn so that they donrsquot get burnt by the sun or scalded by rain It covers the front of the horsersquos face to fully protect them whilst using as little

material as possible to decrease sweating

About the Inventor

Kirsten Milic has loved horses all her life She started riding when she was young and used to do hacking (riding for fun) and dressage She has a passion for animals and the horse in particular

She is a mum of 3 children and has a horse dog cat and 3 chickens

Inspiration

When Kirsten who lives in Australia brought her horse up from Victoria to Queensland the dramatic change in weather caused him to develop sunburn on his muzzle and suffer rain scald at the time of the summer floods all over his body and face She made her first veil for him as a stop-gap protection measure and it stayed on him from then on it shaded him 247 and kept the cream on him to fix up the rain scald The design she created was surprisingly successful Kirstenrsquos

horsersquos sunburn went away and she started thinking of the broader application for such a device

How it works

The Horse Face Veil protects a horsersquos muzzle eyes and blaze areas without obstructing their eyes and vision It covers the front of the horsersquos face to fully protect them whilst using as little material as possible to decrease sweating They cover the horsersquos face from the whole muzzle to the tip The veil does not cover the eye like a normal fly veil although there is also a version that works as a fly protector that is an attachment to the basic paddock veil While the old-style fly veil can come with nose flap attachments these are usually too small do not give enough coverage and donrsquot last The Horse Face Veil covers the whole nose and the sides The veil is fastened with Velcro and can be pulled apart to come off easily if caught by the horse against something The veil breathes and only covers the front of the face without covering under the head and all the sides so the horse will not sweat uncomfortably It is made out of 90+UV protecting shade cloth It is very strong does not curl when itrsquos wet and can be used for a long period of time The veil also has attachments for different times of the year for flies rain and sun

and can swap when needed

Contact For more information about Horse Face Veil contact the following horsefaceveilsbigpondcom

wwwhorsefaceveilscom

LETTERS

WHY CANrsquoT SOMEONE INVENT THIS I would buy it like a shot I am sure loads of others would too It would save loads of agro And I would sleep at night Nature is fine but in its right place Why does it have to happen on my windowsill What is wrong with trees and hedges I think you may now lsquotwigrsquo my problem Nests Damned sparrows They insist on building their nests on my bedroom windowsill I suppose they think it is a good location It is on the dark side of the house and protected by an ornamental metal grill so providing protection from predators It also has mosquito netting just in front of the glass This leaves a nice area be-tween the netting and the grill So not only do the sparrows keep me awake with chatter and fluttering they also ruin the mosquito netting by incorporating it into their nest design What I need is a bird scarer I have tried all sorts of things Half full bottles of water and mirrors were the most effective for a while But that was it Only for a while It was humorous though watching Mr Sparrow dive bomb the mirror only to be attacked by himself Mrs Sparrow just sat on the windowsill observing the an-tics Eventually she skipped along admired herself made a few pecks and was satisfied that she looked just right for mating and house-building Another nest appeared on top of the water bottles and around the mirror The only thing that gets rid of the sparrows is movement and noise at the windowsill I canrsquot get my kids to

stand there all day ndash they do have to go to school I suppose

So this is what I want invented - a solar-powered pressure-sensitive mat that sets off a flag movement with a sharp bang and flash of light when a bird lands on the windowsill Or perhaps even better a modified burglar alarm You know a directional beam that when broken triggers the alarm But it does not need to be loud or

bright ndash that would keep me awake as well

So all you inventors out there especially those with burglar alarm knowledge get to work You know it is a great idea and would be a real money spinner Just think of the applications You could protect national monu-ments from bird damage - Nelson would stand clean and proud Whole buildings could be save from pigeon

poo And more importantly I would be able to get some sleep at last

Signed

Ian Ventor (a frustrated Rip Van Winkel)

or Mahdeen Ventah (Get it Mad Inventor)

Editors note

This really is a genuine letter From Ken Parkin Spalding Lincs

It is an example of how this lsquoLettersrsquo feature can be usedBut there are other ways-

If you need help with a particular project

If you are offering help and you have a particular skill or piece of equipment (cNC Laser cutter etc)

Or absolutely anything else you want to write about - Letters via website wwwinventorsshowcasemagazinecom

CONTENTS

Dr Paul Thomas - Many will remember the nervous

student that entered Dragonsrsquo Den in season 1 looking

for money to buy land and grow BLACK TRUFFLES

HOW HAS HE PROGRESSED Pages 6 - 9

Do Fairies exist If you believe you can overcome anythingIncluding the Wicked Witch of Recession See How Sarah Blinman did it Pages 10-11

Does he need any introduction The man we all aspire to emulate

STEVE JOBS Pages 12- 13

About Inventors Showcase - Page 15

How you can become anything you wantBy award win-ning entrepreneur Richard McMunn Pages 16- 17

Successful Inventions of the Past

Microwave Oven - Page 18 Rubikrsquos Cube - 8

Velcro - Page 35 Scrabble - Page 38

Inventions on the verge of success

Pebble Watch - Page 14 Anyway Spray - Page 19

DermXtract - Page 23 Smart Mat - Page 26-27

Reestore revolutionary design - Page 29 Sci-Tie the cable tie with a twist - Page 30

Horse Face Veils - Page 49

The Dragons arenrsquot always right

Some of their lsquorejectsrsquo

That made it big Page 24

Up and coming Entrepreneurs

Matt Gubba - Page 25 e247 Shops - Pages 20-22

Meals in Fields - Pages 32-34

Review of 40th Geneva Inventors expo

Pages - 50-51

How Playground Chats Created A lsquoMumpreneurrsquo Kiddiebikes - Page 31

Why Franchise Page 39

A selection of franchises Business Doctors - Page 40

Hens Dancing - Page 41 Handyman - Pages 42-43

Ticketcomm - Page 44 Your Own Store - Page 45

Razzamataz - Pages 46-47 Health and Safety Check - Page 48

Letters from readers - Page 52

Classified Ads - Page 53

I am not an Inventor but I have a theory

Irsquove never seen my theory as the subject of an official study never the findings of a University research programme or even the widely held belief of government officialsBut I believe it to be true anyway

I can trace it back to my early memories way back in time to when I was a young child When my paternal Grandfather used to pick me up in his 3 wheeled Bubble Car (the finest German engineering of the day) and take me back to his home Where my Grandmother would have prepared a royal spread of the finest best red salmon and cucumber triangular shaped sandwiches with the crusts cut off with jelly and ice-cream and the obligatory slices of bread and butter for afters

Not being particularly partial to this lsquoposhrsquo spread my Grandfather would disappear into his garden shed and await the call when I needed chauffeuring back home

Irrespective of the fact this was my big opportunity to sit and watch a television for an hour or two the lure of the garden shed and to see what went on within was too great and much to my Grandfatherrsquos frustration I would have to follow him

The inner sanctum was an Aladdinrsquos cave of tools and gadgets The walls were festooned with screwdrivers hammers g-clamps spanners and files of every imaginable size Whilst on his work-bench was an incandescent light bulb fixed to a huge magnifying glass with chips all around itrsquos rim clamped to a stand that later in life I recognised as the type to be found in a school chemistry laboratory

Piled on the bench were small drawer units full of watch parts little cogs valves transistors coils wires of various colours and to my amusement some things called lsquoCatrsquos Whiskersrsquo on which he could listen to Billy Cottonrsquos Band Show Around the Horne and The Navy Lark amazing

Of course I couldnrsquot touch or even go too close I could smell the heat from the soldering iron sat in its cradle and see the flux trickling down onto the bench making the ancient greasy stain ever bigger

But there at the end of the bench was the star object a cross between a large mantle clock and a small steam engine and if I stood quietly for ten minutes or thatrsquos what my Granddad said I could hear the slow tick suddenly turn to a bubbling then hissing sound which eventually turned to a rumble and a spurt of water from one side of the machine to the other With a deft flick of a little brass tap a big white mug started filling with a steaming brown liquid My Granddads hourly cup of tea WOW a Tea-maker

It was much later in life when I was bought a lsquoGoblin Teasmaidrsquo as a wedding present that I mused over the fact that I could have been an heir to a Teasmaid fortune had my Grandfather ever patented his little comfort gadget I wondered how many other technological gems never emerge from the garden shed

Which finally in a roundabout way brings me to the crux of my theory It is my fervent belief that EVERYONE has had an idea to improve upon an existing product or to invent in their own mind something that would do a job to make their livesrsquo easier

Everyone knows someone that has had a great idea but done nothing about it

I believe itrsquos in our make-up itrsquos what makes us human ndash My

theory is lsquoWe are ALL INVENTORSrsquo

Orange Rabbit - How a single mother of 5 can

set-up and operate a successful business from homeand we can highly recommend her

Pages - 36-37

Star Feature

Five Steps to turn an idea into a Business The first article we are happy to feature from

Jacky Tustain of Concord Business Solutions

Pages 4-5











efficiency of 64










































concrete finisher
















































Velcro (C)








Horse Face Veil



About the Inventor



Inspiration



How it works





LETTERS







Signed



Editors note
















efficiency of 64










































concrete finisher
















































Velcro (C)








Horse Face Veil



About the Inventor



Inspiration



How it works





LETTERS







Signed



Editors note










































concrete finisher
















































Velcro (C)








Horse Face Veil



About the Inventor



Inspiration



How it works





LETTERS







Signed



Editors note

































Velcro (C)








Horse Face Veil



About the Inventor



Inspiration



How it works





LETTERS







Signed



Editors note











Horse Face Veil



About the Inventor



Inspiration



How it works





LETTERS







Signed



Editors note






LETTERS







Signed



Editors note






inventors showcase magazine

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