Are you adding wings to your exciting project or product which you have been working for some time, and preparing it for a startup launch? If yes, then it’s an awesome idea! But if you intend to do in the next two month, then it is somewhat a tricky and tedious task. However adopting some smart and proficient strategies, will alleviate your burden, and help you to have your launch even at the earliest, wondering how? Well, this article throws some light on it.

1. Know your target audience

      You need to know your target crowd, if you say that your product is meant for all people, then perhaps you are lazy or fooling yourself. You need to make a scrupulous research and find out who would be the early purchasers of your product. You have to identify people who would select your product over something which they have previously experienced. You need to identify and know your competitors’ strength and weakness and show your target people in what way your product stands unique from your contestants.

2. Dispatch an eye – catching teaser

      Tease your audience with a compelling and attention grabbing campaign in the next few weeks. Code name, your teaser ads with some peculiar names and post it across all leading social networking platforms like face book, twitter, Google+ for the next 8 weeks, and create the required hype for your product. Keep your viewers under suspense by putting some blurred image of your logo or product image with “coming soon” signs. Make them think what is this all about? You can also share your products with your friends, followers, fans, in leading kick starter community platforms and get a good pitch.

3. Promote a thought provoking launch

      Another effective strategy to promote your launch is by using your own platform (blog or podcast) to tell the audience how to launch a product by using your launch as case study. A word of caution at this juncture you need to highlight on your product feature and not on your launch.

4. Would you wish to blow your own trumpet or allow others to do?

      If you happen to own a blog, podcast or any other platform, then you would probably be doing some guest host or blogger performance. But wouldn’t it be a great idea if you become the guest on your own blog? All you need to do is switch sides, and ask any of your guests, friends or some local celebrities to interview you for the next 8 weeks. You can do some workouts for your guest hosts, by preparing some queries which they can ask you.

5. Be lean

      Staying lean in the initial stages is highly recommended. Be innovative and focus on your objective like reaching the desired target audience, consumers, revenues, etc. Investing huge amount of money on your project can be a liability. So remain lean and when you start envisaging optimistic metrics, you can scale up.

6. Seed funding option – Angel or VC

      Have a startup launch with minimal investment, by opting for an Angel investor or by mobilizing funds among your friends and relatives. A significant benefit which you have by this type of funding is you can be the boss of your startup. The angel investors will not ask for any equity shares or a place in the board. However if you are confident that your product would give you the desired results, then you can go for a large scale, fully committed VC investment. But please be aware, a VC will not behave like an Angel, they will proclaim for a place in the board and also for the shares. So you need to play your card carefully while dealing with seed funding.

7. Protect your product

      Another vital aspect you need to do is to patent your project or product. There are probabilities, where another individual in the other corner of the world would have conceived and developed a project or product that would have some resemblance to your invention. Hence in order to avoid unnecessary complications; it is advisable to patent your product, so that you can have absolute control over your startup when it hogs the limelight. If you are resident of US, you can apply for patent at the USPTO (United States Patents and Trademark Office).

8. Flexible business plan

      Devise your plan. This is not does not mean that you have to consider the revenue, you are going to generate. It is about your internal plan; how you are going to take your start up to the finish. When you wake up the next day, your plan may keep on changing; hence have some flexibility in your plan. When you are taking a leap, you may either soar to the desired heights or simply crash down, but you will not able to figure out, if you do not take any action.

9. Have a good rapport with your co-founder & workforce

      If any of your friends or relatives happened to be co-founders for your project or product, then you need to have a healthy rapport with them so that your startup launch turns out to be a success. Likewise you need to be careful when you are hiring people, we all are aware of the story of the Apple founder, Steve jobs. He was fired in a power struggle by people whom he hired. A few years later, Jobs was again welcomed by Apple, and that’s a different story. For a successful launch, you need to mobilize the appropriate workforce. Try to hire great talents and just get out for their way. Do not hinder often while they work and make them get irritated. Simply delegate the duties, and from a distance keep a constant vigil on them.

10. Video marketing – proficient tool for your startup launch

      Nowadays, the inboxes of angel investors and VCs are crammed with tons of startup proposals, so when you present them with lengthy text based proposal briefing about your product or project they get bored and may ignore you. “Less is more”, having a short and attractive 60 sec business explainer video that briefs about your product or project creates a profound impact on the investors. Moreover it also helps you to reach your targeted audience in a swift and efficient manner. Availing the services of leading customer friendly and affordable agencies like Bode Animation helps you to get quality, storytelling business explainer videos. These animated videos engage and educates the target audience about your product and helps you to get beneficial outcomes.

      How would it feel if an idea which you have envisioned, worked for and developed was copied by someone else soon after its inception? Without a proper patent protection policy in place, you are constantly under the threat of somebody else stealing your limelight.

      And it is not just established enterprises that need to think of patents to protect their ideas. Startups need to focus on patent protection early on to protect their ideas from falling prey to the tough competition in the market.

      You, as the innovator, have done all the research and development prior to the launch of the product and being blocked by cheaper and low cost competitors is a major dent to your manufacturing and marketing agenda. It is important to keep an eye on all these aspects before you invest your capital into any new idea or innovation that you intend to bring in the market.

Patents and Startups – What Are The Numbers Showing?

      The concept of patent protection has garnered a flurry of attention in the past few years. Gone are the days when the popularity of patents was for the software or medical industry only. Today, almost one-third of all funded technology companies have a patent application filed, whereas almost 19% of these startups filed for a patent even before they were funded. The overall patent rate is around 24% for the advertising industry, almost 39% for the network hosting industry, 52% for the hardware industry, 32% for the mobile industry and 65% for industries in the semiconductor sector.

How to Build a Patent Portfolio?

      Developing a patent portfolio not only strengthens the company from exterior competition, but also provides inner stability as employees feel a sense of ownership for their ideas. Developing a patent portfolio requires both outside and inside counsel and then the strategy for the patent is defined based on its use, optimization and overall value. It is important to have a strategic plan and focus for the patent to ensure that not just immediate but long term goals are also achieved.

      Patent research not just safeguards your current ideas but also provides a roadmap for identifying the key successive factors as well as the competition in the market. Patent mapping helps startups avoid costly lawsuits, litigation and licensing.

Why Patents?

      The best of ideas not only catch the consumers’ attention, but also spike up the interest of the existing names in the market. A patent portfolio is of extreme importance for a startup as it can overcome the barriers that restrict entry and growth of the enterprise in the market. Protecting the unique features and aspects of the entrant product can help inflect competition from the existing competitors as well as protect the core business from hurdles.

How to File for a Patent?

      In order to file for a patent, you will have to fill out a patent application form and submit it with the required fee to the patent regulating authority in the country. For United States, you will have to apply to the United States Patents and Trademark Office (USPTO). The filling of the patent application requires special consideration so that it is impactful and original and no loopholes can be found in it.

      Aside from the parts where information will have to be filled in, a patent application also includes blank pages where you will have to draw and describe your product. The patent application also needs a brief abstract, summary, background info, detailed description as well as conclusion and scope of the project. You will also need to provide claims that define the legalities and protect the boundaries of your product.

      Usually new-inventors and startup companies do not know the practice of filing a patent in India, Unfortunately there is no complete guidelines available for them before proceeding to the patent. For basic process for getting patent for your startup in India, you have to contact the patent office branch as per your region.

      There are four regional offices in India and they are located at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and New Delhi. The process of patent application in India is a long process; it needs a lot of patience and attention too. You can avail more information and guidelines from Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) office http://www.ipindia.nic.in/ for Indian region.