I was the author of a regular column dedicated to inventors and the invention process for years. I spent hours upon hours with inventors, patent attorneys and educational resource people. I attended trade shows for people who bought a booth to show off the novel idea they had devised. I saw lots of hits and lots of misses. The inventing game isn't all luck. Like any other business, inventing is a matter of finding a need and filling it in the most cost effective way.

At one trade show in Pennsylvania, I watched one hopeful inventor after another hawking ideas for better widgets. One man even deemed his invention "a better mousetrap." And it was, indeed a mousetrap. As always, some of the inventions had me thinking: Why hasn't this been done before! It's so obvious! Others left me wondering what in the world the person was thinking. This latter group was full of those who had invented something because it interested them. They obviously hadn't taken the consumer into consideration,and that's the most important aspect of launching a career as an inventor.

Sounds easy, right? Well, it is if you treat it just as you would in opening another new, untried business. Specifically, instead of asking: "What can I make, and who can I sell it to?" ask, "What market has the money to buy products they can't buy for any amount of money?" Then fill that need.

Again, that sounds simplistic. When it comes to inventors, however, some of this will come naturally. Here are a few tips to analyze your ideas:

-Does it solve a problem? Most people don't wake up wanting to be inventors. Instead, they solve a personal problem by making an item that fills their personal needs. Then they expand on the idea seek out others in the same boat. You'll find this a lot in the field of parenting. New parents become quite adept at finding solutions to buy an extra five minutes of peace, make diaper changes less stressful, figure out a way to get out of the house without having to pack up everything in the house, etc.

-Look to hobbies for ideas. Odds are you hear the same complaints over and over about some aspect of the hobby. For example, quilters may want a better way to keep material from slipping while they work. If it's your hobby, odds are you will know the points that need improvement.

-Look to your day job. My uncle worked for General Motors for years as a welder. He made a good chunk of money every year by devising seemingly tiny inventions. He looked at the assembly

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