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From the Mind to the Marketplace

The Story of an Inventor, the Home Improvement Industry,
His Wife and Her Lovers

Jayne Seagrave

Ever had a good idea for a new product … but for 101 reasons you did not take it any further, ... then you find your brilliant idea on the shelves in Wal-Mart?

From the Mind to the Marketplace, Jayne Seagrave.

Business/Inventing/DIY
Heritage House
1-894384-93-8
144 pp, 8 f/ c photos photos
5.5” x 8.5” sc
$14.95 CA $11.95 US

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”Got a great idea? This book will tell you how to turn it into a real product (or service) from which you can make, promote, and profit! … It not only shows you why, but what you have to do to get the world to beat a path to your door. Many books about small business are like academic textbooks ... this is a how-to book from the trenches … a fascinating look at the process, and invaluable advice on how you can get your new business up and running … a must-read for would-be investors and entrepreneurs.”-- Tony Martin, co-author of Personal Finance for Dummies and a columnist for the Globe and Mail.

While the road from the mind to the marketplace is frustrating and far from easy, Jayne Seagrave’s highly entertaining book, From the Mind to the Marketplace: The Story of an Inventor, The Home Improvement Industry, His Wife and Her Lovers, sets out how to succeed in taking a new idea to market, how to expand those markets, and how to effectively run a new business. With over 90 percent of businesses in Canada being small businesses, this book provides exceptional insights into what it takes to establish and succeed in this growing arena.


”This tasty and helpful guide to inventing, marketing and making money with great Canadian ideas [is] a great read … compellingly honest, and stuffed with business wisdom …a critical reference for anyone who has thought of something the world needs, but doesn’t know how to take the next steps. Jayne’s story underscores the single-minded determination one needs to get a good product past the gatekeepers and into the waiting hands of the people who desperately need it.”—Mag Ruffman, syndicated columnist and television host

Jayne Seagrave gives a first-hand account of the development of the Vancouver Tool Corporation and her experiences and strategies for selling her husband Andrew Dewberry’s invention to the Canadian marketplace. The book also provides an entertaining account of how the couple moved from their established careers as criminologist and architect to undertaking every aspect of running a small business.

“… a readable how-to guide for taking an innovation to market … an interesting and inspiring account of how a small start-up business found success in a competitive industry … Straightforward and enjoyable, it provides entrepreneurs sound lessons that can be easily understood and implemented.”?Darren Dahl, Sauder School of Business, UBC.


In 1996 Andrew invented the Caulk-Rite tool, a small plastic device that applies caulk neatly to bathrooms and kitchens. He told Jayne it would be easy to sell it to retail giants such as Canadian Tire and Home Depot, and she believed him. But she found it was not as easy as the numerous “how to start your own business books” describe.

Of particular interest is the entertaining and informative section on home improvement store buyers—those responsible for placing new items in their retail outlets. Jayne lightheartedly refers to the buyers as her lovers, of whom she spends hours thinking, then courting and pursuing in the hope they will eventually place her products in their nice big stores.

Each chapter ends with advice for the inventor, conveniently and plainly set out in point form. Appendices contain sample letters to buyers, examples of press releases, and charts on how to record approaches to buyers.

From the Mind to the Marketplace is a necessary resource for anyone contemplating selling their own ideas and inventions successfully. It is also vital for anyone with an interest in owning and operating his or her own business.


JAYNE SEAGRAVE was born in England and moved to Canada in 1991. She has a Ph.D. in Criminology and is an international best-selling author. Besides academic texts on policing, she has published travel and camping guidebooks. In conjunction with her husband Andrew, she has owned and managed the Vancouver Tool Corporation since 1996. Jayne lives in Vancouver with Andrew and sons Jack and Sam.


Jayne SeagraveFor more information or to arrange Jayne to speak at a Convention, Conference or Trade Show visit

www.jayneseagrave.com


For more information and a personal interview contact:

Jayne Seagrave
Vancouver Tool Corporation
Email: jayne@vancouvertool.com
Tel: 604-255-6953

Linda Martin
THE HERITAGE GROUP
media@heritagehouse.ca
tel: 250-468-5328
cel: 250-713-1777
www.heritagehouse.ca

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