Broadcast NewsGetting your product on TV shopping channels is easier than you think.

Inventors with just one product--which is most inventors--have ahard time breaking into major distribution channels. Retailers anddistributors incur costs for each of their suppliers and can lowerthose costs by dealing only with manufacturers who have 15 to 20items for sale. Also, most inventors can't afford to wait the12 to 18 months it usually takes to see profits from retaildistribution. One option for inventors looking to jump-start theirsales is to sell to TV shopping channels such as QVC and the HomeShopping Network.

There are many advantages to this route. You sell to thenetwork, not consumers, and you receive payment 30 to 45 days afterthe air date. You can get orders with just prototypes, and youdon't have to invest in trade shows, literature or salestraining. Moreover, the momentum you get from the shopping channelcan help you get catalog orders and even establish a retail salesnetwork.