"Working with the SBDC has been a blessing for me and my business. They helped me get organized, start things off on the right foot, and stay on track," said Brandy, encouraging small businesses, whether they are starting-up or already in-business to seek the advice of the SBDC.

"Throughout the whole process, the SBDC was my guiding light," said Tim, maintaining he could not have gotten his sprinkler system to
market without their advice and assistance.

Tim Abbott came to the South Bend Small Business Development Center to ask for patent assistance for a small sprinkler head, Hydro Edge, that he developed for use in the plastic edging around flowerbeds.  After he discussed the idea with SBDC Associate Director Jim Gregar, a meeting was arranged with a patent attorney for the next week.  Jim also got Tim involved in the Collegiate Management Assistance Program and found a professor at the University of Notre Dame, teaching an entrepreneurship class, where students would help with a feasibility study.

After attending seminars at the SBDC on starting a business and writing a business plan, Tim started his company called Irrigation Systems, Inc.  He found a retired patent attorney and gave him stock in the company in exchange for his work to apply for a patent.  Tim also arranged with the owner of a local plastic company to make a prototype of his sprinkler head in exchange for an equity position in the company.

The Notre Dame students conducted considerable research and presented a good feasibility study, determining that there was indeed a market for Tim's sprinkler system.  Meanwhile, Jim had introduced him to other entrepreneurs who had successful inventions and they encouraged Tim to proceed with his invention and try to get the product to market.  Jim researched the Internet to find data through trade associations, and the next year Jim and Tim attended the Hardware Trade Show in Chicago and became aware of many of the competitors in the lawn landscape industry as well as new products on the market.

Through the SBDC, Tim was introduced to the Technical Assistance Program at Purdue University where engineering professors did a study and identified the correct design for the sprinkler head, including appropriate water pressure.  Tim designed it to have flow control and a nozzle that could be pointed in different directions.

The year after the patent was approved, Tim worked on packaging for the product and took on two more partners with expertise in sales and marketing.  The SBDC encouraged Tim to consider QVC as a possible avenue for his product and Tim took the advice.  He went to Philadelphia to demonstrate his invention to QVC evaluators and they accepted his product with minor modifications.  Tim will be flying to QVC training in March 2005 and his product will be displayed in a live show in April 2005!

After spending another year working with mold makers and local plastic companies, Tim and his partners located a company in Texas, Easy Gardener, that was interested in his sprinkler system.  Tim spent six months negotiating a 10-year agreement with them and finally settled on a $100,000 cash deal up front with a 10-year contract giving Easy Gardener the rights to handle his invention in exchange for 5% royalties.  A local newspaper printed the account of how Tim has successfully marketed his product, and he was recently asked to speak to an MBA class at Notre Dame to recount his business story to the students.  Hydro Edge is currently being shipped to all Home Depots nationwide, 1,000 Lowe's, 800 Wal-Marts and small hardware chains such as True Value, Ace Hardware, and Do-It-Best.