Commercialization: Making money from your innovative products or services

You've developed a great product or service. How are you going to get the word out and generate sales?

Getting your new ideas to market is one of the most difficult steps in the innovation process. This is especially so if you're introducing a completely new idea or concept. Many innovations never make it beyond the R&D stage for a number of reasons ranging from lack of production capacity to the inability to create a demand for the product and everything in between.

You'll need to determine to whom, when, where and how you will introduce the new product or service to the market. Put the odds in your favour and be sure to make use of all available networks and resources.

• Precarn
  
  http://www.precarn.ca/home/index.html
  Find technologies and research partners, as well as help with developing research proposals and managing research projects.
• Canadian Innovation Centre
  
  http://www.innovationcentre.ca/services
  This organization offers research, training and consulting services to help you transform your concept into a product or service ready to enter the market.
• Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/1504/
  Applies to: All of Canada
  Get help selling your products or services to foreign markets.
• Going Global Innovation
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/944/
  Applies to: All of Canada
  Funding to help you find foreign partners for research and development collaboration.
• Marketing and Sales
  Find out how to get the word out about your company, increase your sales and make a profit.
• New Environmental Technologies Evaluation Program (Ontario)
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/2368/
  Applies to: Ontario
  Have your new Ontario environmental technology assessed by the Ministry of the Environment.