Sometimes the simplest ideas turn into the best ideas.
Have you ever wished or tried inventing an idea that could change the world? You might have thought of a unique invention idea and eventually find out that it's already been made and is now earning millions. Feels Ouch!
However, even the smallest ideas serve as a ray of hope for an aspiring entrepreneur. Success can not be guaranteed, but coming up with new ideas will surely give you hope to break free from your mundane office life. And if you got lucky, that invention idea or product design idea might be in your head now and that might make you a millionaire.
But do you know that your idea doesn't have to be sensible or advanced to become a hit?
Many simple ideas have made millions of dollars- some are also quite weird but are extremely successful.
If you don’t believe it, read on to know the top 10 simple inventions that have raised millions and have made their inventors and investors rich.
10 Simple Inventions That Have Made Millions
- Frisbee
Frisbee was invented in 1948 by Walter Frederick Morrison. He came up with this idea when his girlfriend threw a lid on a can to kill time. Initially, he called it “flying-saucer.” Later in 1958, the product was marketed as Frisbee.
The inventor of this Frisbee earned millions in royalty. An eye-opening fact is a today more than 500 million frisbees are sold worldwide.
- Sticky Notes/ Post-it Notes
Yes, we are talking about those yellow small paper notes that you use while studying. It is considered one profitable invention, all thanks to its low cost and wide range of uses. At first, it was marketed as an office supply but soon became a household supply.
It was a three-inch yellow square but now comes in various sizes, shapes, and colors.
Most interesting thing is that it is an accidental invention. A person named Spencer Silver invented an adhesive that wouldn’t permanently stick, but it doesn't sell very well.
However, there was a scientist who used that adhesive to keep his bookmarks from falling out-thus sticky notes were born. This product indeed makes millions, the exact numbers are not known but it makes $3.47 billion.
- Bendy Straw
The straight original straws were already a groundbreaking invention, but the bendy straws were on another level. In the year 1930, Joseph B. Friedman saw his daughter struggle to enjoy a milkshake. Because the straw was straight and she wasn’t able to drink comfortably from it.
So Joseph took a straw home to see what he could do. To make those ridges in the straw, he inserted a screw at the top and wrapped it in dental floss. When he removed the screw, the straw had ridges and it could bend easily.
Soon, he founded his flex-straw company and made his first sale in the 40s to a hospital. Later he became a multi-millionaire.
- Slap Bracelet
They were invented in 1983 by a school teacher named Stuart Anders, and the slap bracelets were the biggest hits in the 90s. You must have had one slap bracelet when you were a child. It was popular among fashion-obsessed teens. However, the product faced knock-off as children began to get cut on the sharp steel. But, the slap bracelets have yet to go anywhere and are still available in retail stores.
- Fidget Spinners
We don’t know about the inventor of the fidget spinners, but one thing is sure many toy companies are making a profit from fidget spinners. They are very simple and use ball bearings to spin.
Did you know fidget spinners are a 500- million dollar business?
- Plastic Wishbones
There’s this tradition, where one person holds one to each end of the wishbone, and whoever ends up with the longest half is granted good luck by the thanksgiving fairies.
However, there’s only one wishbone per turkey. So, Ken Ahroni created a plastic wishbone so that everyone can get into the fun. There’s no such financial information available, but it can be said that it made quite a profit.
- Hula Hoop
Hula Hoop was invented by “Wham-O”, he saw children play with Bamboo hoops in Australia, he made them from PVC, and in the late 90s, the craze of hula hoops developed. In less than two years more than 100 million hula hoops were sold.
- Band-Aid
The band-aid was invented by Earle Dickson in the year 1920, who was a researcher at Johnson & Johnson. His wife used to get cuts regularly during cooking, so he came up with a way to cover the wound without assistance. At the time of World War two, band-aids became popular.
- Corn Flakes
Who wouldn’t have heard about Kellog’s cornflakes? A breakfast that everyone must have tried. Kellogg’s is a multinational company today and the number one cereal producer all around the world. In the year 1894, Will Kellog accidentally invented cornflakes.
- Crocs
In 2002, three friends developed crocs as a shoe for the sauna. They could never have imagined that this shoe will become hype today. It achieves a turnover of more than $1 billion every year and they are sold in more than 90 countries.
Get Help From a patent Company
Aren’t these inventions amazing?
If you are also currently working on your multi-million dollar product and need help with all the legalities, let us help you. OwnMyInvention is a patent company that will help you get a patent for your invented products and ideas.
You can also launch your design or get design concepts to choose from. Shoot us a message today!
