With the recent release of Apple’s latest version of the iPhone and all the other recent technological advancements, it is obvious, innovation is king!

So, how could someone have an excuse for not at least trying to be innovative? 

We found 100 lame excuses that people give to NOT innovate!  We’ve picked 15, but you can read the entire list here!

Heard any of these before?

1.  It’s an idea too far ahead of its time.

2.  We’re in a down economy.

3.  I’m getting close to retirement.

4.  I’ve never done anything like this before.

5.  I’ve tried before and failed.

6.  I’m not sure how to begin.

7.  Maybe next year.

8.  I’m just not the creative type.

9.  I’m not good at presenting my ideas.

10.  I don’t have the time.

11.  We’re not in the kind of business likely to innovate.

12.  No one, besides me, really cares about innovation.

13.  I won’t be able to get enough resources.

14.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

15.  Nothing ever changes around here.

What excuses will they think of next?!    Read all 100 excuses here – they even included ways to move beyond the excuses at the bottom of the page!

A message from Mr. Davison on the passing of a technological icon:

“One of the greatest pirates of all time died yesterday.  He was someone who I really looked up to… and his name was Steve Jobs.

One of the things I really respect about Steve Jobs was how he took on the establishment and fought hard to make a better product even though the industry was controlled by IBM, one of the biggest corporations on the planet.  With his passing, a deep mystery exists as to how that industry will move forward.

Steve was part artist and part businessman, which is hard to find anywhere in the world.  When you do find one, who surrounds himself or herself by an inspired group of people, new industries can be born or reshaped to reflect the times.

I will personally miss him, because I always looked forward to seeing what he was going to do next.  As a people and as a nation, we will be forever grateful for his contributions, making the computer world more simple for all of us to work in, as well as influencing all the motion pictures we all love from Pixar Studios.

His many accomplishments are far beyond what I’ve mentioned.  I will forever think of him as a pirate on some great adventure and I will reflect upon that skull and crossbones flag that flew outside of Apple headquarters.”

–   George M. Davison, Founder & CEO of Davison and Founder of  Inventionland

The 2011 Riverview Relay for Life in Oakmont, PA was an overwhelming success, in part because of the sponsorship of Davison and the creative contributions from our “Dare to Invent” team. The largest fundraiser in the world, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, gives everyone a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer and remember loved ones lost, while fighting for a cure.

Young “Relayers” were continually visiting the “Dare to Invent” site (#54) to test their skills at a Nerf dart shooting game and an Einstein “brain bag” toss game. Kids who got a bullseye or got the “brains” inside Einstein’s head (making a lightbulb light up) got to pick out a toy (the movie star sunglasses were a hit!). They also had fun coloring and putting together models of T-Rex, pterodactyl and stegosauras from cardboard pop-out kits. The activities were created by Davison’s Corporate Creative Coach, Jonathon, and Trevor, package design engineer, with assistance from designers, Tess and Bev.

Everyone put in a lot of time, and laps around the track, especially a few employees, who stayed at the park the entire 24 hours! They even stuck it out through a downpour and thunderstorm during the night!

“The team pulled through and we did a great job for first-timers. It only rained hard for a couple hours, and my tent and canopy are very water proof,” said Jonathon. “We’ve got bigger and better plans for next year and hope to triple the size of our team and activities.”

In addition to the company’s sponsorship, the Davison team raised money by charging 25 cents to play the games or 50 cents to build a dinosaur, as well as raffling off two baskets of Davison products and a stack of Inventionland books.

In addition to the company’s sponsorship and employee donations, the team raised money through the games and the raffling off of Davison products and a stack of Inventionland books. Several team members also purchased luminaries to honor loved ones who have battled cancer. During the moving ceremony, glowing luminaries marked with the names of individuals who have battled cancer lined the track and were placed on the bleachers to convey “HOPE.” The many names were read aloud as the images of survivors and those who lost their battle were shown, followed by a moment of silence.

The Riverview Relay had a goal of raising at least $103,000 to reach a total of $1 million in its 11th year. However, during the final count on Sunday morning, they were about $6,000 short of their goal – but, at the last minute someone came out with an anonymous $10,000 check! “Overall the event raised $106,014, which is absolutely incredible!” reported the captain. “It was really touching and sort of like what you see in movies,” added Emily, a team member. “Overall, it was a great time, and hopefully next year will be even bigger.”

That is certain, as Jonathon, who has been busy delivering the prizes to raffle winners, is already making ambitious plans for the 2012 Relay.

Hint — it’s going to involve a lot more Nerf guns, targets and dinosaurs — and even more fun!

World Creativity and Innovation Week, April 15 (Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday) through April 21, is a week to “celebrate the creative potential in all of us to make the world a better place.” Since its inception in 2002, more than 100 businesses, communities, and schools in over 40 countries hold Innovation Week activities to enliven the creative spirit and inspire people to use their imaginations and come up with new ideas that make a positive difference at home, at work and at school.

In Pittsburgh, where Davison is headquartered, we are used to celebrating creativity 365 days a year. Known for its innovative and can-do spirit, countless innovations have been created or founded in Pittsburgh that have improved the lives of millions, including the world’s first: wire cable that made suspension bridges possible, air brakes that enabled trains to stop safely, labor unions, electric lighting, public libraries, professional football, World Series, banana split, movie theater, radio broadcast, road map, EMT program, modern environmental movement, clean air legislation, polio vaccine, and the Big Mac, to name just a few!

Pittsburgh also is home to educational institutions that have led the way in innovation, such as CMU’s Robotics Institute, which has been leading the world in integrating robotic technologies into everyday life, as well as advancing the exploration of the solar system. Our medical facilities also are centers of innovation and have pioneered medical breakthroughs, such as advances in organ transplantation and genetics at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. As Andy Masich, CEO of Sen. John Heinz History Center states: “There’s no place on the planet that can equal Pittsburgh’s tradition of innovation.” The History Center’s groundbreaking exhibit “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation,” brings to life a variety of historical models from Pittsburgh’s 250-year history. Check out this great video that documents Pittsburgh’s creative legacy, and let’s all carry on the tradition of innovation!

The Perfect Serve, Davison’s new combination pizza cutter and spatula, is now for sale in Taylor Gifts, a popular online retailer. The innovative kitchen gadget makes it easier to neatly slice and serve a pizza without having to cut through repeatedly, or use your fingers to help dish it up.

We developed the Perfect Serve pizza cutter and with a non-slip rubber handle, so users can secure a tight grip as the stainless steel wheel slices through pizza crust and all of the toppings. The cutting wheel is located at the front of the spatula to avoid rubbing knuckles across hot pizza, and the contoured edge conforms to the crust of the pizza for serving it to friends and family. Not only great for pizza, it can also be used for dishing up dessert after dinner! 

This corporate product was invented and licensed by Davison for its own benefit.

The newest innovations in the sewing/crafting world have just hit the store shelves, and they all have a blue “D” on the package. Four Davison products/packages, including a client project that we developed for a corporation are now in Jo-Ann stores, a leading specialty retailer of crafting and sewing products.

The Better Bobbin, invented by our client, Thomas, provides an innovative and time-saving way to wind bobbins of all sizes without having to unthread a sewing machine – Congratulations, Thomas! The Quick Cut electric scissors provides a more convenient and precise cutting tool. The Travel Folding Stitcher’s Tools combines tape measure, scissors, needle threader, seam ripper, stiletto, and a removable magnifying glass in one. We also created interactive packaging for the Petite Press mini iron.

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit. The client has not made a profit on this product.

Update: Our client, Jean, was featured on ABC demonstrating the Meatball Baker in her kitchen during a newscast. She made perfect meatballs and showed how her dream became a reality.

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The Meatball Baker, an innovative new bakeware item we developed for our client, sold out of all units that were ordered for its debut on QVC from the International Housewares Show in Chicago (follow the link and click Videos to view the latest airing). The Meatball Baker has earned a Customer Top Rating on QVC.com. All customers who rated the product gave it 5 out of 5 stars and rave reviews! To quote just one: “I would LOVE to MEET the person who invented this marvelous pan. Talk about GENIUS!!”

“I just couldn’t believe it!” said our client, inventor of the Meatball Baker. She has great hopes and is receiving a royalty payment on each unit sold!

“It’s great when one of our client’s products gets in with a company like QVC,” said George Davison, CEO. “They have a tremendous marketing tool in their demonstration, which shows the product’s true functionality – cooking some of America’s favorite foods in a healthy way. I thought QVC did a great job and I couldn’t be happier for our client, Jean.”

Due to its initial success, the top-ranked home shopping network in the nation, which broadcasts via cable and satellite TV 24 hours a day to 90 million homes, will feature the Meatball Baker again in an upcoming broadcast. So, check back later for that date and for more exciting news.

In the meantime, View QVC’s on air presentation of this fantastic new bakeware invention!

Inventor’s Story:
We developed the new product for our client, Jean, a busy homemaker. She came up with her idea after getting discouraged whenever she cooked meatballs. They always got flat and cooked unevenly in the frying pan or oven and would sit in their own grease – unhealthy as well as unappetizing.

“I just didn’t like the way mine turned out,” Jean said. “I love to cook, although I’m not that good; but I love to try new things.”

One day, she came up with a solution that would solve both problems. She found Davison and submitted her idea, and the design team went to work. The final product has a unique, rounded rack system that holds and preserves the shape of meatballs and other foods, enabling them to cook evenly while keeping them completely out of the grease.

The product was licensed by a company specializing in extraordinary products for the home. Jean visited Davison while on vacation in 2007 to meet with those working on her project.

“It’s been great – you guys are very knowledgeable,” she said of her experience with Davison. “I was new to all this and I learned a lot.”

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.