INDEPENDENT inventors and entrepreneurs now have a place to show off their products without scrambling for limited retail shelf space. Their ideas will be “yakked about” by online consumers.

Started by an inventor/entrepreneur, Yak About It features products and ideas by small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. Founder Jeff Gawronski came up with the concept when trying to sell his product — he went to great lengths spending time and money to travel across the country. He thought, ‘Why isn’t there a site to propel products from independent companies?’

Since most individual entrepreneurs do not have huge expense accounts, Gawronski wanted to create a fun site that could get inventions noticed. As long as a product is somewhat inventive and isn’t part of a large company, inventors can fill out a form on the site under “submit your product”. Inventors then choose whether they want their item to stay on the site for a full day or a full week.

“Yak About It will not carry products from companies other than independent inventors or start-up entrepreneurs,” says Gawronski. “Larger companies already have successfully gained national distribution; furthermore, they have huge marketing budgets to build awareness.”

And the consumer even gets to a play a role in the process. Two products are featured and compete for the public’s votes, purchases and attention. Once each day’s or each week’s sales are calculated, the best-selling product receives the award as the “Most Yakable”. The “Most Yakable” gains the honour of staying on the site for a longer period of time.

Gawronski describes his website as having a “let’s check it out” kind of feel. Consumers and retailers can view unknown products. Consumers spread the word by making purchases, talking to others, tweeting about the product, etc.

“Big companies are big because the roadblocks have already been removed for them,” says Gawronski. “Our goal is to help the underdog.”

For more information, visit www.yakaboutit.com.

— Creators News Service