By Molly Lovell
Staff Writer

At one point or another, everyone has identified a solution to an everyday problem they believe could be a “million dollar idea,” said Kennebunk resident Justin Aiello.
Aiello is the person who many approach to make that good idea happen.
He formed Aiello Design, LLC in 2002 after working for a large product development firm in New York City for about 15 years.
He said inventors would often call the company he worked for with ideas, but the overhead was too expensive for the average inventor to afford.
“I take the same process and tailor it to the individual inventor,” he said.
When an inventor calls Aiello, the first thing he does is sign a confidentiality agreement with the client to ensure he won’t steal the idea. He also urges clients to view a tutorial on his Web site, www.aiellodesign.com.
Next, he searches to make sure the idea has not already been patented.
“Less than one half of one percent of patents are ever actually developed,” he said, adding that about 7 million patents currently exist in the United States.
“If you’ve never seen one for sale anywhere, it doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t been patented,” he said of an idea.

It’s common to find between 10 and 50 patents similar to an idea he is researching, Aiello said.
“All have the same end goal, but the details of how the idea is executed is different,” he said.
He said medication compliance products are popular and recently developed an invention that holds a month’s worth of medication, sorted out by time of day. It’s designed to alert the patient through a beeping noise if the medication hasn’t been taken. If the patient doesn’t notice that, sensors are triggered that send e-mails to family members alerting them that the dose wasn’t taken.
Aiello said such products are popular with the growing baby boomer population.
After a patent is secured, Aiello designs and engineers a prototype with a computer program similar to what’s used in designing vehicles and aircrafts.
He then orders parts for the prototype using a manufacturing technology called stereolithography.
Aiello said it’s like putting the design in one end of a printer and having the actual part produced on the other end.
“What used to take a couple months can now be produced in less than a week,” he said.
With prototype in hand, Aiello said the inventor is able to test the product on the market.
“Ninety-nine times out of 100 it’s going to require refinements,” he said.
Aiello said an item that sells for $5 could cost a couple thousand dollars to develop, which is why he calls inventing somewhat of a “rich man’s sport.”
Aiello said his average client is older and has a disposable income.
“It’s someone who can look at this as a learning experience and do it for enjoyment,” he said.
Kennebunkport resident, Charlie Oransky has used Aiello’s services to develop fitness equipment.
Oransky, 50, owner of the Workout Fitness Store in South Portland, said he has projects on the “back burner’
“It’s ready to go, but the economy went sour,” he said.
Aiello urges inventors to be wary of the pleas to “Call now for your free inventor’s kit,” often used in television commercials that advertise invention promotion companies.
He said inventors could spend anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 with one of those companies and see little result, as fewer than one in 1,000 people recoup that cost.
A member of the Better Business Bureau and touting a clean record, Aiello urges inventors to do their homework regarding who they trust with their ideas.
Since 2002, Aiello said he’s been involved in developing about 20 products, but down the road would like to become more of an investor in the products he develops.
“Right now I have 30 bosses,” he said of clients.
“It wouldn’t be fair to devote all of my attention to one of them,” he said.
He  said he loves his job because every day is different, dealing with fishing lines one day and adult-oriented products the next.
“I never know what’s going to be next,” he said.

Molly Lovell can be contacted at 282-4337, ext. 223 or news@kennebunkpost.com.