ARLINGTON — The Northwest Innovation Resource Center paid a visit to Arlington May 11 at the City Council Chambers with a two-part seminar.

The seminar started with NWIRC program manager Lara Merriam-Smith giving a presentation with the aim of making “starting business owners successful,” and then concluded with Vice President of Corporate and Workforce training at Everett Community College John Bonner, giving a presentation on resources available at EvCC.

Merriam-Smith’s presentation largely detailed the process involved in creating a product, such as discovering a need, how that product can address that need and the steps in patenting that product. Also knowing potential competition, customer input and conducting ample research is helpful as well.

“It can be really critical to spend a lot of time sometimes in product development before you can launch a product,” she said.

Many listeners found her advice helpful, such as Nels Rasmussen who came from Darrington. “For me, I was trying to get an overview on how to develop a product of mine,” he said. “Mine is a complicated idea.”

Rasmussen wants to develop an invention that helps stabilize disabled dogs and cats to walk as they rehabilitate.

In order to get that done, Rasmussen learned from the seminar that he would “need to build a team across several disciplines” or expertise, he said.

Other visitors traveled as far as Kent, such was the case for Charles Singleton who wants to launch a plunger cleaner.

“It’s something I see a need for,” he said, explaining that there doesn’t seem to be a convenient method in sanitizing a plunger.

He’s hoping to get components of it 3D-printed, and looking to get it prototyped and eventually manufactured. He found Merriam-Smith’s personal life experience in product development helpful, he said.

“She seems very knowledgable and can steer you in the right direction,” he said. “Just knowing she’s been there and done that.”