Here are the hard facts.

Fortune 500 companies don't want unsolicited ideas. You will find their
policy is a flat rejection letter. Why? They don't want the legal exposure
of later being accused of misappropriating the (unpatented) idea.

I suggest some alternatives. Patent the idea or process if novel,
non-obvious and not publicly presented for more that a year. Or.

Commericalize the idea through a smaller, specialized, more approachable
company and then sell the proven idea to a larger firm. With a smaller
company often non-disclosure, contracts and treating as a trade secret can
work. If the idea is worthwile it will migrate up the food chain.

I put at the bottom of the list commercializing the idea yourself. You have
to build too much support infrastructure for your company just to the get
idea to market. Too many investors confuse a feature with a product. A
product (automobile) can carry a company. A feature extends value within a
product.

Two guys tried to commercialize an automatic Christmas tree waterer a few
years ago. They build their own company. Too much work to sell a few
thousand items on a seasonal basis. They should have gone to a plastic
moulder with marketing contacts at specialty retailers and offered it as a
line item to be added into their current line. They way they wouldn't have
had to worry about financing, staffing, rent, keeping the bathrooms clean,
etc.

Bill Ragsdale
Good Fortune Advisory

Shhh,

Why are you sending the proposal to a Fortune 500 company? It is
unlikely they have a department to review unsolicited ideas.

You may do better with an investor or a small company that could be
related to your idea. Call them first. Don't waste your concept by
throwing it over the fence.

Frank

Shhh wrote:
- quote -

The only way is to find somebody at the company and discuss it with them. If
they are interested, you may get them to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Sending it in unsolicited one of 2 things will happen, it'll get rejected or
they'll keep it and use it.

"Shhh" <1123456[at]13254560.com> wrote in message
news:VaidncAruIRJhurfRVn-tw[at]adelphia.com...
- quote -

Hello all,

I apologize in advance if this isn't the correct forum... I interested in
writing a business proposal (basically a suggestion backed with intensive
research and number crunching) to a large fortune 500 company. I want to
know is there anything I can do to protect myself from the company simply
ignoring me and just using the idea on their own?

If you folks have any suggestions on ways to protect myself, I would really
appreciate it.

Thanks!
Shhh