By 
People have great ideas all the time. What they probably do not know is how to give it the time it deserves. A plan is like your own brainchild that needs nurturing and care. Also, you cannot wander around aimlessly. It is essential to know what to do with your idea. One thing’s for sure; you cannot start talking to people at random. That’s a clear no-no. If you are serious about the idea you have had, you need to do everything possible to protect it. If it is stolen, someone else will get to make money out of it.
Table of Contents
An idea materialized
If you have an idea for an invention, the first thing on your mind would be to get a patent. But the process often seems too complex. And you often do not know what people to include. For example, it is tough to find genuine design invention services that would understand your project. Most design invention services would not invest the effort required to bring your idea to life, and you should thus be careful in choosing only the best. Top design invention services would help you in product design conceptualization, prototyping, as well as acquiring both design and utility patents. This must give you a little idea of the challenge to come, however, with the following steps in your mind you can easily turn your idea into a reality-
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Documentation-
As previously iterated, everyone has great ideas. But what’s next? As the immediate next step, you need to document your idea. This serves as proof of you coming up with the ideas for the invention. Write down everything you thought of, how the idea came to be, how would it work, what all do you think would be required for a prototype, etc.
Another important thing to address here is the concept of a ‘poor man’s idea.’ If you have not heard of it, it entails writing down all of your ideas and emailing it to yourself as a proof of date and time. In reality, however, it is barely of any use in a court of law. What you should do is write down your ideas in something called an inventor’s journal. Oh, and also, have a witness sign it. If you do not want to spend a lot of money, just buy any bound notebook whose pages cannot be taken out and put back, and are consecutively numbered.
Not only is it infinitely better than a ‘poor man’s idea,’ but it would also serve you well for the duration of the entire process to come later.
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Research-
No lies, but this might be the toughest part for most people out there. This is because of two reasons. Firstly, it requires one to buckle down and get to work. You are officially on track to make your idea a reality. Secondly, a lot of ideas would be able to go no further. This is because research would reveal if the idea has been patented before or if it is unmarketable.
Majorly, there are two things this research step contains. The first is to do a patent search. You can do this yourself for free or hire a patent attorney to do it for you. Secondly, make sure that your idea is marketable. Ask yourself what problem this invention solves. If there is any competition in the market, how is it priced? And whether you will be able to compete with that.
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Prototype-
Now, after you know that your invention is unique and marketable, you need to get to work on designing and developing a prototype. Worry not; you do not have to get an engineering degree for this. At this step, you can involve design invention services that would work with you to bring your idea to life. These seasoned professionals would assist you to the best of their ability to use 3D design software and printers. Getting the prototype ready is an essential part of the process, as it is here that you will discover flaws in the design. Corrections will be made on the fly, which would ultimately lead to design improvement.
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Patent filing-
After you have the working prototype ready, it is time to file a patent. The first major decision here will be to know if you have to file for a utility patent or a design patent. While filing for and getting a design patent is easier, it also makes it easier for competitors to exploit design loopholes. On the other hand, it is much tougher to copy a well-written utility patent. You absolutely must consult an expert before filing for the patent and get all the information reviewed.
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Hit the markets-
After you have successfully secured a patent for your invention, it is time to make a dream come true. To introduce a product in the market you can do one of two things. You can either sell the product yourself or license it out to other companies. The first option would require significant business expertise and investment (also risk). But you get to keep the entirety of profits to yourself. The latter option would only earn you royalties of around 5% but would save you from setting up the entire business yourself. In the long run, they usually balance themselves out, but the call is yours.
Takeaway
If you are to remember one thing after reading this much, know that patience is key. Even though you follow all the steps very well, it often takes many years for an idea to become a reality, with some even taking decades. At all points in the process, do not lose hope, and keep your motivation intact. Your belief in your idea is what will carry you through the finish line.
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