I have an idea, what do I do next?

I am natutally a creative person, over the course of my career  I have been able to channel this creativeness into my work. Since I was made redundant in 2008 I have continued to have many ideas for things, however I have not quite known what to do with them all. usually I  think about them for a few days and then they fizzle out to nothing. I hit my brick wall then walk away.

The idea for my invention struck me one night, it was a very unglamourous setting I might add! I was sitting on the floor in the utility room folding washing when I had my eureka moment. I abandoned the washing and went and told James my idea, he liked it, so I rang my mum, she liked it too. I was on the internet into the early hours trying to find out if the invention already existed, it didn't!

Ok, so where to go next with this idea, just because I thought it was good didn't mean others would think it was good. So, I decided to follow it untilI hit my brick wall, knowing at least I would have tried.


After some research I discovered there are  many companies out there that will review an idea for free after signing a non disclosure agreement(NDA). I plucked up the courage to call one of them and they sent me some information by email and a pack in the post.

After the NDA was signed, I sent them drawings and a brief explanation of what my idea was. I was very nervous about being laughed at. A few days later I got a call to say my idea had been reviewed and that the initial internet search they had done showed nothing like it. If I wanted to get to the next stage with them then I would need to have CAD (computer aided designs) work done, other drawings and eventually a prototype made. Now you can imagine this didn't come cheap. £2k+ for the drawings and a further £2k+ for the prototype. A patent search would be £500 and all of this plus VAT ofcourse!

The suspicious side of me was thinking 'are they just saying they like my idea so that I spend money with them'? I was starting to doubt my idea, oh yes, plus I had not got this money to spend!! Had I hit my brick wall already,

Using the information I had been given and the steps necessary to get my idea presentable to anyone, I thought about which bits I could do myself, erm none. I could not do CAD or build a prototype but if I could find someone to build me a prototype then that would be a great start.

More research on the internet showed up a local firm that could build me a prototype for around £100: Perfect! They didn't require CAD to build the prototype, just a rough sketch on some paper would be adequate. It didn't need to look pretty, it just needed to work.

A week later with the 2 eldest monsters at school I dropped the 2 youngest monsters at my mums and went to collect my prototype, my new baby!!

Next week: Testing the prototype.

Important info
Always get a NDA signed by anyone you are discussing your idea with