How do I get my idea going?

[rgm82]

Hello all,
I'm new to this site, first time posting. Here's my situation: I have come up with an idea for an invention that I think has some potential. It's based on a pre-existing device that I use in my highly specialized line of work, but I think with a few modifications it could be reformatted for a slightly different purpose and marketed to consumers. I'm pretty sure it would sell, it might be a niche market but I've shared the idea with a lot of my friends and most of them have said they would probably buy one if it existed.

Problem is I work in a creative/technical field, I have little knowledge of anything business related. I have no idea how to get this idea going and was hoping for a little advice on that. It wouldn't be immensely complicated to build, but I think it's more than I could handle myself. I don't think the materials would be all that expensive either, but I don't know how I'd go about getting them. I've been told that there are people out there who specialize in building prototypes of people's inventions but I have no idea what they charge or how to find them. And I don't know how to acquire a patent.

Finally, once I have the prototype built and patented, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of what to do next. I guess I'd probably want to sell the design and make some income off the revenues, but I really wouldn't know where to start with that. It would be helpful I suppose to have some sort of business savvy partner to handle things on that end and possibly even invest some capital to get the prototype built, but I'm not even sure how to find one of those, I really know very few people outside of my own field of work. Any body have any tips or advice on how to get this idea moving? Any input is appreciated.

[bozzie123]

im currently doing a business mangement degree, so i believe i can help with most of the things you just mentioned, maybe we can work together email nboswell90 at gmail.com

[PapaSpot]

Sounds like you have a lot of "I don't knows". If you have some time on your hands, I recommend using the internet to find out everything you can, whether it's the price of materials, the patent process, etc. I have found from experience that if you don't know things, you will be taken advantage of, or make wrong decisions. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

You said you use this device in your "Highly Specialized" line of work, but your invention will be marketed to consumers. First of all, do you think the average consumer will use a device normally used in a specialized line of work? This seems to me like a red flag (from an investors standpoint).

It's good that you're asking questions and moving forward, but you need to do your research to insure you don't get ripped off by scammers. There are people who will take advantage of you, simply because of your lack of experience in a certain area.