AIBU - to give up on trying..

[Id02242730]

I’ve had an idea for a new product/innovation and I’ve researched it and genuinely think it’s a tangible idea. The problem is i have absolutely no funds to put up to even get this off to a start and given my family circumstances, unlikely to be able to come close to funding anything outwith our living costs for a few years. So my question is, would you throw in the towel or bust a gut trying to make something happen with no experience or money?
I have researched innovative companies online and government funding. There are companies who will take your idea and plan, research market etc but I am guessing they would take half or more of the whole concept/business/brand.
Is there anyone out there who knows or has started an idea from nothing? Successful or not? Good or bad I’m interested.
The government funding option might be worth exploring but I feel somewhat apprehensive about communicating my idea, someone takes it and I’m left like a lemon.
Pls don’t ask what it is 😆

I understand completely, my dh has had a few good ideas over the years but not known how to develop/had no funds and scared of people stealing the idea. Therefore never done anything. I would say well worth trying to find funding - would a just giving page or crowd funded thing work? Alternatively just be very careful when applying for funding - always give brief overview of idea but not details and always leave a crucial bit of info out?? That’s all I can think of good luck 👍👍

Some questions for starters:
Can you patent it? To be patentable it needs to be novel and not obvious.
If you can't patent, can you protect your idea using design rights?
Are you ready to go to manufacture or do you need to do some product design first?
Can you start with a few sales first? Or do you need to go large to get economies of scale?
Do you know what your profit margin will be?
Do you have a route to market?
Have you checked to see if the customers also think this is a good idea?

Can you start by making / providing low numbers? I would aim to do that, patent it as pp says, and see how you go.

A smaller selling 'thing' may well do much better than something needed to go wholesale, especially now.

Good luck!

I would start with Patent, Trademarks and anything else so no one can steal it.

Then I would look for small grant companies if I wanted to do everything myself or I would take time in researching the best companies who would want the item(s) and I would then approach but only once I had proof of everything being registered/Patent pending.

I was just about to say start with a patent to protect it. Once he starts selling, if he gets to that point, you can't patent it.

Dragons Den?