​The importance of an invention and its potential business opportunities are not necessarily clear from the get-go, which can make funding a challenge. Let’s dive into the different options you face when taking the first steps towards patent protection and discuss crucial things such as the timing of your application, availability searches and analysis of freedom to operate. You also may have heard about provisional applications that can be budget friendly, but are you aware of the disadvantages they can bring? We will cover the pros and cons and everything you need to know when applying for a patent. Even the other types of protection you can benefit from when a patent application turns out not to be an option.