The other day I had an idea. It's a relatively simple idea, but I don't see it being commercially exploited anywhere and I think it's very exploitable.

Anybody know what I should do next?

The idea is simple enough that in a way I almost wonder if it is valid to patent it. Obviously I don't want to give anything away. The guidance on the ipo website is pretty vague, is there any place I can get some examples of what can and cannot be patented?

I had a gander at the UK intellectual property office, and it looks like Patent applications are quite expensive. Does anybody know if there's any cheaper way I can find out if this idea has already been covered by someone else?

If I do decide to go ahead with a Patent application, does anybody know what I should include in the application? Since they are so expensive, I'd be keen to get it right first time.

In brief, has anyone here been through this process before, or is anyone able to advise me on protecting this idea?