I have this idea for a great invention but I don’t know were to start, tips?

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Right now, you have only an idea, which unfortunately isn’t worth anything.

If your invention is something tangible (a product), then before you spend any time trying to build it, first see if the idea has already been patented (Google Patents or USPTO Office). If it hasn’t been patented, then your next step is to build a prototype. Either do it yourself, hire someone, or convince someone to help you create it. If it doesn’t do what you want, keep iterating.

If you have an idea for a new graphic/logo/book (intellectual property), then create it and copyright it. That will protect the words/images.

If you have an idea for a new process (way of doing something), then you’ll need to first confirm that your process works. You won’t be able to patent it (you can patent the algorithm if it’s part of something tangible).

Once you have tested your idea, then you’ll want to decide what to do about it. Patents are useful if you have the money to protect them (in court) and/or you want to sell the idea to someone else. Otherwise, simply build it and realize that the more people that see it, the greater the likelihood someone may want to copy it. However, people will only copy it if it’s something that’s already making money or they can figure a way to get it to market easily.

Eventually, you may want to create non-disclosures, etc. For more information, I recommend the book: Patent It Yourself.