Early and often.

Early
Inactivity is a good way to destroy intellectual property.  In most countries, if you reveal an invention to the public before filing a patent application you lose the right to patent.  In many countries the same situation applies to designs.  In more and more countries trade mark rights go to the first person to file an application rather than the first person to use the trade mark.  It is therefore very important to take advice at the earliest opportunity to ensure that your ideas are well protected.

Often
IP rights that do not match your business needs can be a waste of money.  It is particularly important to ensure that:-

patents match evolving products and processes
designs reflect your latest products
trade marks cover your full range of goods and services
money is not spent maintaining irrelevant IP

Therefore, we advise regular contact to ensure that your IP portfolio is appropriate to your needs.