Transcripts
1. Name Your Company with Confidence: Hey, there. As a
marketing entrepreneur, I follow a simple process for developing creative
business names. Then once I finalize
the new company name, there are five steps
that I follow to create the initial level of trademark
protection for that name. In this short two-part class, I'm going to teach you the
simple steps for coming up with a great name
for your new business. Plus the initial and free steps you can take to protect
that great new name. And yes, I did say free. If you're starting
a new business, you really should
take 15 min and watch this class because this, these are two pieces
of information that all entrepreneurs
really should know. At some point when you decide to start a new business or
create a new product, you're going to need a name for that business or the
product creating. Many times wherever you
started calling it and the beginning sticks and you
move forward with that name. And this organic
process of choosing a name may set you up to have to change the name after you've invested time and energy
in that name because you discover that that names
already been trademark or that it has an unintended
meeting to some people. Or it's simply doesn't work with your intended
target market. Following the simple process that I lay out in this class, allows you to use your
creativity when choosing a name, but to also adhere to an important guideline and to do the critical research
in choosing a name. The guideline is to always think about how your
target market would view the name and the researchers to make
sure the name is available, both from a legal standpoint
and a real-world standpoint. If you develop a name that
you feel will work well with your target market and it
passes that availability test. The next step is the claim
that name as your trademark. By following the five
steps that I'm going to show you in the second
part of this class. You can claim that name as your trademark and
start creating that very first level
of trademark protection provided as a common
law trademark. Developing a unique name for your new business or product can pay off insignificant ways throughout the life
of your business. It can set you apart
from your competition. It can help you build your
customer base through word of mouth and
ease of recognition. Think about Amazon or
YouTube or Starbucks. I urge you to work your way
through the naming process, the lad layout here
in this class to find that great name
for your new business. In this simple process, you are free to be as
creative as you want, but you'll also end up with
a name that is available and one that adheres to the most
important marketing rule. And that rule is, what
would my customer think when you take the steps to claim and
protect that name, azure common law, trademark, you are protecting
both the name and that time and effort that
you've invested in that name, it takes a significant amount of time and resources to obtain full trademark registration from the US Patent and
Trademark Office. And as a startup, you may not have the
time or resources or be ready to invest that
level of time and resources. So this makes it even more
important for you to claim and protect your name as a common
law trademark from day one. So if you're ready,
let's start by finding your very own Amazon.
2. Name Your Company- A Step-by-Step Guide: If you decided your
new businesses ago, before you dive into
building the business, you need a name. Choosing the right name can be a crucial element in the
success of your business. So you need to approach
his choice with a plan. And in this video, I'm going to guide you through the steps that you should go through
when choosing a name for your new company. The first step in naming your company is to
define the brand. You need to know what you want your company to represent
to your target audience. And an, to do this, you got to know who your
target audience is. So if you know who
your target audience is and how you want that
audience to perceive your brand. You can choose a name
that both aligns with your mission and resonates
with your customers. Bottom line is a good name
should be both memorable and easy for customers to
associate with your brand. Now, once you have some
level of understanding of your target market
and how you want to be perceived by
the target market. You can start
brainstorming to come up with a list of
potential names. When you're brainstorming,
think about what makes your business unique, the products or
services you offer, and how you want your customers
to perceive your brand. Write down any ideas
that come to mind, even if they seem
weird, unconvinced, or even silly, you want
to write them down. You may want to brainstorm
names that have relevance to your industry or the product or services
that you offer. I named my very first
advertising agency after an ad agency in a popular TV sitcom said it was a fun tongue in
cheek kind of move, but it also was a name that
related to an ad agency, So it worked for us. You can also consider combining
words or even using pons. Or you can play with
the spelling of the name and come up with
something very unique. When you're doing
this, come up with as many as possible
and then take a critical look at your list and start narrowing that list down, keeping in mind how
the name will be perceived by your
potential customers. Now once you get that shortlist, it's really important
to make sure that it isn't already in use, somebody that already
using that name. So obviously you want to
start with a Google search, didn't do a YouTube search, and then go to the social
media platforms to see if your desired name is already being used by another company. Make sure to check for
variations of the name, such as the singular
or plural forms, and you should even look for common misspellings
of those names. Now from there, the next
step is to check to see what domain names are available for the names on the shortlist. You can easily check domain
name availability on GoDaddy or try to find a domain name that is similar to
your business name, easy to remember
and easy to spell. The other important step is a trademark search
to make sure that your desired name doesn't infringe on any
existing trademarks. I always try to
plan for success. So even if I'm may not plan to register a trademark
with a name right away. I still want to know if
that is a possibility for now or in the future when I'm ready to actually
file that trademark, you do a trademark search at the United States Patent and
Trademark Office website, which is uspto.gov. There you can search a database
of registered trademarks. And if you find any conflicts, you want to dig a little
deeper to determine if those trademarks are designated for similar products
or services. And if they're not, you may still be able to
register your name. Now, if the names on
your shortlist are easy to pronounce and spell
at the very good thing, a simple, easy to
pronounce name will be easier for your customers to remember and share with others. And your business
name should always be easy to spell so that customers can find your business online and remember
your web address. Be aware that certain
words or phrases may have different meanings in different
cultures or languages. If you know your target market, you should be able
to determine if the names are considering have any negative connotations and the cultures are languages
of that target market. Now, once you've
narrowed that list down to one or two
names and you've done the research to know you can comfortably use those names. It's time to get feedback. So take those top choices and show them to
friends and family. And best of all, if you can show it to
potential customer and ask them which names
they liked the best, which ones they find memorable, and which ones they find
confusing or hard to remember. Do not discount their feedback when making your final decision. You can also conduct
surveys, focus groups. You can even run a
social media poll to gather additional data. Remember, a smart
business person listens to feedback and input, particularly from any
potential customer. Choosing a business aim is a really important
decision and it is important for you
to take the time to find a name that
you're happy with. Don't rush it. Take your time to research and consider
your options. A good business name can impact your brand
for years to come. So it is worth taking the
time to find the route one. At this point, you should have your new name
researched and chosen. Now it's time to get
that name protected. The next lesson in this
class will show you the five steps to do just that.
3. 5 Steps to Protect Your Name: As an entrepreneur,
you know that protecting your
brand is important and can be an essential element in the success of your business. So once you've chosen a good, distinctive name for
your new business, It's time to claim that name
as your brand and trademark. And the first step in protecting your brand
name or logo is to establish that brand as
your common law trademark. And the good news is, this can be done for free. And when you
establish that brand Azure common law trademark, you will get the first level of legal protection for your brand. I have successfully
defended two of my own common law trademarks in separate trademark disputes. And I was successful in
both disputes because I executed five simple
but crucial steps. In this video, I'll
walk you through those five crucial steps to protecting your brand with
a common law trademark. By taking these steps, you can comfortably move forward with use of your new company named knowing that you have claimed that trademark as yours. Step one, anytime you
use your trademark, place the TM symbol next to it. The TM symbol is used to
indicate that you're claiming common law rights to
their trademark and by consistently using
the TM symbol, you're putting others on notice that you're claiming
the trademark and you have established common law rights
to that trademark. Step two is use that
trademark in commerce. Common law rights are
built up over time through your use of the
trademark and commerce. To establish and protect
your trademark rights, it is important to
use the trademark in daily business activities and in connection with your
goods and services. This includes using the
trademark on packaging, on invoices in your
advertising and all materials associated with
your goods and services. Now with common law
trademark protection, your use of the trademark should be ongoing
and consistent. So step three is continuously
use the trademark. Continuous use of your
trademark with a TM next to it is important to build in common law rights
to the trademark. If you stop using the trademark even for
a short period of time, your common law rights
and the trademark may be lost to help maintain your Ron consistently attach the TM on the first use of your trademark
in any communication, content or advertising
that's used in the public. Step four, you need to monitor
the use of the trademarks. It's important to
monitor the use of your trademark and
to be vigilant about others who
may be using the same or a similar trademark. If you become aware of someone else using a similar trademark, you should take steps to protect your rods
to your trademark. And I would start
by sending a cease and desist letter
from your attorney. And step five, you need to keep records of your use
of the trademark. Keep records of your
use of that trademark, including your copies of the
advertising that you do, the packaging that you create, all your business
documents that include that trademark and
any other materials that feature your trademark, also document any website or social media use
of your trademark. This is all important to
establishing and protecting your rights in the event that there's a dispute
over your trademark. If there is, these
records can help demonstrate your use of
the trademark and can be used in evidence in court
to support your claim of common law rights and
protection for your trademark. I want both of my trade bark
just fused because I simply documented the date
and the US trademark. And I'm religious about
using that little TM. Common law trademarks
are an important tool for establishing that very
first level of protection for your brand by
using your mark consistently and always
with that little TM, you can establish a
common law trademark and take legal action against anyone who uses your mark without
your permission. Remember, your brand is one of the most valuable
assets you have, and it's important to take the necessary steps
to protect it.
4. Next Steps - Project: For your class project, please document your journey
and process and choosing your new name and share it
with us here on Skillshare. Take us through the journey
you went through from the first name or names you came up with for your new business, all the way to your final
decision on the name that works best for you and
your new business. Tell us about any issues or problems that
you encountered. Did you find competitors
that have similar names? Did you figure out that
the names you chose that already been registered as
trademarks at the USPTO. If so, were those names
registered for products or services similar or the same
as your product or service. Again, please share this
information here on Skillshare so others can learn from your
shared experience. And I have one more thing
that I want to ask. If you please take a moment to review this class
here on Skillshare, your input is truly
appreciated and I promise I will take your input to heart and use it to
improve my classes. To be better at educating and supporting other
entrepreneurs like yourself. Be sure to check out my other
classes here on Skillshare, and thanks so much
for your time. I hope the information
is class has helped you move forward
with the new business. And if you've got any
questions or input, feel free to reach
out to me directly. My email is kin at lapp
listens for business.com. Okay, that's it for this class. I'm going to get back to business and you
should do the same. Cheers and best of luck.
Ken Vernon, Life Lessons 4 Business
