In this webinar Deborah will explain simply (minus difficult legal jargon):
Checking out competitive brand uses
Determining trademark availability
Nationwide protection for your brand and logo
What needs to be protected when it comes to your brand
“Protecting Your Brand: Trademarks, Copyrights, and the Internet” is open to anyone interested in business but is highly recommended to those newly forming.
The webinar will take place Wed. December 14, 2011 at 12n – 1pm ET and is free of charge.
Odd little bits of financial news have a funny way of creeping through the cracks in between dreary market forecasts and predictions of economic apocalypse. If you haven’t heard, Warren Buffett bought $5 Billion worth of shares for Bank of America, and countered claims of being pressured to help out the ailing institution by giving his inspiration for the transaction; his bathwater. The Huffington Post explained his reasoning in their article about the story.
You do not need a heavy chain and padlock to keep your ideas safe.
As this shows, a quick idea in the oddest of places can have dramatic implications for the market. At least when $5 Billion is involved. But Warren Buffett’s willingness to share his inspiration is not something that is seen often, especially in times of economic duress. In fact, quite a few employees, entrepreneurs and freelancers seem to clam up when it comes to ideas. After all, how do you know your colleague isn’t going to steal that idea? Heck, how many wannabe Warren Buffett-s in the making have taken long soaks in the bathtub since this article came out? But without collaboration, ideas have a tendency to fester and die. Having a good sounding board can only help to strengthen an idea and test it against criticism.
So how does somebody share an idea, without the fear of losing credit for it? Here are three ways to share with others, without having to immediately run to the boss to stake your claim on it.
1. Find a group you trust and establish some sort of working relationship with the people in it.
It is fairly likely that you work next to a particular group of people, or are part of a specific team. In order for things to function smoothly, you have to get along with the people that you are in close proximity with. You may have even gone out to lunch or just hung out together when work got a little slow. Because a relationship is in place, they are much less likely to stab you in the back and steal your idea. Thievery is all about ease; it is hard to steal from somebody who you are closer to because the fallout would typically be harder to deal with than whatever you gained from stealing. Plus, most people aren’t complete sociopaths and would probably feel bad about not crediting the person who originally had the idea if they were friends. So if you want a group to vet ideas with, your team at work, or even the person who shares your cubicle, are great places to start. They are probably trained in the same field as you are, and would be a great place to get initial criticism. But if you are in an industry that seems borderline-sociopathic, and you probably know if you are, you can always get a copyright for your idea for you take this step.
Happy Monday everyone. As I sat here wondering what to write this blog post about, I reflected on an episode of The Simpsons I watched wherein Homer, in his new position as food critic, cries out “Aaw! it’s so hard to get to 500 words…” while attempting to write a review. I then realized how useful much of what Homer has said and done can be when applied to small businesses. So, as some easy reading this Monday, here are five business tips courtesy of Homer J. Simpson.
1. A good assistant can make all the difference – “Simpson and Delilah”
Karl:
You don’t belong here. You’re a fraud and a phony, and it’s only a matter of time until they find you out. Homer:
Gasp! Who told you? Karl:
You did. You told with me with the way you slump your shoulders, the way you talk into your chest, the way you smother yourself in bargain-basement lime-green polyester.
There are two great lessons we can learn from Homer’s foray into hiring an assistant. The first is that a lime green suit looks good on no man, regardless of how much hair is on his head. The other is to know what you need in an employee. Before you call in all of those potential applicants, draft up what you want to see in them.
Dynamic? Focused? A little withdrawn? A multi-tasker?
Homer needed someone to push him towards his potential, and hopefully you have an office environment that encourages the same thing. While your new hire probably shouldn’t mock what you are wearing, a little bit of pre-interview prep can make all of the difference in choosing your next employee.
2. Sometimes, you just need to step back and crack open a Tab – “King-Size Homer”
Homer:
[reading screen] “To Start Press Any Key”. Where’s the ANY key? I see Esk, Catarl, and Pig-Up. There doesn’t seem to be any ANY key. Woo! All this computer hacking is making me thirsty. I think I’ll order a TAB. [presses TAB key] No time for that now, the computer is starting.
Homer’s excellent comedic timing sometimes shadows the pearls of wisdom created by his reactions to the world around him. Mr. Simpson may not completely understand how to use a computer, but he does not panic. Instead, he takes a step back and collects himself. Analyzes his situation, every possible move being weighed in his mind, like a grand-chess master hoping to corner his opponent. And then, when he can find no path, he steps back and decides to crack open an arguably delicious Tab Cola.
It is that reaction away from the problem that brings Homer to its solution. Whenever you are sweating a deadline, or are hung up on a project, take a quick walk to your kitchen and grab something to drink. A few seconds away from the stress can do wonders to unclutter your mind.
3. You can always take the time to improve yourself – “Homer Goes to College”
Homer:
Woo-hoo! I’m a college man! I won’t need my high school diploma any more! I am so smart! I am so smart! I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean, S-M-A-R-T…
Homer is in his mid to late thirties, depending on the season and the writer; well past what we would consider the “college going age.” But here he is in all of his glory, destroying his GED, which has gotten him jobs ranging from Kwik-E-Mart part timer to Astronaut, as he prepares to embark on a quest for a college degree.
Homer was simply not satisfied… and was being threatened with termination from the nuclear plant. At any rate, he shows all of us that it is never to late to try and improve ourselves, or our business. Your company may be wildly successful in its field, but you shouldn’t just settle on that. If you can, look to expand to other shores and other products in an attempt to make your business even better.
4. Know the power of a Name – “Homer to the Max”
Homer:
[Homer is buying a shirt] … And I want the monogram to read “M-a-x P-o-w…” Store Clerk:
Sir, traditionally, mongrams are just your initials. Homer:
Max Power doesn’t abbrieviate! In his name, each letter is as important as the one that preceded it. Maybe even *more* important… No, *as* important. Store Clerk:
Fine. Homer:
And if there’s any room left, add a bunch of exclamation points and a pirate flag!
When Homer changes his name to Max Power after a TV show destroys all the credibility and goodwill attached to Homer Simpson, he heads into town to get his new title forever emblazoned on a new shirt. And he isn’t willing to simply settle on two simple letters; he knows he has to push his brand. Max Power. And a pirate flag with some exclamation points.
Homer knows the power of a name, and so should you. Your company’s name and logo is its brand, and with them comes all the hard work you put into marketing and establishing trust with your customers. While I wouldn’t recommend any pirate flags or gratuitous punctuation, you should follow Homer and try to get that brand more recognition. Also, be sure to protect your company with a trademark or a copyright, or else you too may have to think of something new, and it may not be as cool as Max Power.
5. Find love in your work – “Das Bus”
Marge
Is that my good butter? Homer
Can’t discuss that now, Marge! I have to write another delicious memo!
(Homer takes a pencil from the butter and licks it.) Homer
Mmm… memo…
Finally, Homer reminds us to love our work, or at least find the small things that make life enjoyable. Memos are terrible, monotonous little reminders of work that have to be carefully formatted and edited. But Homer, in his wisdom, links the headache of paperwork with the deliciousness of pure butter.
It really is the little things that get us through the day. You should enjoy your work, and enjoy what you do. So grab a nice cold Tab, some monogrammed shirts, a bit of butter and a donut with some purple in the middle; after all, purple is a fruit.
Starting a new business and growing an existing business require diligence and perseverance. An ongoing attention to acquiring new customers, building a brand and getting your business “out there” are required. It’s not easy to stay on top of everything, but without a brand and customers who will recognize and purchase based upon brand recognition and trust, it is difficult to continue to grow a business.
Logos and brands are a great way to gain recognition for your product or service. Building a brand often equates with building awareness and trust of your products or services. That’s why finding the right brand to represent your business is important. It’s important that customers can understand from your logo or brand name what your business is and what it stands for. Some businesses have a word that represents their brand. Some businesses choose a stylized way of representing their brand. Many have a slogan. Ours is “Entrepreneurs Welcome”, for example.
Whatever it is that makes your business your business, it’s important that it represents what your business does and what it stands for – enabling your customers to recall, use and then recommend your products or services. Ultimately, that is how a business can grow. Sometimes a brand or logo develop over time; sometimes it is developed before the business even gets off the ground.
If you need help developing your logo, our friends and partners and LogoDesignGuru are happy to help (see the offer to the right). Also, MyCorporation offers trademark searches and registrations that will protect your logo throughout the United States – a great way to protect the intellectual property your business has developed.
Many people often confused copyrights and trademarks or use them interchangeably when they actually protect different things. Copyrights typically protect original works of authorship such as novels, movies, songs, computer software and poetry. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, domain names, names, titles or slogan. Trademarks on the other hand protect a word, phrase, symbol or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods of one party from those of others.
Don’t forget! This week our very own Deborah Sweeney will be featured on Ventureneer for a free webinar on “Protecting Your Brand: Trademarks, Copyrights, and the Internet.”
