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Dec 29 2016

Starting a New Enterprise and Making Your Mark in 2017

ari-2

This time of year is for me always a thrilling time for renewal. I still recall the excitement I felt when I chose my business name one January several years ago. Like many of you, there is a story behind why I chose the name I did and since then the name anchors and motivates me to keep working at my business to make it the best it can be.  So, for those of you embarking on a new entrepreneurial endeavour in 2017, I thought I would share some insights to help you get going with a great name and on an intellectual property savvy note.

  1. Choosing a Name for Your Business – Do a business name and trademark clearance search.

Bottom line, choosing a business name has to be done carefully. You have to choose a name which is not too similar to a competitor’s name and which can become distinctive of the goods and services you will be providing.

Once you zero in on a potential name, it is best (and in some cases required) to conduct name clearance searches. These searches are done before registering a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship to carry on business in Canada and to use a name as a trademark to brand your business.

Just because you can register a business name does not mean, however, that you have clearance from a trademark point of view.  While promising to get into the details in a future blog post, just keep in mind, for now, that a business name identifies your business and a trademark is a way of distinguishing your goods and services from the goods and services of competitors. These two different applications of a name require different types of searches.

For under $50 you can start with a NUANS search, which can be requested through a number of service providers online, or by your corporate attorney, if you are working with one. Depending on the results, you can get a more complete trademark (clearance) search done by a trademark agent. The cost of a robust trademark search can vary depending on how thorough you need it to be, but will typically range between $600 to $850.

Investing in these kinds of searches could save you thousands in the short and long term. The financial and reputational costs associated with defending against allegations of trademark infringement add up quickly when you have to account for rebranding, legal defence and lost business opportunities. An initial consultation with a trademark professional can help you better understand your particular business context for the purposes of getting the best risk assessment bang for your due diligence search buck.

  1. Getting a Logo for Branding – Ensure you have the copyrights you need to use it in all business activities.

A logo is a design graphic with or without words, and may or may not include your business name. It is intended to be used as a trademark and can obviously become a powerful branding tool. Before a logo takes on the quality of trademark in the hands of a business owner, however, the question of copyright clearance must first be addressed.

As designs, logos typically have sufficient aspects of original expression to be regarded as artistic (visual) works, protected by copyrights upon creation. In Canada, when a graphic design artist is hired as a contractor to create an original logo, he or she still owns the copyrights in the logo even if paid to create it by a business owner. While the business owner will have certain rights to use the logo in their business by virtue of the arrangement with the graphic design artist, those rights will not necessarily be unfettered.  For example, if a graphic designer creates a logo for use to brand health food products, the business owner would not necessarily have the rights to later on use the logo to brand candy products.

The only way for a business owner to eliminate doubt about using a logo in connection with different business activities, is to get a written assignment of copyrights and waiver of moral rights from the graphic design artist once the logo is created. Alternatively, the business owner can ask the graphic design artist to confirm by way of a written license or consent document the scope of their rights to use the logo.

After the question of copyright clearance has been addressed, the question of trademark clearance still applies as described above for business names, since it is not unusual for independently designed logos to take on similar appearances in certain industries. If you are concerned about costs mounting up, then do your best to make sure the logo you get designed is distinctive, and check in with a trademark professional that can help you assess the risks of searching or not searching for similar designs in relation to your particular business context.

With that said, let me take a moment to conclude by wishing you all a fabulous New Year of business success in 2017. Let’s make Canada’s 150th the best year yet for Canadian Small Business Women!

 

Ariadni Athanassiadis is the lead attorney of Kyma Professional Corporation, which provides intellectual property (IP) legal services to help your business develop and benefit from the creative efforts and assets that make it distinctive. Whether it is your brand, product, services, designs, technology or business processes, Ariadni can help design IP legal solutions which let you make the most of what you give to your business.

———————————

Ariadni Athanassiadis

Kyma Professional Corporation

T: 613-327-7245

E: ariadni@kymalaw.com

W: www.kymalaw.com

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Ariadni Athanassiadis · Tagged: 2017, Ariadni Athanassiadis, business name, choosing a name, design, Kyma Professional Corporation, logo, making your mark, NUANS, rebranding, trademark

Oct 13 2016

Business Startup 101: 10 Steps to Startup Success

FB Pic

Starting a business can be a daunting process for some.  These steps will help you take make your idea a reality. All you need is an idea and motivation.  Now dive in!

  • Review your business idea and see what problem it solves. You want to ensure that it is a business that is not saturated in your market.  If there are an abundance of businesses of your type, you need to address how you will market your business so that it stands out from others in your business plan.  That brings us to our next step – the Business Plan.
  • Make a Business Plan: I usually get a lot of flack for this because a lot of potential entrepreneurs do not see the value in preparing a business plan.  Your business plan doesn’t have to be 20 pages long, a simple 2 page plan can be just as effective.  You essentially need to have your business goal, marketing plan, and your financial plan in order and the rest will come into play.
  • Register your business:
    • Determine your business type. This is a good place to consult with your accountant or your tax advisor.  They can help you determine with pros and cons for each business type and how it will affect you and your finances.
  • Business Name: your business name is VERY important. The worst thing to me is having a business that does not tell your potential clients anything about your business.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have a very large marketing budget and you have a plan type that solves a huge industry problem, people will get to know who you are.  Choose a name that will help your business propel
  • Logo: Not essential, but it does help with your branding
  • Online presence: ensure that your name or handle is available on all platforms. Try to understand the importance of online presence, Google ranking and SEO.
    • Website Domain
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
  • Licenses and Permits: If this applies
  • Set your launch date and start planning getting the buzz going
  • Find partners who have similar target audiences and develop strategies that can benefit both your business’
  • Business Development Plan: most small businesses forget this stage.  Having a successful business requires constant development.  As a business owner, you must figure out ways that can keep your business relevant.  A part of your development should involve polling your audience to see what their needs are and figuring out how to satisfy those needs.

Have start-up questions?  As us.

Dwania is the Founder and Executive Director of Canadian Small Business Women Contact Canadian Small Business Women:

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Canadian Small Business Women · Tagged: 10 steps to startup success, business development, business name, business plan, business startup, Canadian Small Business Women, Dwania Peele, Facebook, Instagram, license, Linkedin, logo, permits, Pinterest, Problem Solving, register, success, Twitter

Jun 07 2014

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – it’s not all garbage!

Sheralyn

I don’t like to reinvent the wheel.  It’s been done and frankly it seems to work rather well.  So when I hear a concept that intuitively makes sense, I like to think about its adaptability to the business environment and in particular, the small entrepreneur. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle seems a natural concept to reuse in the business world and here’s why.

As small business owners we don’t have the budget for multiple and varied advertising campaigns and we might only have one shot at getting website content that works.  We need to be as efficient as possible and what could be more efficient than recycling? If you’ve spent the time, energy and money investigating key word searches and search engine optimization tools to help you determine your website content, why wouldn’t you use those same words for all your business materials?  Start by maximizing the use of those words throughout your site. I advise my clients to use “the rule of 10.”  When considering your value or vision statement, that is, the words you use to you advertise your business, attract new customers and describe the service you offer, make it 10 words or less.  Reduce the amount of words then reuse them throughout the site.  Too much repetition will annoy Google so inserting key words every second word in a sentence isn’t the goal but rather, to aim for a creative sprinkling of those words on each of the pages within your site.  Only reuse the good ones!

Now to “reduce.”  Since we are talking about garbage, let’s be frank…many websites contain a whole lot of garbage.  Reduce it!  Have a good, hard look at the words on every single page of your site. Do they all need to be there?  Do they make sense? Has information changed since you first created your web presence?  It might be time for a revamp. I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating (see, I’m reusing) have some one else take a look at your site, a friend or a business associate who is willing to give you good, sometimes hard, honest feedback.  A Mother-in-law is great for this. “Garbage in is garbage out” as the saying goes so make sure your chosen critic won’t be filling your head with what you want to hear but rather, what you need to hear.  Then reduce, reduce, reduce.  More often than not what started as a 500 word essay on why your product is better than anyone else’s can be succinctly described in 100 words or less – but they are the best 100 words you’ve ever written!

Recycling in terms of this article simply means, once you’ve created your vision, logo and key value statements – recycle them over and over on ALL of your advertising materials.  Choose words that make sense on a business card, fit within an advertorial or brochure format and that still work on your website too.  Another term for this of course, is BRANDING.  By recycling key words on all your business paraphernalia you’re establishing your brand while not reinventing the wheel! Too often I see people who have a business card with one slogan, brochures that say something different and a website that looks nothing like the first two.  It’s like they couldn’t decide which version worked best so they just use all three and consistency be darned!  Consistency though, is critical. Avoid confusion by being clear and concise so that continuity of your message is what the reader remembers.  Shakespeare wrote an entire play around the words “To be or not to be?” but if you really think about it – as Hamlet contemplated his very existence on this earth – doesn’t that question truly sum it all up? Hamlet: reduced, reused and recycled.  You should do it too!

 

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Sheralyn Roman · Tagged: 10 words or less, advertising campaigns, branding, business card, business development, Canadian Small Business Women, efficient, entrepreneur, Garbage, garbage-in, garbage-out, Hamlet, logo, paraphernalia, recycle, Reduce, reinvent the wheel, Reuse, rule of 10, Shakespeare, Sheralyn Roman, small business, small business development, To be or not to be?, value statement, vision, website content, Writing Right For You

Mar 04 2014

Maintaining A Professional Presence On Social Media

Praveeni Perera

Social media has become a staple in both our personal and professional lives. It is a public platform for sharing our skills, views and expertise.  But like all tools and inventions that help us it is not without its faults.  Maintaining an online presence through social media is essential as it allows professionals to connect with clients, potential employers, and prospective customers.It is important to understand how to manage your digital identity, as web content is often permanent once posted.

Here are a few tips for maintaining your professional presence online :

1. Put your best face forward
Choosing an appropriate profile photo is essential to creating your professional brand online and solidifying your digital identity. Think about what style and image you want to portray through your photo.

When choosing a profile photo for social media profiles bearing your name, choose a clear and recognizable photo that shows your face.  For profiles bearing the name of your  business choose a photo that clearly identifies your company name or logo. Picture quality and sharpness should also be considered. It’s a good idea to invest in a professional photo shoot to get some head shots and other photos to use on social media.

 2. Share content that is relevant to your industry
Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family but your professional profiles should showcase your skills and expertise.  The best way to do this is by sharing content that is specific to your own industry or specialty, be it your own blog and website content or that of other industry specific publications.

3.  Say Thank You
Your online presence wouldn’t count for much without people to read your content so don’t take your supporters for granted. As a professional you should always acknowledge and thank your followers. If you manage a Facebook page make it a point to thank your supporters and those who like your page. If you use twitter acknowledge new followers as soon as possible and thank them for joining you on twitter.

4. Keep it positive
Avoid posting any negative, offensive or derogatory content. It’s always better to stay positive on social media and avoid conflicts or disputes. Posting derogatory or controversial content and engaging in online fights can malign your digital identity and portray you in a negative light.

5. Be consistent
Consistency is key when managing your online presence. It’s best to come up with a social media schedule for updating your profiles and content. Don’t neglect your online presence as followers and supporters will notice your absence, and once lost followers can be difficult to win back. You can manage and schedule your updates and content using social media management tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer. Both of these tools allow you to schedule updates weeks in advance.

Updates containing photos can be tricky to schedule and although Hootsuite allows you to add photos, Buffer is a better tool for scheduling content with photos as it posts the photo directly unlike Hootsuite which diverts users to the application’s page containing the photo.

6. Differentiate content between social media profiles
With tools such as Buffer and Hootsuite it’s easy to schedule the same update across many different social media platforms, however differentiation is important.

Organize your post content according to your target audience or followers on each platform. Do not link all your profiles together, although it may be tempting pairing your Twitter and LinkedIn updates is not a good idea. Try to come up with different content for each platform, so followers can be more engaged. Varying content amongst platforms will help you increase your reach as followers will have to tune in to all your social media profiles in order to get the full picture.

 7. Don’t get too personal
Although social media allows you to interact with clients and employers, your professional presence should remain professional. Avoid posting any content that contains profanity, is controversial or is overly personal on your professional profiles.

It’s a good idea to have two separate profiles one for personal content and one that’s strictly professional. Your professional profiles should also be readily accessible by clients, customers and employers,  but your personal profiles should be more guarded. As a rule of thumb do not post any content that you wouldn’t want the world to see. Before posting anything on either personal or professional profiles ask yourself : would I be alright with this content being up on a billboard? If your answer is no then don’t post it!

Praveeni Perera is the CEO and co-founder of Professional Edge Consulting a corporate training company based in Ottawa offering training and coaching services to clients around the world.  She can be reached via Website, Twitter, Facebook or her Blog.

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Praveeni Perera · Tagged: buffer, business development, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, company name, employers, entrepreneur, Facebook, hootsuite, Linkedin, logo, personal, positive, Praveeni Perera, professional, professional brand, Professional Edge Consulting, profiles, relevant content, small business owners, social media, thank you, Twitter

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