Make Your Name Known Through Your Businesses

Make Your Name Known Through Your Businesses

How can you build a strong reputation for your company? As an entrepreneur, your success hinges on your ability to successfully brand your company. You can and should use the process of forming and overseeing your business organizations to create a name for yourself in the marketplace.

The most successful corporations in the world understand the importance of branding. Companies like Mercedes and McDonald's have done such a good job of branding that their logos are instantly recognizable even without the company names being shown.

However, a logo is only one part of branding. It's also important to maintain a unified brand image throughout all of your outward communications, including your website, business cards, and letterhead. To distinguish themselves from competitors, many solopreneurs take cues from the "Man in Black," Johnny Cash, and adopt a distinct look that is instantly recognizable. To succeed on eBay, even a small business owner needs to build credibility and trustworthiness as an established, knowledgeable company in its field.

To learn more about how to structure your business, check out our most recent newsletter. When laying the groundwork for your brand, there are some procedures you should follow regardless of whether you're forming an LLC, a company, or something entirely different.

Please proceed in the order described below

Brainstorm a list of potential business names that reflect your area of expertise and your USP (or "unique selling proposition"). Prioritize them by assigning them numbers from 1 to 5, or even 10.

Make sure the name you're considering using as a trademark isn't already in use by conducting a search with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm) (or the Intellectual Property Office in your country if you're located outside the United States). On the internet, conducting a search is a simple process. You should make a note of this and move on to the next name on your list if you discover that the name or mark is already in use by another company in a similar industry.

Third, look for similar information on the website of the agency in your state or province responsible for forming corporations (usually the Secretary of State). Set up your company in Nevada (https://esos.state.nv.us/SOSServices/AnonymousAccess/CorpSearch/CorpSearch.aspx) and in your home state or province if you plan to do business there. Doing a quick Google search will help you locate the right department in your state.

Always double-check information with LLC and Corporation records. If the corporation and LLC divisions are handled independently, state authorities may miss a corporation with a name too close to the one you wish to use for your LLC. Attempts to build a unique identity for your company will be hampered if your chosen name is too similar to that of an existing business or organization. The Body Shop, founded in the 1970s, failed to conduct this check outside of California and was eventually compelled to alter its name after being challenged by a more prosperous business founded earlier under a similar name.

Check your county's or other local jurisdiction's fictitious names (or DBA, "doing business as") registry. If you choose a name for your business that isn't your own name or doesn't clearly indicate what you do (something other than Mary Jones Plumbing, for example) or if you add a word like "Associates" to your name, you must file a fictitious name statement with the County Clerk. There may be a small price involved, but please don't let that put you off. It is an efficient method of establishing your legal right to use your DBA exclusively.

In addition, you should inquire with the local authorities to find out if a company license is required to operate there. There will be some expense associated with this, but it is necessary for running a successful company. To me, it's just another chance to cement my name in the minds of the general public.

See if your desired name(s) are registered with a web domain registrar (like LuckyRegister.com). If the domain name you want ends in.com,.net, or another popular extension, you may now register an a.ws domain instead. Simply visit http://www.azurpacific.ws for this purpose. You might even go with a variation, such as xxxxxonline.com or xxxxxxlive.com. Get the domain names that fit your company's name right away. Domain names are like real estate online; even if you have no plans to build a website, you never know when someone could contact you about selling one of the names you've purchased.

Step 6: Register your desired name with the relevant state agency. When forming a legal entity, it's important to secure the name so that it remains available to you until the formation procedure is complete. Your reservation will be valid for the specified number of months or days.

If necessary in your jurisdiction, register your preferred business name with the appropriate regional authorities as a DBA or fictitious name.

Once you have established your legal organization, you can begin the branding process by designing a logo, purchasing business cards and stationery, and having a website built to reflect your new brand.