I’ve teamed up with Katie Myers and Grace Child from CR Conversations.  They specialize in helping business owners with follow up and client retention. They joined me to discuss your small business and how to help it.

What top issues should the new business owner be weary of or educated about when they are in the very beginning of starting their business?

For example, what should you be aware of when picking a brand name or starting a new business in a competitive industry? When it comes to choosing a name for your brand, it is important that you make sure you aren’t taking someone else’s business name and possibly infringing on their trademark rights. This could get you in some hot water. Though even if it doesn’t get you into trouble, it can certainly give you some hassle down the line. For instance,  you could be forced to change your brand name once you have already built a brand or a reputation.

How to find a name for your business

Before you start your business, Google the name that you have in mind for your brand. That will give you a preliminary idea of your competition and if there are any other similarly-named businesses. This is a great and simple first step.  After you Google the name, you can then search your state’s Secretary of State website. There you can look for a brand name or trade name to see if somebody has already registered your potential name. After that, go to the USPTO website (the United States Patent and Trademark Office) and do a trademark search. There you can see if someone has a registered or pending trademark with the same or a similar name as what you want to use for your company.