Trademark Archives

Trademarks for Proprietary Products: What You Need to Know

By Robert Steinberger | Feb 10, 2016

Franchisors that are serious about developing additional revenue streams in their franchise will ultimately explore proprietary products. By creating new products either under the brand or as a stand-alone entity, franchisors can sell and distribute their own products to franchisees. An example would be a pizza franchise that sells their pizza sauce to franchisees and…

Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights & Licensing: What’s the Difference?

By Robert Steinberger | Sep 3, 2015

Diving into the world of intellectual property can be overwhelming. Especially when it comes to protecting and monetizing your information. Before getting started, you may ask yourself these questions: Has this product been created before? How do I guard my ideas? If I put it out there, how do I prevent people from stealing my…

4 Incidents That Could Torpedo Your Business

By SmallBizClub | Aug 28, 2015

You had a vision, and you’re now up and running, but you’ve been running on a tight shoestring budget for a few years. You’re still well within the make-it-or-break-it five year period, but business has grown steadily, and there’s good reason for optimism. Don’t get torpedoed by any of these incidents that can sink you…

5 Ways to Keep Your Business Trade Secrets from the Competition

By SmallBizClub | Sep 4, 2014

A trade secret is information that is valuable and unique to a business, and it is not accessible to people outside of the business. Federal and state law protects trade secrets, but business owners must follow a few rules to legally protect their documents.

Don’t Trademark Your Business Name Without These 3 Tips

By SmallBizClub | Jul 22, 2014

To protect the small business you’ve worked so hard for, it’s important that you go through the proper channels to obtain a federally registered trademark for your name.

5 Tips and 2 Warnings for Choosing Your Small Business Name

By Susan Solovic | Apr 18, 2014

Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. However, some business names can be real stinkers. Therefore, if I may invoke a line from another famous production—Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—choose wisely!

Why Your Business Name Matters

By Megan Totka | Feb 12, 2014

You might be thinking, well, of course the name of my business matters. But are there any of us who have not heard a business name and wondered, what in the world were those people thinking?

8 Things to Do After You Incorporate a Business

By Nellie Akalp | Jan 6, 2014

If you’ve created a formal business structure for your business, then you know you’ve taken a big step toward protecting your personal assets and setting the foundation for your business. But you might be wondering what’s next.

How to Name Your Business

By Nellie Akalp | Jul 30, 2013

A name is the cornerstone of your business—it sets the stage for your branding and identity. Just imagine if Target still went by its original name: The Dayton Dry Goods Company. If you’re about to start a business (or maybe are thinking about rebranding an existing business), you’ve probably been brainstorming for the perfect name.

How to Protect Your Business Idea

By Buffie Edick | Jun 18, 2013

Your ideas can be as valuable to you as your physical property and protecting them should be something every business owner, inventor, or entrepreneur takes into consideration. Before you pitch your idea, there are some things to keep in mind about protecting your creativity.