Trademarks...Worthwhile for start ups??

[JonathanMP]

Hi all

I am reaching the very final stages now before I go live with my business.

I have always said that come the time I would trademark the business name and company logo to protect them and the business moving forward, and although it's not overly expensive to do I am now questioning whether an extra expenditure of £400 (perhaps a little less) to do the pair for one class is actually worthwhile for a business who as of yet hasn't started trading.

I have to say I am all for it but as money it tight I was keen to get a broader opinion or some personal experiences from the business people on here.

Many thanks in advance.

J

 

[cjd]

It just depends where you intend to go with the business. Does it matter if you have a ’brand'? 99% of businesses don't have one and don't need one. If you think you're another Amazon or M&S then you must TM it.

But you have a TM just by trading under the name and if you have something else that you really need to spend £400 on that generates income, it may be best spent that way. You can register a trademark anytime.

 

[stallfinder]

We didn't bother with the trademark at first but ended up registering it after some issues with people using our business name to setup facebook pages etc. It cost a bit to do but, in our case, we felt it was necessary to protect our business.

 

[businessfunding]

As some have said - it really depends how heavily you lean on your brand

TBH most small businesses don't and get very hung up on identity and idea theft when they would be far better off investing in establishing themselves.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

I was in the same position 30 years ago. I decided to trademark a name and within six months I had to stop a rival using the name in their sales literature and within a year had to stop another rival using the word as a generic description.

The word I chose was an ordinary word, think Kodak "Gold" film. If I was choosing a name today I would choose something totally unique but including a clue to the product. Unique names give top ranking on Google because you are the only one using it.

 

[Trademarkroom]

Registered trademarks are important for all businesses- regardless of size. Arguably it's even more important for a start up as you have not yet established the goodwill necessary to prove a claim of passing off (unregistered rights).

Trademarks last for 10 years so whilst there is an initial outlay, it's a wise investment. You also don't want to be in the position of a third party registering it- how annoyed would you be in that scenario!

 

[iBusiness Forums]

Hi Jonathan,

Why not? I think even though it's just a start-up yet, having a trademark and company logo helps make your business more "formal" and respectable.

Plus, it will serve as a motivation for you to push yourself better for success--because that trademark and logo of yours is a reminder of how invested you are to your business so you won't give up easily.