Going Foward: Protecting Your Brand
Hey ya'll m any of us have been bitten by the entrepreneur bug, this virus has changed the way we think about jobs and our finances. Many people have been laid off their jobs they were committed to for years. If this virus haven't taught us anything else it taught us how how to be creative and relentless. This virus has changed the way we look at job security and asset protection. Which brings me to this poiny, due to job cuts, lay offs, and being employed alot of are thinking about starting a small business and protecting our business by getting it trademarked .
I have one question, is your brand protected? What I mean by protected are you in the process of getting your brand trademarked, patented, copyrighted etc.? It would be a shame not to own your business name or to share your name with someone else in a different state or region from you without you having knowledge of it. To avoid this, I will share two resources that I used that will help you to own your brand legitimately.
I operate a nonprofit organization called Devinely True. I was established in the State of South Carolina March 13, 2020. Prior to me becoming established there were a few things I was required to do, which is to complete an online application on www.sos.gov.
Once I got on the website I clicked on the menu bar on the upper left corner of the page and I clicked on Business Entities. Secondly, I clicked on New Business to start my filings for my Nonprofit Organization.
After you've completed the filing, you should apply for an EIN number and Articles of Incorporation in which you will need to operate your business legally and to open up a business account with your bank.
You will neef your EIN number to file your taxes from the earnings of your business, so make sure you keep those documents in a safe place.
After you're all set with your state you could always use the website to access your documents that you have to pay for, check your status of your business, or file an amendment if something changes within your business.
If you operate a Nonprofit Organization, you need to file a Charities and PFR in the website listed above www.sos.gov. If you're planning on soliciting funds, having fundraisers you need to be registered. It is illegal to solicit any funds without the proper protocol. Make sure your registered before proceeding with your fundraiser ideas.
Getting trademarked is vital to operating a business. We all want to avoid lawsuits, letters of cease and desist because we’re operating in someone else brand. Protect what you love. Visit uspto.gov to get your products trademark. Its very important to watch the videos and read every word line by line before filling out your application. The reason for this is the application fee is nonrefundable.
When you go on uspto.gov you want to search the name and logo you want to tradenark prior to submitting the application.
If someone already has the name or logo you want to trademark your application will be denied.
Once you submit your application check your email for updates and check the website periodically especially after three months of you submittimg your application.
It will take three months for a lawyer to review your application for approval.
Lastly, if you're trademark get approved you want to register your trademark within your local state.
Ny good people and fellow entrepreneurs I charge each of you if you haven’t already please protect your brand, I wish you all success in your endeavors, I'll see you at the top 😊
