Member You - Business

Hard Times For Surety Bonds
The surety bond market is currently a very conservative market. Contract and commercial bond departments throughout the nation have tightened up their underwriting practices due to enormous loses throughout the industry. Many sureties have had to close their doors, other have had their ratings drop to a level where they can not write the same business they co

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection

Traveling Safe when on International Business
Safety is a concern no matter where you travel in the world. Of course, some countries and cities will be safer than others will, but it is always important to be alert and to keep personal safety in mind when you travel. Before You Leave HomeBefore you go, make a photocopy of your passport and visas. Keep them with you, but separate from your actual

It’s very upsetting to find someone using your business name, or one that is “confusingly similar.” If you’ve taken legal steps to protect your name, you are in a much better position to protect your interests.

* If you are successful, you will be copied.

I learned this lesson the hard way. When my business partner and I started Tables to Teapots (a retail store in Acton, MA), we had no idea how successful we would be. After several years of hard work, a TV feature on Chronicle and a story in Inc. Magazine, our business was booming. Then one day, a customer came in and said, “I didn’t know you’d opened up in New Hampshire.” Well, we hadn’t opened up in NH. But, an enterprising copycat had opened a store and called it NH-Tables to Teapots.

We were lucky. While we had the rights clearly established in Massachusetts, we had not filed a federal Trademark protecting the name in other states. By taking an aggressive position, I was able to convince the NH copycat to change the name of his business.

Legally, our “rights” to the name attach from the time we used it in commerce. However, we would have been on stronger footing if we had registered the Trademark.

Trademark/Service Mark Registration

Any word, phrase, name, symbol, sound … that identifies or distinguishes your product or service from those made or sold by others, is eligible for Trademark Protection. (Trademark applies to products; Service mark applies to services.)

Check to Confirm that Your Name is Available.

Before you invest in applying for a Trade/Service mark, it’s important to search and see if anyone else is claiming the name or similar name. You can search online for the Internet domain name (www.networksolutions.com). You can also search on the Web site of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov). These searches do not guarantee that the name is not in use, but they are a good indication of availability.

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection

The Power of Storytelling to Build a Better Brand
How good are you at telling a story? Not so hot? Well then it's time to brush up and hone that skill because your business, every business, is basically a story. And how well you tell that story will determine if people (i.e. your customers) will continue to listen or politely walk away.How do you tell a good story?You start with a captivating,

e and a story in Inc. Magazine, our business was booming. Then one day, a customer came in and said, “I didn’t know you’d opened up in New Hampshire.” Well, we hadn’t opened up in NH. But, an enterprising copycat had opened a store and called it NH-Tables to Teapots.

Legally, our “rights” to the name attach from the time we used it in commerce. However, we would have been on stronger footing if we had registered the Trademark.

Trademark/Service Mark Registration

Check to Confirm that Your Name is Available.

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection

Building Customer Loyalty
The following tips can apply to virtually any profession or industry. If you think that these are self-evident, then I challenge you to take a personal assessment. Print this page and keep the list on your desk for one week. Place a checkmark next to each item when you conduct an activity that fulfills one of these objectives. Can you check all of these items

cat to change the name of his business.

Legally, our “rights” to the name attach from the time we used it in commerce. However, we would have been on stronger footing if we had registered the Trademark.

Trademark/Service Mark Registration

Check to Confirm that Your Name is Available.

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection

Your Business Card - What Does It Say About You And Your Business?
A business card can be an extremely useful tool for marketing your business and yourself. Your business card should be professional in appearance and have several different methods to contact you. These should include telephone number, fax number, email address and mailing address. Additional contact information is a plus.One of the biggest mistakes

Check to Confirm that Your Name is Available.

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection

Starting a Metal Detecting Business? Don't Do it Until You Reads This Tips
If you are looking start a business selling metal detectors you need some knowledge on the subject to make sure that your customers feel comfortable purchasing from you. If you are already knowledgeable about metal detectors than starting your own business and watching the profits come in should happen sooner rather than later.Selling metal detectors c

Steps to Protect Your Name

1. Reserve the Internet Domain name.

2. Use TM or SM symbols.

Put the Trademark (TM) or Service mark (SM) symbol on your materials. This puts the world on notice that you are claiming the mark.

3. Register in your State.

In Massachusetts, the filing fee is $50 and lasts 10 years.

4. Register in the US.

The Federal filing fee is $375 and once approved you can use the ® (stands for registered mark), and the protection lasts so long as the mark is used in commerce.

5. Register Internationally.

International registration has become much easier with the Madrid Protocol (effective November 2003), which allows a mark to be protected in several countries by filing a single application.

In conclusion, if your business name, tagline or brand is important to your business, then it makes sense to take steps to legally protect it.

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And I am not talking about the actual time and cost of getting your employees paid, but all those costs often not considered when providing a customer an estimate or proposal or not included in budgets and financial planning.

Ways to make money in a forum. More and more Money Makers are flooding to join the money forum everyday. Obviously they have vision and see something beneficial to them. There are certainly many ways to make money in a forum. Here are some method proven to be useful.

Online catalogs are often associated with library records and materials. But today catalogs are not only helpful inside the library. They are being used in the promotion of the company's products and services. In fact as the technology continues to advance, more and more features are integrated in the catalog format.

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