Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting on the New Life Event hosted by Shawna Fennell 

Types of Business Names
The many forms of business names include legal names, trade names, domain names, and trademarks. Before delving into the various ways you can protect business names, here is a quick breakdown and description of each.

• Legal Names. A business’s legal name is the name of the person or entity that owns the business.  It is the name you use to file government forms and applications. For sole proprietors, this means that your business’s legal name is your personal legal name, as in “Mary Smith.”  Other business structures use the name documented in a partnership agreement, the combined last names of partners, or the name that is registered with your state government as their legal name.  Regardless of the type of business you have, you only file the legal name of your business with your state as described below.
• Trade Names. A trade name, also known as a fictitious name or a DBA (doing business as) name, is the name under which business is conducted. Think of it as the nickname for your business – not a legal identity, but the name that everyone recognizes the business as.  For example, Mary Smith owns a business called Seaside Catering, but files her business under Mary Smith. “Mary Smith” is the legal name while “Seaside Catering” is the trade name. You file your business’s trade name with your county or your state, depending on the state your business is located in. However, you can obtain further protection on a national and international level, which is discussed below.
• Domain Names.   A domain name is the web address of an online business.  Establishing a domain name allows you to conduct business on the web. Depending on how much protection you want your domain name to have, you can have obtain state, national, and international protection.
• Trademark.  To protect a business names, many owners file for a trademark- a word, name, symbol, sound, or color used to represent and distinguish a company’s products or services in the marketplace. Don’t confuse a “trade name” with a “trademark” – the two are not the interchangeable. However, a trade name can be trademarked if the name represents and distinguishes a business product or service.

If you want to register your trade name as a trademark, make sure that the trademark is available before your register with the state and federal government or the international organization, depending who you are filing with. Conduct a thorough name search for existing similar or same names in various databases such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, your state filing office, and even a quick search on the Internet.

Protecting Your Business Name
You want to obtain the right amount of protection for your business name. For example, local and state protection is adequate for businesses operating in their immediate vicinity. You may want national and maybe even international protection if you are starting and expanding your business beyond.

Local Protection
According to common law, the business that uses a particular trade name first has legal right to that name. Common law protection does not require specific filings with the government. Therefore, this type of protection may be sufficient if you just plan to do business locally.

State Protection

• Register Your Legal Business Name. To extend the protection that a common-law registration provides, register your legal name with your state. The legal name of your LLC or corporation is already registered with your state government if you have incorporated your business. However, if you own a sole proprietorship or a partnership, contact your secretary of state to register.
• File a DBA or Fictitious Name. If you are doing business under a name that is different from your legal business name, you will need to file a DBA, otherwise known as “doing business as” name or a “fictitious name.” You are using a fictitious name when you advertise your business under another name or your business is widely known by the public under another name. Some states require that you to file with the Secretary of State, others leave it up to their county’s government, while others do not have requirements for DBA filings at all.

Filing a DBA or fictitious name is controlled at the state level. The federal government does not have a nation-wide registry or record of states’ fictitious names. Therefore, DBAs registered at the state provides only state protection. Read more about DBA name registrations in the Business Law Advisor Blog.

• Register for a State Trademark. Filinga state trademark for your business name, trade name or domain name does not require as much time and money as a federal trademark. A state trademark also provides protection in states like Alabama that do not require businesses to file trade names with the state government. If you are planning to do business solely in your state, a state trademark will provide you with the necessary protection. Learn about how to file a trademark with your state here.

National Protection

• Register for a Federal Trademark. If you are doing business across states or plan to launch your business nationally, you will want to trademark your trade name with the federal government. By registering your trade name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you can protect your trade name against infringement.
• Register Your Domain Name. If you plan to start an online business or build a website for your business, register your domain name at with InterNIC – Public Information Regarding Internet Domain Name Registration Services. Your domain name can also qualify as a registered trademark if it is directly related to the products and services you provide as a business. In that case, you should file for a trademark with your state and the federal government as you would your trade name. International Protection

If you are doing business outside of the US, consider filing with the foreign country where your business activity exists. Most countries give trademark protection to the first business that registers the trademark, unlike the common law in the United States which gives legal rights to the first business that uses the trademark.

If you want universal protection, know that international trade name and trademark protection laws that are recognized in every single country do not exist. However, some countries have signed agreements to protect intellectual property internationally. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the following international systems if you are doing business in many different countries or in a specific global region in order to maximize the protection of your trade name:

• Community Trademark System. The Community Trade Mark (CTM) system allows you to file one application to protect your trademark in all 27 countries of the European Union. Contact the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) to learn more about the process of obtaining protection.
• The Madrid System. The Madrid System creates a “bundle of national registrations,” instead of one international trademark registration like the CTM System. In other words, it is a simpler one-application method to apply for protection in the 84 countries participating in the Madrid System.
• TRIPS Agreement. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) requires that all 153 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) comply with theminimum standards of intellectual property protection. There is no application process, but the agreement serves as a platform for protecting intellectual property rights in the international arena.

I am really starting to look forward to Thursdays now, just for the opportunity to post these discussions and then follow it. I really am learning alot and the resources are fascinating. If you missed any of these informative discussions, be sure to check back to the prior weeks:

• Week #1 : Brands and Branding: What is it?
• Week #2 : Keyword Research

These weekly topical discussion are really a great resource and I am enjoying the information that is being shared. 

Each Thursday we will post a topic related to us as merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic this week?

Marketing Channels: Which one is the BEST for WHAT and WHY? 

Is it eBay? Or maybe Amazon? Even Craigslist? How bout them Comparative Shopping Engines (CSE’s), or even Etsy, Bonanzle, etc. OH dayam this is time for the showdown! Let’s go for the gusto…LMAO

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.

eCommerce Summit 2010 Agenda

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 6:00 PM –
Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:00 PM (Mountain Time)

Las Vegas – Flamingo Hotel & Casino
702-733-3111
3555 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
USA
Map & Directions

Hosted by:

 

Speakers include:

The State of eCommerce

It is always important for online merchants to see the big picture and understand the landscape. As Executive Director of the Professional eBay Seller’s Alliance, Jonathan Garriss understands the online retail landscape very clearly and will share with merchants what trends to pay attention to and opportunities not to miss.

Keynote Presentation – Creating, Adapting and thriving in eCommerce.

Paul Greenberg is co-founder and Managing Director of DealsDirect.com.au. When eBay launched in 1999 Paul became the first commercial seller on eBay trading as Auction Alliance. In 2004 Paul and Michael Rosenbaum launched Australia’s number one online department store, DealsDirect.com.au and created their own identity to meet the needs of customers who were looking for fixed price goods. In 2009, DealsDirect celebrated its 5th Birthday and continues to build from strength to strength. With a 430,000 square foot warehouse located in Ingleburn, 120 staff, 900,000 customers, over 1 million unique visitors per month, and four million items sold, DealsDirect.com.au is Australia’s leading online department store. 

Customer Service  Excellence – Focus on the Buyer

Marsha Collier is well known in the eBay seller community as one of the foremost eBay experts and top selling eBay author with over 1 million copies of her books in print. Marsha will be helping merchant
evaluate their customer service strategies to highlight the do’s and don’ts as well as the costs of not doing customer service right. Marsha Collier is Author of the For Dummies series of books on eBay and
eCommerce

Social Media for Business STINKS: Unless You Know These 7 Secrets

John Lawson from ColderICE.com speaks on these technologies. Every day, thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs miss out on millions of dollars in revenue simply because they don’t know how to utilize the Internet for marketing and selling. This is NOT your same old ABC stuff, these are actual eCommerce practices for Social Media that will yield bottom line results and amp up your business. 

eBay Seller and Executive Town Hall

After the eBay presentation, sellers have an opportunity to ask eBay executives questions and offer suggestions during the eBay seller and executive town hall. eBay executives value the tremendous opportunity to visit face to face with the seller community at eCommerce Summits. We recommend sellers take full advantage of this rare opportunity.

Get the FULL lineup of events and presentations HERE

Tuesday April 13, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 5:00 PM
Cocktail Reception – 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: TBD

Wednesday April 14, 2010

Registration Desk Opens – 8:00 AM
Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Evening Entertainment – TBD

Thursday April 15, 2010

Keynote Presentation – 9:00 AM
Educational Sessions – 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

ChannelAdvisor Primes Online Auto Parts Retailers to Maximize ROI on eBay Upgrades

ChannelAdvisor leads the industry as the first to announce support for latest eBay changes

Research Triangle Park, NC – February 22, 2010 – ChannelAdvisor, a solution provider that enables online retailers to improve efficiency and increase revenue, today announced support for key new eBay offerings being rolled out in March 2010, namely eBay Motors fitment for automotive parts and accessories.  This new update will make it easier and faster than ever for shoppers to buy auto parts and online retailers to list and sell auto parts.

“Whereas before sellers had to list each auto part multiple ways to account for the many ways that buyers search, now an item can be listed a single time and associated with all of the different applications (vehicle information),” said Scot Wingo, ChannelAdvisor CEO.  “This consolidation of listings can easily save a seller 75 percent or more on listing fees, while also helping them sell more since buyers can find the items more easily.”

Prior to this update, ChannelAdvisor’s auto customers have enjoyed a steady increase in sales over the past quarter, increasing nearly 16 percent in December alone.  ChannelAdvisor expects sales for customers to flourish this year with its support of the eBay update.  By fully automating these listings, ChannelAdvisor is helping auto parts retailers connect the dots and take complete advantage of these new updates.

“With eBay’s new capabilities paired with ChannelAdvisor’s solution, it will take us a fraction of the time and cost to list our products on eBay,” said Daniel Tole, e-commerce manager for Tom’s Foreign Auto Parts.  “We’ll have our products ready to take full advantage of higher search rankings and an improved buyer experience.”

The launch is currently limited to the U.S. and will initially only include the following categories:

· Air Intake & Fuel Delivery

· Exterior

· Lamps & Accessories

· Lighting

· Tires

· Wheels

For full details on ChannelAdvisor’s new product enhancement, please visit http://ssc.channeladvisor.com/news/2010-february-release-notes.  Current ChannelAdvisor customers can also tune in to a webinar being hosted by Wingo on February 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss these changes and how to make sure your company is poised to immediately take advantage.  Register for the webinar at www.channeladvisor.com/webin

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Transcript:
Hey folks. My name is Charles Lumpkin. I appreciate you spending some time with me today. We’re going to talk about common landing page test types. Now, why even test landing pages? What we’re talking about is trying to get the conversion rate up on our pages. More conversion equals more money in the bank, which is what we’re looking for in online marketing.

So, what are the common landing page test types? The two most common are split testing and multi-variant testing. I’m going to get deep into split testing right now and save multi-variant testing for a later video.

In a split test, you have two or more versions of a particular landing page. When you’re initially starting out with a new campaign or a new test you want to make sure that these different variations are as different as possible, as they can be from one another. You really want to go as far out as you can with different ideas. So brainstorm and think of some really cool stuff, but when you put them out there, what you’re going to do is run half the traffic through each lander.

One of those is going to produce results that are better than the others. Again, you need to be tracking this stuff and have the proper analytics in place. At the end of the day, one is going to work better than the other. From that point on, that becomes your control. Then if you want to continue to do more split tests, you bring in more variations. Does this control continue to win? Who knows, you’ve got to do the tests.

Thanks for spending some time with me today. Again, my name is Charles Lumpkin. You can find more of me at CharlesLumpkin.com. Thank you.

Each One, Teach One Topical Discussion here on Thursday of last week was on  branding for your business here on the ColderICE.com blog. It was a FANTASTIC discussion and we will venture into this again this week.

Each Thursday we will post a topic related to us as merchants and the the COMMUNITY…YOU GUYS will come in on the comments and post. You can post your comments on the subject, links to articles or posts to other blogs on the topic, you can post links to YouTube videos or Podcast episodes. I do not care what you post as long as it furthers the education of the community, it qualifies. But of course this will ONLY work if you participate. I want to see if the community would participate to make it great. Come on guys, lets each one, teach one!!!

Topic is… Keyword Research: What is it? How can you do it? What techniques are important?

OK, I need your input now so lets start posting to the thread topical information on Brands and Branding.

How does this sound to you? 30 Webinars in 1 weekend Feb 26th -Feb 28th and the cost is FREE! You will be learning SEO, SEM, PPC, Ecommerce, & more – And it is all FREE. Now that is a offer you can’t ignore right?

Well I wanted to know more, what is the freaking catch? Is this really just a cover for a "pitch fest"? You know those pitch fest wannabe seminars? Like when they offer you a free weekend at Disney World, but you have to sit through 3 hours of them trying to sell you a timeshare. That is a pitch fest, LMAO

So I wanted the scoop on the New Life Event so I decided to ask the organizer, Ms. Shawna Fennell about the event and what is going to be covered. This is a can’t miss opportunity for ecommerce merchants to hear from some of the best in the business!

Listen to the Interview NOW!
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Be sure to subscribe so you do not miss an episode.

“Can paperless billing get me paid faster?”That one line is burned in my brain probably for eternity. I had to say it at least 100 times in one day. That is my line on the now nationally televised  American Express commercial that I was asked to appear in for American Express Open Forum

It’s lights, camera, action and time to make it happen. I finally got the edit done for part 2 of the Hollywood adventure. If you missed part 1 check it out HERE. This is day 2 in LA and I got a very early day starting at 4:00 am! This will take you behind the scenes as we set everything up for shooting. What is amazing is how many people and how much effort goes into a single shot of a commercial and then you will see how much of it actually makes it into the final cut!

I had a blast doing this for Amex and if I had 1 wish? It would be to do it again…and again…and again. I got the bug now LOL.

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Related Links:

American Express Commercial … HERE
The Amex Press Release … HERE
My Open Forum Company Profile … HERE

Just in time for the love fest of Valentines day John Donahoe, chief executive of eBay has a new interview with the UK publication Times Online. This is a very candid look at the 49 year old Donahoe not seen before in print. Some notable quotes from the piece…

But numbers count, and after a slump in performance, eBay is moving forward again. The business’s fourth-quarter results, announced last month, were better than expected and at last eBay has extracted itself from Whitman’s controversial purchase of Skype, the internet phone firm.

And best of all, Paypal, its web-based payment service, is growing so fast it could soon overhaul everything else at the group. Suddenly, Donahoe’s revamp has gained real momentum.

Revenues at Paypal, which enable account holders to pay for goods without divulging their credit card details, are expected to outstrip the rest of eBay after 2012, as the business broadens its capabilities.

So is eBay now leaving the small seller behind? “Not at all,” he smiles. Small sellers can still use the auction format, or they can list on Gumtree (a UK based community classified site from eBay), the free-to-use classified site eBay bought in 2005. But times have changed. Buyers want goods shipped next day, packaged professionally and with the ability to return them. Donahoe’s priority now is the buyer experience.

The changes appear to be paying off. The company’s fourth-quarter revenues last year climbed 16% to $2.4 billion, with net income up fourfold on the previous Christmas at $1.4 billion. Full-year revenues hit $8.7 billion, up from $8.5 billion in 2008, despite the downturn.

There is SO much more to this entire interview please take some time and read it in its entirety and let me know what you think about it? I found it fascinating. Check it out HERE