Ladies Who Launch

How To Register A Trademark

In the Wall Street Journal's Small Business section, I found good information about trademark registration.

First, consider your company/product name. Names that are too generic "Farm" or too descriptive "We Make Robots" are hard to protect. Also think about what you are trying to trademark. Ideas cannot be trademarked. If you have created a unique process, then it may qualify for a patent.

Second, do some research. Check the  U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site, http://www.uspto.gov/ to see someone else has already trademarked the name.

 

clipped from online.wsj.com

Online trademark registration costs between $275 and $325 and asks for information such as the categories of goods and services for which the mark will be used, date of the mark's first use in commerce and whether there's a design component to the mark you're seeking. Internet businesses registering their names should generally refrain from registering their Web extension, such as .com or .net, with their name, unless they're planning to register the mark both with and without. Getting a trademark without the domain extension will help prevent other businesses from registering the same name by just adding a different extension, Mr. Stim says. He also recommends not designating a specific design of your trademark in order to get the broadest protection.

Webinar:Entrepreneurship as an Encore for Women

On July 17, there will be a valuable and informative online seminar for women who aspire to be successful entrepreneurs.  The New York Time's Shifting Careers Columnist Marci Alboher will be one of the panelists as well as Mark Freedman and  Rebecca White.

Webcast Details
Live Interactive Webcast
July 17, 2008
6:30 - 8:00 PM Eastern Time
Price: $59

Register
Click here to register

14KGold: Links For Ladies Who Launch

Ideal Bite:  A great resource for all things green. Co-Founders Jennifer Boulden and Heather Stephenson are featured this week in the Ladies Who Launch newsletter.

The Boss of You: New business book for women by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears.

MizPee:  A directory of clean restrooms all over the country (Bookmark this!)

Balanced Biz - How to Keep Your Sanity as a Busy Entrepreneur

When I left the “9 to 5”, I was thrilled to be starting my own venture. While I was dedicated to giving it my all, what I didn’t realize was that my life was about to drastically change.  I soon found out that if I didn’t plan my own weekends and days off, there wouldn’t be any. Gone were the lazy weekends and evenings on the couch.  A busy business owner could work everyday of the week, month, and year…and many do.  When you love what you’re doing, you don’t really mind. In fact, you might not even notice you haven’t showered and it’s 5pm already or that lunchtime came and went while you were busy sending emails.  While you’ve given up some bad habits like mindlessly surfing the internet or gossiping at your co-workers desk, you may have developed some new routines that are causing you to be a bit frazzled.  The key to remaining unfrazzled and keeping your sanity is a Balanced Biz.  Whether you’re just starting out on the road of entrepreneurism or if you’ve been on the journey a few years, keep in mind the following tips for a Balanced Biz. 

1. Fuel Your Biz – As a Food Coach, I help busy women figure out how to maintain balance in their lives and eat food that will fuel them with energy.  The irony of my work as a food coach is that as a budding entrepreneur with many goals, I have to keep steady tabs on myself so that I don’t slip out of balance.  And of course, when I overwork, my body always reminds me.  Just last month I caught the flu and not because it was going around or because I was eating junk.  It was simply because I went overboard with work.  I was spending late hours on the computer, forgetting to take breaks, and not taking care of me. Remember to fuel yourself first, so that you can fuel your business.  The more energy you allow yourself, through proper food, exercise and relaxation, the more energy you’ll have for thinking creatively and tackling new challenges.
2. Positive Pals – Early on in my business, I found out that surrounding myself with positive people     was essential.  As soon as you announce your plans for starting your own business, the look you may get from some of your closest friends and family members can be downright astounding.  Not everyone has it in them to be as creative and daring as you, and your ability to take action on      your dreams may be foreign to them.  Don’t spend too much time in the early stages of formulating your idea with these nay-sayers.  Stay focused and committed.  Find new friends or networks that support your ideas and dreams.  There are many local small business networks or internet networking groups such as Meetup.com and LinkedIn. I found my support  network through Ladies Who Launch, an amazing network of entrepreneurial women who helped shape the course of my business.
3. Super Skills - Many business owners start out by taking on every task in the beginning.  From      bookkeeping, to marketing, to sales, to web writing, and much more. Clearly, you don’t want to blow the bank, so you put on the “I’ll do it myself” hat.  This is one of the biggest mistakes an entrepreneur can make.  Yes, it’s important to make sound financial decisions for your business, but focusing on the things you do best is what will make your business grow the fastest.  It is      essential to consider team members that will support you.  My first team member was a bookkeeper – what a relief!  I realized that the hours I spent trying to put everything into QuickBooks, making mistakes along the way, were hours I could be marketing my business and connecting with clients.  While you can’t hire team members for every task right away, start by choosing one team member.  As your business builds, have a plan for the next team members you will hire.  You may even find someone you can barter services with.  I offered free food coaching to a virtual  assistant who helped me input and track my database.  Go for it - it feels so good to have an assistant!  To get started, visit sites like elance.com, getcertainty.com, and getfriday.com.

Fueling your business, surrounding yourself with positive people, and finding team members so you can focus on your talents are all keys to creating a business with a headache-free foundation.  Your  business will go to greater places, and won’t leave you behind with your head spinning. 

Suzanne Monroe is a Food Coach and owner of Real Life Food.  Real Life Food coaches help busy women everywhere figure out what to eat and how to have more energy. For more information on Real Life Food programs, workshops, and recipes, or for a free food coaching session, visit www.reallifefood.com.  Suzanne also supports new business owners with effective marketing and business strategies.

Will The Real You Please Stand Up!

By Coach Joelle Prochera, professional life coach, fellow launcher and creator of the MAKE YOUR LIFE PROGRAM where you get to experience the magic of your life lived on purpose!  To hear more from Coach Joelle subscribe to the Livloud! Newsletter or read the coach joelle blog.   

Do you ever…
1. Spend hours strategizing and rehearsing before you talk to people about your business?
2. Have that feeling like you are a fake, afraid that everyone is going to find you out?
3. Try to be that person you “think” you should be to get respect, to be good enough, or to make the sale?

If any of this sounds familiar then I have good news for you.  With the new LWL profiles, we all have an opportunity to dig deep down inside and share who we really are.  For some this seems fun and easy, for others it may be an arduous quest for the perfect words, the right “spin” and putting out a professional image so people take you seriously.  If you are willing to take a look inside and find the “real you”, your version of authentic entrepreneurship, then writing that profile and living your life is about to get a heck of a lot easier and 10 times more fun.

What is Authentic Entrepreneurship?
Authentic entrepreneurship is running your business as a true expression of who you are, in total alignment with your beliefs, values and natural talents.  It means first identifying the real you and then living and acting from that you. 

When you are acting as an authentic entrepreneur, when you know who you are and own it, a whole new world becomes available:

• You are able to show up at any situation with confidence and ease.
• You become intimately acquainted with who you are and what you stand for and you boldly allow that real you to shine through in every action taken and word spoken.
• You become free from the fear of being “found out” and the burden of having to “look good” and “do it right”.
• It means no more fake, stuffy profiles. No more talking heads. No more “status quo” and a lot more joy and ease!

Sound good?  Well then let’s get down to it! Let’s find the authentic entrepreneur inside of you.

To create your profile, start by asking these authentic entrepreneur questions:

A) What do you value and how are these values expressed in your business?
B) What are your favorite things about you? What makes you – you?
C) Why do you love your business/service?  What do you love about your business/service?
D) How does your business make a difference for people? What does it serve in the world?

Now sit down with your answers in front of you and clear your mind.  Forget everything that you think you “should be”, throw out your concern of looking silly or being “too much” and write your profile allowing these truths to shine through.  Dare to say what you really feel.  Push the limits of “normal” and “appropriate” and let the world of Ladies Who Launch know who you are, who needs to know you and why.

Why be normal when you can be extraordinary? Why be like everyone else when you can be YOU.  To dare to be your very own authentic entrepreneur is a step down the path to greatness. Have fun – I’ll see you at the top!

With love, joy and authenticity,

Coach Joelle

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR COACH JOELLE?:  I am looking for the opportunity to fully serve each of you on your personal adventure.  If you have a life or business challenge that you would like a coaching perspective on, please share your comments below or email me at [email protected].

Make your life a work of art a joyful dance a grand adventure!

A Few Clicks For You: Online Resourses

Where's the party? If you are an event planner or provide services to events, then check out Event Living, which is a great resource.

Shop Around.  Looking to create your own e-commerce site? Check out Shopify which is an easy and
inexpensive solution.

Kid Stuff. Groom your kid to be the next Martha Stewart by getting them involved with entrepreneurship early. With FranChild, sons and daughters between the ages of five and fifteen can start their own little franchises.

Attracting The Perfect Partnership: Brooke Emery

From New York Incubator Member and Mom-to-Be Brooke Emery.  Her website is Attraction Boutique.

When thinking about partnership, you might be surprised I am grateful for all the partnerships over the last few years that  haven’t worked out.  Before entering into any partnership, after; discovering what I don’t want, I use my favorite tool, A Strategic  Attraction Plan© (perfect customers, included) that helps you attract any relationship that you want by using a 4 part process which is what I am licensed to teach and coach people. 

After getting clear about  what you don’t want, you can then compile a very clear list about what you do want.  For example, last year I entered into a partnership on a project with a woman who had most of the  characteristics and attributes I would want. However what I didn’t  realize that she didn’t know about the Law of Attraction and had a negative outlook on life that it would get in the way. It felt like I
was rowing the boat one way with my intention, and she was rowing the  boat the other way with her fear and negativity and then we weren’t going anywhere.

As a strategic attraction coach and spiritual mentor with a background in marketing/pr/advertising, this was very frustrating to me and I learned a very valuable lesson and found the gift in the situation.  I realized that it was important to me that my partners believe in the Law of Attraction.  Another really important part in picking a partner is really getting clear about what your strengths are and what you want to provide and what you want your role to be? And also get specific on all the things you don’t want to be responsible for and don’t want to do so that you can be really clear about what your ideal partner’s roles will be.  With my own history in partnership a lot of times we are attracted to people who are like us, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Because chances are you like do the same things and you don’t like doing the same things which means –there will be work that you both want to do and then will resent it when there are people out there who love to do the things you don’t like to do –what a concept!  Also, be willing to have the tough conversations when starting a partnership. My friend and legal advisor, Nance Schick, always recommends reading the book The Partnership Charter by David Gage. It really lays out all the possible issues and it’s also important to know what happens if you want to get out. Once that’s clear chances are you are set up to win.

Keeping Nickels: Issue 1099 Forms to Independent Contractors by January 31st

1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Income) forms need to be issued by your business yearly when you pay independent contractors $600 or more for services . This applies all over the United States, not just New York state.

You can purchase the forms cheaply at Staples.  Make sure to purchase 1099-MISC forms. I was in a rush the other day and picked up 1099-INT forms.  To complete the forms, you need a list of all the independent contractors, their current address and social security number.  If you are using Quickbooks, you can run a 1099 vendor report to get a list of the total amount paid to vendors.  If you don’t use Quickbooks or another accounting system, then just review your check register and add up all payments made to each independent contractors.

The deadline for issuing 1099 forms is in two weeks on January 31, so get the forms now!

On the flip side if you are an independent contractor or freelancer, then follow up with clients to receive the 1099 forms by January 31st to that you can file your tax returns.  Review amount in Box 7 of the 1099 form to make sure that it agrees to the payments you actually received in 2007.  This is important since these payments are part of your taxable income.

From Nichelle Stephens, Small Business Bookkeeper and Founder of Keeping Nickels.

Tax Records: Which Ones To Keep

One of my clients recently asked me about how long they should keep records for taxes, bank statements, and other financial information. I found this article on Kiplinger that addresses my client's concerns.

It's a good idea to keep your tax returns forever. But you can usually toss the supporting documents, such as canceled checks and old receipts, three years after you filed your taxes.

That's usually how long the IRS has to audit your return, unless you've left out a big chunk of income. If you have any self-employed income, keep the receipts for at least six years.

Keep receipts for major home improvements until you sell the house. You may want to show potential buyers how much you've spent, and you can use certain home-improvement expenses to lower any tax bill you might have on your home-sale profits. (You generally won't be taxed when you sell your house, unless you have lived in it for less than two years, if you rented out part of it, or if you sold it for more than $250,000 in profit if single or $500,000 if married).

For the items you toss, use a shredder to shred financial papers which protects your privacy  and it also makes it easier to recycle.  Kiplinger has a great guide, but I also recommend talking to your CPA  just in case.

From Nichelle Stephens, Small Business Bookkeeper and Founder of Keeping Nickels.

Keeping Nickels: How To Handle Those Pesky Cash Receipts

Most of your business expenses are often paid via check or credit card, so that facilitates accounting. However, there are business expenses that are paid by cash like taxis, lunches, gratuity and some office supplies. Hopefully you have retained the receipts for them. Now is the time to organize the receipts and manually enter them into Quickbooks or the accounting application you are using. First you should organize the receipts by reviewing to see which ones are actual business expenses, and also check to see if these were paid by cash. If paid via credit or debit card, those expenses should have already been recorded in your business checking or credit card register. Once that is done, you can enter the receipts into the register of your Petty Cash account and code them by the proper account category such as postage, meals and entertainment, etc.

Plus, I strongly suggest getting a scanner, and scanning in all your cash receipts on a monthly basis which makes it easier at the end of the year.

I was recently alerted to a new web start-up Shoeboxed,that helps you organize receipts online.  They also have a new service, Project Mailboxed that will be rolled out in January 2008. With Project Mailboxed, you'll get a prepaid envelope every month from Shoeboxed. You stuff it with all your paper receipts and mail it back. They scan the receipts in for you, and you can access them through your secure Shoeboxed account with all your other receipts.

From Nichelle Stephens, New York Incubator/Blog Manager.