If you want to trade mark your product name or your design, go about doing an intact. Should you do it in the first place? Isn't worth it, should you do it yourselves? You hire professional and saw or heard he's going to questions a lot in principle. I am not a lawyer

give actual legal advice. I talk about my experience in the experience of our community and the bottom line is not just because of that disclaimer, but just in reality, it's complicated. The trademark process takes a lot of time and is also not cheap. So if you are deterred for either of those reasons which is totally understandable, at least four lots people not to products, you might want to just not worry about it or some other ways. You can protect yourself in indian people who want to steal, are going to steal anyway, but of course, as we have seen in some episodes, it can be worth it for the right product, the right person etc. Shorter. To talk about that today, in the context of a story called hand, lettering artist, upgrades cheesy photo booth props. Now the illustrator intraday story did go down that road of trade marking I'll tell you why and also pass on some advice for anybody else in a similar position, these upgraded politically

perhaps bring in a healthy profit and she's going all in focusing on building out the business this year. So it's something we can all smile about that story coming right up approximately four years ago, Doris weight was helping her sister plan for a big events. A big life event also is a big day, also known as a wedding somewhere in between reviewing watches and floral arrangements. They transition into discussing the props for the foot of it, but as a ports or what was available, there were realised that the props looked a little something to be desired. They were flimsy at best and design,

selves bordered on Turkey, which was far too much for her creative salt to bear as a full time hand lettering artist in Toronto, Ontario Doors with determined to do better, she grabbed a pencil and some craft card paper and got to work. She kept the top hats moustaches in both eyes, but put a more modern spent on a couple pops of color and include on sticks later, and she had a set of crops that were picture perfect in their final state. They are also completely different from anything, should ever seeing those up greater profits for a big hit at the wedding endorse, discover that could be useful in other ways too she's always been a card person, someone who gives a lot of cards out and no matter the occasion. She firmly believe that no present would be complete without the perfect cart following her sisters. Wedding traditional card started to take

back seat instead of picking up a car at the store or even making a traditional card yourself door started, making these props. Instead, she could still ride her sentiments as well wishes on the back you sent to decorate the present she was giving. The recipient could also turn around and use them for selfies to commemorate the occasion who needs a photo booth. When everyone is walking around Everything since most of her hair lettering work was custom made and commission based Doris was essentially trading time for money. While she could still do custom orders for her prop cards. She relies she could create a tried and true lineup of products should design these products once and then sell them on mass. This could be her retired when she thought or at least a sign us all, but first she needed a good name. When a domain search for postcards not see a came up is available. She knew she had found the perfect match self livestock.

How she did it, although she knew she would eventually went to produce these in a grander scale down the road. It is also important for her to keep her costs as low as possible. She wanted to test out the market and make sure that she had a product worth investing it. So to achieve this, she created Oliver designs by hint. Most of her sketches and designs start up on paper with a pencil shouldn't photographs it with her Ipad, brings it up with procreate, which creates a digital version of her drawing and then send it to Adobe illustrator from that digital file. She printed unto crap card paper, cuts it out in cars, it my hand doing it like this, a ladder to creator designs in small badges and save yourself from having to place a large order with the printed. Although she did in a purchasing that domain postcards dossier, she ought to start out on Etsy endorsed. It is for a couple of reason,

number one it provided her with a large craft friendly marketplace would gravitate towards her product and number two postcards wasn't smashing success. It meant that she didn't have to worry about investing money into putting up a site when it came to pricing with her long. History is an avid card purchaser. She knew that a card from hallmark reproof risk range anywhere from five to twelve, Alex the real artisan ones. A symbol by hand could put you out even more endorse, wasn't just hustling greeting cards. These greeting cards were super cute, photo ops as well. People are prone to putting green cards away, not looking at them again, but because postcards or more for proper she felt they wouldn't get tossed aside, like you run of the mill greeting card, but she also did want to press it too high. So after a bit of deliberation, she decide that eight dollars felt about right. Sale started to trickle in May trickled and pretty slow it. Her commission work capture busy. She didn't have a lot of bandwidth to dedicate as much time as she liked

was carts, but it was a start it before she went too far in she decided to trademark her idea, and this is something that can take a while. One reason why she held off so long to bring postcards into the world or at least actively market them was because she was waiting for the. U S trademark, to go through it. She had the canadian trademark for a while, but it took longer to get postcards trademark mistakes and you decide to do this for couple reasons. First of all, the name postcards, you know you post with your card slash, photo propped with such a great name for the product itself. She felt strongly about needing to protect it and then also she went to protect her design because the design itself was also unique. She knew that there was a possibility that someone would want to copy the concept itself. Even if they choose different name sought for about Canada and the state she tried to trademark things herself at first in Canada. You can do an online trade marking process. She thought she was fully approved

later on. She got a notice saying that they were confused about what the product would be used for. So there's a lesson here. In the end, you can dedicate a ton of time trying to figure this out and still not be properly protected. Short version is: don't die while you're trademark process its expensive and time consuming. I think in her case it costs about eight thousand dollars, but if it's important to you it's better to let the professionals deal with it. Thankfully that's now done- and this is the year that she's focusing its efforts on growing postcard. It's also the first year she had a legit website for it as well, because even after she got that dumb name. All of her initial sales have been on Etsy. Until now, now has two hundred design and it's sold over five thousand postcards and total earning thirty thousand dollars per camera patients have even been spotted at York Fashion with Andy NBA, all stars game. It's an upgraded, follow up. She helps to ride beyond the pits

Ok, so there you have it. Trademarks can be expensive, they can take a long time and for the right products, the right person in the right, girl, etc to be worth it, but only when you feel you truly have a unique product, something that has been done before, something that you are genuinely worry. The other people come along and copy, but of course, for a lot of people. There are a lot more benefits in getting your product up the road sooner so pros and cons to everything, but also don't die Wyatt. You are going As for the role of trademarks and get some real council, like some actual council from a real trademark attorney, ok she's, looking at these notes on it that Whitney are content manager took. Regarding her conversations with doris- and I thought this part was interesting- we asked people about challenges, you know, what's tough, what what's? What have been obstacles or hurdle?

and four door, she says that the only major problems he's come up against them. Besides, the long way for the trademark is that she has to constantly explained to people what postcards is or what postcards Argus would say, postcards the brand postcards the product when most people see them, they automatically think of them. Ass, photobooth, props, and she s going explain at this is more than just about every problem showed her goal was to take the booth out a photo booths because, as she said, we all have camera phones in our pockets, he's your photo perhaps for everyday life indications that we celebrate. Why wait until a photo because around so that makes sense, but it is challenging to abject

Why not you ideally want a concept that you can get in. One sentence: really quick, really simple: oh here's outworks! In fact, even better than that, you want some just pick it up with its own, a stationary store wherever and automatically understand. So I can see how that would be a challenge, but it is a great name. Individuals on these are so nice to come and take a look at them on the shuts page. You can really picture than being in all kinds of stores, not just stationary stories or greeting card stores and put in all kinds of other stores that have gift items, so I will afford to seeing them when I'm in Toronto. Next, if not soon but perhaps somewhere else around North America or elsewhere are my friends. I hope you enjoy this episode. As always, inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better today. Show notes, are at sight of swill school dot com, slash, seven, nine five! In addition, adore societal include links to everything else. I mentioned. And I will be back again tomorrow with another story. Another episode I hope, you'll join me. Episodes are free every single day, much more on the way. My name is critical about this is side US school,

from the onward projects.