I’m looking to start a small handmade jewelry business on the side, since this is a hobby I’d be doing anyway, I see no harm in trying. I have my brand name, etc. down, but I keep getting stuck in this loop:
I feel like I need to trademark my name before registering an LLC or establishing an online presence, but then I also don’t want to waste my money on trademarking the name if my business doesn’t do well. I keep thinking I should start a website + social media accounts for the brand first to establish a presence and audience, but then I get concerned that someone will steal the brand name for themselves if it’s not already trademarked. This has led to complete decision paralysis.
I don’t have a ton of money to pour into this business other than for materials, so trademarking would mean navigating that myself without a lawyer. I’m mostly just confused on where to start.
The first step is doing something. Just do something and often the next steps will present themselves. I started a year ago in my hobby business but I treat it seriously and am always trying to think and act on what to do. I do get in phases of less proud i have the regular 9 to 5