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.
Hey. You are thinking too much into it. Let me tell you what exactly you need to do.
- Make a basic logo yourself.
- Set up social media channels for the brand. (ideally instagram, tiktok and pinterest).
- Click decent images, make engaging videos of stuff and just post them.
- Get friends and family involved in sharing content and spreading the word for initial impetus.
- See if there is enough traction for the products before investing. If no, think of other creative ways (in content creation) to validate. If yes, then awesome.
- Once the business is validated, then you can register trademark and LLC and invest in website and social media management.
Just do this and it will save you good money. Also, if you can’t make a logo let me know I will make you one for free.
And don’t wait for a perfect time. It is already it. Just start. No brand is big on day one. And don’t let this loop stop you from starting something that can change your life.
My advice would be to start small on social media with your designs to validate your idea and build interest before committing funds elsewhere. You can always trademark later if it takes off.
You’re definitely dealing with a classic entrepreneur’s conundrum here. In my opinion, the best step would be to first establish your online presence and test the market before investing heavily in things like trademarking right off the bat. There’s little chance of someone stealing your brand name at these initial stages, and if you find that your business is picking up good traction, then you can consider moving forward with an LLC and a trademark.
Another point to consider, the process of registering an LLC is simpler and less costly compared to trademarking. Before you do this though, it’s worth noting that an LLC provides liability protection but it doesn’t necessarily protect your brand name like a trademark would. But again, it’s all about validating your business concept first before delving into these legal aspects.
As a side note, remember that building a social following and online presence takes time, so it wouldn’t be wasted effort even if you chose to change your brand name later on. Start small, test the market, and then proceed with the heavier investments once you’re confident in the businesses viability. You’ve got this!
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
No one’s going to steal your brand, unless you are very successful. In that case, you have other things to worry about and you can invest in trademarks and other protection. Your only goal in the beginning is to launch and generate revenue.
One guy asked me once to protect his website with very mediocre photos from right click saving, because he was afraid people might steal his pictures. I think he had 10 visitors after a year. Don’t be like that guy. Just build your business.