Comments on: How To Build Your Online Presence On The Cheap – Step 2: Choose Your Name Wisely

By: bkmacdaddy

bkmacdaddy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:21:52 +0000

AJ,
I am not an expert on the legalities of this, but I believe it is dependent on your local laws. I personally do not have my business name trademarked or copyrighted. And I have made sure to secure my brand name on the social media platforms I use the most. But I think it is wisest to secure it on as many as possible, just to prevent others from using your name and possibly misrepresenting you. I also run my freelance business as a sole proprietorship.
Hope that helps! Feel free to discuss more with me via the contact form or email. Good luck!

By: AJ

AJ — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:06:39 +0000

There are so many places to check – obviously a .com domain has to be available, but which social media outlets are vital to make sure are available, and are there any legal prerequisites like if I want to charge customers with that name, do I need to register it as an LLC or check if there’s already a trademark on the name or something?

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:10:59 +0000

I can tell it’s a general overview of recommendations, I just wanted to add some thoughts.

I think a quirky name can work (and definitely does for you), but it’s probably a bit trickier to manage for some people. That said though, I think regardless of the image you’re trying to project, you have to work hard at branding to get a positive reaction from your target audience. That’s obviously part of the point you’re making with this post and the series. It’s definitely good to mention some of the things to consider when developing branding and think of it as a larger aspect of a corporate image.

I’ll definitely be looking out for the rest of the posts in the series

By: bkmacdaddy

bkmacdaddy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:45:21 +0000

Thanks again for your input, Emily. I’m sure you can tell I’m trying to give some general points to consider – this subject is far more extensive than a few blog posts. But hopefully the insights I can give, along with the contributions of others like yourself, will enable some to get their online presence off the ground.

There are actually a few reasons I probably would NOT choose my business name were I to start over or had I possessed the education & experience I have now back in the mid-90s when I started. But it works and a big part of what I’ve done is run with the “quirkiness” and found ways to make it useful.

By: bkmacdaddy

bkmacdaddy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:41:43 +0000

Thanks for the input – and the spellchecking of my name, Leora!

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:51:49 +0000

Some interesting thoughts on how to choose a name; but I think it’s also worth mentioning that operating a business under your legal name can work very well too, depending on the services you offer and your business goals.

Personally, I like operating under my own name because it helps to reinforce the fact that I give individual attention and customized solutions to my clients. (Also, one of my services is illustration, and it’s important for my name to be tied to my illustrative style)

As for your business name, I think it’s a bit quirky, in a good way. I can definitely see it being appealing to clients tired of agencies that they may find a little too formal.

There’s nothing wrong with agencies, of course, but I think different types of agencies and professional individuals appeal to different types of clients.

I really like that you’re discussing branding as being more than just visual. I think that’s something that can easily be overlooked.

By: How To Build Your Online Presence On The Cheap - Step 3: Your Logo | bkmacdaddy designs

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:46:01 +0000

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By: Leora

Leora — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:57:23 +0000

I enjoyed this post. Yes, I do find every time I tweet your username I have to check the spelling. But despite that, you tweet great stuff.

Lots of my choices were made back in 2001, when I first set up my business. I like my domain name, leoraw, because it’s short; on the other hand, my business name, Leora Wenger Web Designer, is not totally accurate, as I am really good at code and that is not reflected in my business title. But there it is.

By: How To Build Your Online Presence On The Cheap – Step 2: Choose Your Name Wisely « Top News Now

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:11:50 +0000

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