Page 104 - The Magic of Tiny Business

Chapter Five  Be Ready for Takeoff

® Register your brand with multiple uses. Be accurate for what
you’re doing now and what you may intend to do in the near
future. Cover your bases.

® Work with an intellectual property lawyer to have all your ducks
in a row.

® Have a strong brand “cease and desist” letter on hand to use when
needed. Set up a Google Alert for all uses of your mark on the
web.

And if you find a business using your intellectual property (IP):
1. Reach out to them, copying your IP lawyer on every

communication. (Confirm with your lawyer that no action is
needed unless you request it. This way you don’t incur legal fees
but the recipient of your communication takes you seriously.)
2. If the business responds amicably, thank them. I’ve found that
80 percent of businesses will respond positively and respect your
request. And maybe they actually want to be in a relationship
with your business and sell the authentic brand. Congratulations,
you’ve made a new partner!
3. If they are not responsive, fire off those IP and cease-and-desist
letters and keep all correspondence and supporting documents
filed accurately. Take all the steps and go as far as you legally can
to get them to remove all occurrences of your brand on all
marketing and communications.

Parting Thoughts

You’re never above the forces of the economy—or the mar-
ket. It’s an obvious point but one that needs additional
focus for your Tiny Business. You can casually listen to the
radio or a podcast or you can actively listen and take a
deeper dive. You need to determine for you what sound
waves have the potentiality to disrupt your focus and

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