2 businesses with almost same name

[CHEESE2009]

My companies legal name actually has no reference to lawn care. I use, "Lawn Service" at the end of it instead of "Enterprises" for advertising purposes. I'm going to start using my real name, because there is a company out there who has the name I go by when advertising and it's been pretty annoying both having the same Facebook business page... LOL In other news... I'm probably going to die after eating a bag of expired cherries. lol

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009 In other news... I'm probably going to die after eating a bag of expired cherries. lol That's all hype you'll be fine. Just don't eat discolored meat.

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[beareyouseae]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

Yeah, as I was working on a name (wasn't interested in the "family name" thing), I found that nearly everything I could come up with was either not available (because it was a company with a "unique" name registered, or they were too close to me for my comfort. Just because I CAN use the same name as another guy doesn't mean it's a good idea.

I came up with Oak Leaf Lawn Service. There's an "Oak Leaf Landscaping" or something on the far end of the state, so I figured that shouldn't be an issue, PLUS if I should decide to become a company instead of a sole proprietorship, I can pay to have my name as a unique name since it's slightly different than the "other" Oak Leaf.

That said, I was in my local dealer once and saw a guy with an "Oak Leaf" t-shirt! I can't recall if it was "Lawn Service" or "Landscaping, or whatever, but it was a LOCAL number on the shirt. I was pi$$ed - I had spent a TON of time researching the state website to be sure I didn't duplicate a local business name. I assume he's running it illegally, because it would have been listed otherwise.

When I was thinking of a name, I was also on the WA department of revenue to make sure I didn't pick a name that was too close to an already existing company. I found that there were a few similar ones, but they are on the other side of the state. So, there really should be a problem. Although there was a business with Cutting Edge as part of the name locally, it was a different type of business(mfg, I believe), so can't really get those two confused. And when I called the D.O.R. to make sure all the paper work was good, I asked them about this, and they said it was fine. Anyways, the shirt thing you experienced, is what I want to avoid. So for now I'm trying to beat this other guy on advertising/marketing to establish my name first.

[dpld]

i hear about this all the time and thats why i just used my own personl name because if someones got the same name as me and they do the same exact thing as me then we got problems and are going to have to duke it out.

[Steve]

So for now I'm trying to beat this other guy on advertising/marketing to establish my name first.

Is that going to help you or is it going to be helping him too and keeping the public confused?

It is a lot easier early on to deal with these things than later after you have invested much time and money into building your brand.

This can become a HUGE nightmare.

In 2000, the World Wide Fund for Nature (also trademarked WWF), an environmental organization, sued World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. for it's usage of WWF and won. The World Wrestling Federation had to change it's name.

[Ducke]

Originally Posted by dpld

i hear about this all the time and thats why i just used my own personl name because if someones got the same name as me and they do the same exact thing as me then we got problems and are going to have to duke it out.

This is OK as long as your name isn't
Jim Smith
or
Bubba Jones
or
Bob Brown

common names can hurt you as well.

[Ducke]

Steve the WWF versus WWF was a good example.
Her in back wood Nova Scotia Canada Disney Sued a business (Day Care) to stop using a likeness that they have a copy right on and won.
I saw a landscaper here last summer that's name was "Get er Done" landscaping
I think he is leaving himself open to law suits if that phrase is copy righted which it most likely is.
A company name logo and catch phrase should not be taken lightly and you should do some research into it before you build your brand.