Possible business name change

[wdcutter]

After extensive research for a business name and hundreds of hours of marketing my name brand over the last couple of years 2 new lawn care and landscaping businesses pop up using Down To Earth names. 1 is Down To Earth Lawn Care and the other is Down To Earth Landscaping and mine is Down To Earth Lawn & Property Maintenance. Maine doesn't require registering a business name, but you can register a logo with your business name on it. It is all based on a good faith effort. I could just drop the lawn in mine and just use the property maintenance without my customers and future customers noticing much. My only concern is if something should happen via word of mouth about Down To Earth and folks no putting 2 & 2 together it may cost me credibility and some business down the road. These guys are within a 20 mile radius and so far hasn't bothered, but am looking to get my new truck lettered. This year seems to be one that I am back tracking and doing things the way I felt I should have to begin with, as my 08 Silverado crapped out after 18 months. I went with the f-250 SD complete with a plow that I thought I should of at first, but thought the Chevy would go for longer than it did and this is just one more thing that I struggled with at the beginning. I wanted to use my last name/ property maintenance, but thought if I sold it that it may be easier if it had its own name verses my name on it. If I decide to go forward with this I will still use my logo. I did one with the new name on the old logo and will also send out notifications of the name change to my current customers along with the reason for it. Other than that business is booming here, having more than doubled this season and still growing, most of this years business is from summer folks that have second homes here that want to come and play and not be bothered with mowing and such.

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Brian

Durgin's Lawn & Landscape

www.durginslawnandlandscape.com

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Is it possible they are breaking the law by using a name similar to yours in such a close service area? Would it be worthwhile talking to an attorney? I bet you could send out a couple of letters and force them to change their name. The problem with you changing your name is this. You build your name up over the next couple of years. Newer businesses come into the market and look around to see who is doing well. Then they create a name similar to yours in order to ride on your coattails and then what will you do? Continue to have to change your name to differentiate yourself from them? What's your view on this?

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[wdcutter]

Maine has no law on that, everyone is to use a good faith effort when choosing a company name, and not duplicating one.

I also hear what your saying about having to change it over and over again, I was looking to use my last name with my old logo and register that with the state, basically trademarking it.

Someone will always be able to do this here and am going to think on it some more before going for it if at all. Normally I think I would never change it and just go about my business, but for some reason this has been eating at me for some time.

[tjgray]

We ran into a similiar situation about oh maybe three years ago...

Best thing we ever did was change our name

[Steve]

Normally I think I would never change it and just go about my business, but for some reason this has been eating at me for some time.

How do you feel this has effected your stress level now that you have changed it. Is it something that has made a big impact on you?

I bet there are others reading this that are dealing with that issue as well and unsure what to do.