Attention Life and Business Coaches: Need to Protect Your Service and Program Names…
but Confused About Trademarks?
My Done-for-You Trademark Registration Service
Takes the Time, Stress, Guesswork, and Mistakes
Out of Protecting YOUR Intellectual Property!
With 9+ years of experience helping coaches obtain rock-solid trademark protection, I can make shielding your program and service names almost effortless!
Click the button below to schedule a call to discuss your trademark needs:
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Dear Coach and Fellow Entrepreneur,
Valerie Del Grosso here.
Over the past 9+ years, I’ve worked with a LOT of business and life coaches. I’ve seen how hard they work and how much they put into their businesses – setting up truly transformational programs, dealing with demanding clients, handling marketing and finances, and MUCH more! The list of tasks most coaches tackle every day seems almost endless!
So it’s sad when one of these coaches gets ripped off by some unscrupulous thief who uses their
program names, service names, logos, and other intellectual property for their own gain.
Think about how you’d feel if you woke up tomorrow to discover that somebody was using your branding – which you’ve poured months or even years of your life into – as their own… and taking a huge bite out of your business.
Does that make you feel a little sick to your stomach?
It should.
Because not only can it do serious damage to your income, credibility, and livelihood… but it can be easily prevented!
I’ll tell you more about that in just a second. But first, I want to touch on a question that coaches ask me all the time…
Do people really bother to steal intellectual property?
Seriously, most people don’t even realize that this really happens. Especially professional coaches.
I chalk it up to this: Coaches are wired to see the good in people. They recognize the potential within each person, and focus their energy on activating that potential. So it’s easy to “look through rose-colored glasses) and believe that no one would really sink so low as to steal another person’s hard-earned success.
But unfortunately, not everyone is interested in honesty and integrity. There are always going to be those people who steal from others and use what they’ve stolen to prosper.
Here are just a few examples:
Mark received an email one day from a client who told him that another coach was using his signature program name verbatim. Same name, same tagline, same logo – everything! And what was even worse… this coach claimed in a Facebook post that Mark had stolen everything from him!
Owen had a similar experience with his marketing coaching business… but in this case, the thief had copied his entire sales page word for word! He spent over 3 months unsuccessfully trying to resolve the issue with the thief… but ended up having to change his own business name! (There’s a year of branding right down the drain!)
Kathy discovered that a former client had set up a site “parodying” one of her programs and using a “play” on the program name. The content of the parody site was intentionally negative, and it led several of Kathy’s clients to stop using her coaching services.
Every single one of those cases could have been addressed quickly if the coaches had taken the time to protect their intellectual property. With a properly filed and approved trademark registration, these coaches would have had the legal standing to shut down the thieves… and keep their businesses (and credibility) from being destroyed!
Take Amanda Goldman-Petri, for example. One of her Facebook group members decided to use Amanda’s “Market Like a Nerd” name as their own. But unlike the coaches I told you about above, Amanda had the foresight to hire me to register “Market Like a Nerd” as a trademarked name beforehand.
Because of the trademark registration, she was granted a “cease and desist” order against the thief… and protected the integrity and exclusivity of one of her most popular brands!
Trademarks aren’t JUST for dealing with
intellectual property thieves, though…
Most business owners think that trademarks are just for keeping bad guys from ripping off their intellectual property. And, yeah, that’s a big part of it. But having the right trademarks in place can provide other benefits, too:
- It gives you the freedom to stand out in your industry, knowing that YOU will be the only person associated with your catchy, memorable, engaging program, product, and service names. No more “reeling in” your creativity to stay off your competitors’ radars!
- Having trademark symbols/language associated with your intellectual property shows potential clients that you are serious about your business. You get instant credibility the moment you put a trademark symbol next to your product, program, or service name – it gives the impression of a mature brand. And that makes it MUCH easier to turn prospects into paying clients!
- Because of their exclusivity, trademarked names, logos, and other intellectual property is easier for prospects, clients, and other coaches to find. This means more clients on your schedule. It also means that ethical coaches (you know, the 99% of us who don’t enjoy stealing things) can look you up and know that the name is already taken!
But getting intellectual property trademarked
is difficult, right
It’s definitely not a quick-and-easy process, that’s for sure… especially when you need to devote your time to running your coaching business and taking care of your clients.
I mean, do you really want to spend weeks or months trying to understand trademark law, dealing with United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) bureaucracy, and drafting legal arguments to get your trademark granted?
I don’t know about you, but most coaches would rather swim in a swamp full of alligators. Naked. In July.
And even if you did have the time, patience, and resources to pursue trademarks on your own, there are lots of nuances in the coaching industry that make obtaining intellectual property protection even more challenging.
You can easily end up wasting TONS of time and money… only to have your trademark application denied. And then you’re back to square one… and still at risk of having your service, product, and program names stolen!
That’s why you need an expert who understands
trademarks in the coaching industry!
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been providing legal information and services to business and life coaches for almost a decade. And throughout that time, I’ve helped plenty of coaches obtain legal trademark protection for their intellectual property.
My team and I know the process inside out, because we’ve been through it countless times. We know what to expect, what to provide, and how to get approval as quickly as possible.
And because also know how trademarks work in the coaching industry, I have the insights to get around roadblocks that coaches normally run into. And that translates to a smoother, faster, more trouble-free process!
Today, I’d like to invite you to find out if my done-for-you trademark service is right for you.
Book your consultation call today, and discuss
your trademark needs with one of my
experienced, friendly attorneys
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My mission is to help you build the strongest business possible so that you can create incredible change in the lives of your clients. After all, I’ve obtained enormous benefits from working with coaches myself… so I know how powerful coaching transformations can be!
And this is one of the ways I can help you strengthen your business. I know that registering your service, product, and program names with the USPTO is something that has probably crossed your mind… but it seems so overwhelming that you just keep putting it off.
Don’t worry… it happens all the time. But I’d like to lend you a hand and take care of all of the “heavy lifting” for you. After all, a trademark application isn’t going to do you much good AFTER someone has already stolen your intellectual property!
But I don’t just want you to take my word for it.
Let’s take a look at what my clients say…
Barber Spanjers,
Health Coach
"Valerie is a legal rockstar who helped me put all of the pieces in place for my online business. She totally gets the unique needs of virtual entrepreneurs, and makes the whole process easy. As a non-lawyer, I didn't know where to start to protect my business. And with other lawyers, I felt like I needed a translator to understand what they were saying. I'm grateful I found Valerie!
Sarah Shapiro,
Money Coach
"I hired Valerie a few years back to handle the trademark for my online Business, Millionaire Alchemy®. Valerie did a fantastic job explaining the somewhat complex legal process to me in simple, understandable terms and she is extremely knowledgeable, accessible and expedient. She was timely and it turned out that I received my registered trademark months earlier than expected!"
Amanda Goldman-Petri,
Marketing Coach
"I'm SO glad I decided to hire Valerie for my trademark, because shortly after I launched my business, one of my community members started using my business name, Market Like A Nerd®. Luckily, because Valerie was able to successfully register it, the thief took her page down right away. I've now hired her for 10 or so trademarks since then, and I'll continue to do so as needed! I highly recommend her!"
Why do I need to book a call? Can’t we just get started now?
Here’s the thing: Honesty and integrity are non-negotiable in my world. I’m here to do the best job possible for the business and life coaches I work with. And that means being up front with you about how I can – and can’t – help.
In short, I’m not going to waste your time and money if I can’t help you.
So when you click the button to schedule your call, I’m going to ask you to provide a little info about your trademark needs. If it doesn’t sound like I’ll be able to get you what you’re looking for, I’ll shoot you an email explaining why… along with a training module for coming up with names that can be successfully trademarked. If that’s the case, we’ll cancel the call… but you’re more than welcome to reschedule once you’ve come up with some new names!
During the initial call, you’ll chat with one of my attorneys to dig a bit deeper. You’ll find out more about the process and what you’ll need to provide. You’ll also get action steps to complete before the filing, and guidance on completing those action steps.
Again, the whole purpose of the call is to make sure you get the benefits you deserve… and that you don’t end up spending time and money that could be better spent in other areas of your business.
Sounds fair, Valerie. So if we’re a good fit, what do I get with
your trademark registration service?
Great question! You’ll get all the boring details on your consultation call, but here’s a brief rundown of what’s included in my trademark registration service package:
PLUS… I’ll include the following BONUS items to give your coaching business even greater strength and protection:
Bonus #1: Trademark 101
If all of this is new to you, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! This comprehensive training will give you proven insights on:
- The basics of the trademark process (in plain English)
- What to expect during each stage of the process
- What to do if the USPTO requires additional info
- Common objections and how to address them
- What to do if the USPTO denies your trademark registration
Bonus #2: Protecting and Policing Your Trademark
Trademarks are only effective if they’re consistently enforced. In fact, it’s possible to lose trademark protection altogether if another person can prove that you haven’t protected and enforced the trademark in the past! In this training, I’ll give you simple strategies for protecting and policing your trademark to ensure that your program, product, and service names are shielded from theft.
Bonus #3: Trademark Registration Renewal
In the United States, approved trademarks typically must be renewed every 10 years. I’ve put together this to-the-point training to make the renewal process easy when your trademarks are nearing expiration!
Bonus #4: Conducting Future Trademark Searches
In the future, you’ll probably have additional names to trademark. I’ll show you how to quickly find out if the names you want are trademarked, so that can eliminate unusable names before you spend much time on them!
So what’s the cost of the trademark registration service?
The price depends the type (and number) of application filings, as well as several other factors that affect the complexity of the filing, such as:
- Whether the USPTO requests different images from those supplied (for logos, service names, etc.).
- In cases where the USPTO is planning denial, whether an additional round of arguments and appeals will likely change their position.
- Whether you receive a “cease and desist” letter or objection during the publishing process.
- Whether you want to register the same name under two or more categories (we can discuss this during the initial consultation.
Because of these factors (many of which won’t be apparent until after the initial filing), not all applications are priced exactly the same.
I can tell you, though, that your investment in this service is quite a bit less than if you hired a general trademark attorney… and MUCH less than you’ll spend fighting infringement if someone steals your intellectual property!
Let’s protect your intellectual property BEFORE there’s a problem!
Don’t wait until some dastardly thief is making profits off your hard work before you decide to do something about it! Click the button below to schedule a call with one of my friendly attorneys today… and get one step closer to one of the most valuable things any coach could ask for – peace of mind!
Complete the Information Below
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I look forward to helping you get the rock-solid protection you need to keep your business powerful, profitable, and enjoyable!
Valerie Del Grosso
A few more questions I hear from coaches every day…
Can you guarantee that my trademark registration will be successful?
There are too many factors at play to guarantee ANY successful registration. Although it’s rare, I have seen cases where everything is done 100% correctly, and the USPTO still denies the application.
I can tell you, though, that I have among the highest success rates in the industry… particularly when it comes to obtaining trademarks for coaches. As I mentioned earlier, I know what Trademark Examiners assigned to coaching-related trademarks are looking for… and how to give it to them. So I’ve been able to obtain FAR better results than general trademark attorneys could ever dream of!
Will there be problems with my trademark application?
It’s impossible to foresee every possible problem that could possibly happen. But, thanks to my experience, I’ve learned how to proactively deal with most problems before they happen. That’s why I ask coaches to schedule consultations – that process helps me anticipate complications and point you in the right direction if I suspect your application will be denied.
How can a trademark help me?
Once your trademark registration has been approved, no one will be able to use the name you’ve trademarked unless you either:
- Fail to enforce your trademark if it is infringed upon, or
- Fail to renew the registration and let it expire (trademarks must typically be renewed every 10 years)
That means that if someone uses the same name (or a deceptively similar name) for a commercial purpose, you have the legal right to demand that the person stop using the name. If the person continues to use it, other legal remedies are available.
Besides, as I noted above, it makes you appear more serious to your prospects, clients, and competitors. A trademark symbol (or language identifying the trademark) indicates a strong, mature business that prospects WANT to work with… and that competitors won’t want to mess with!
What about non-commercial use? Can someone use my trademarked name in, say, a blog post?
Typically, trademark protection does not extend to non-commercial use. For example, a blogger could use a trademarked name in a personal blog without worry.
In cases where the use “dilutes” the brand, though, you can usually enforce the trademark. For example, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) successfully shut down a website owner who used the PETA name and logo in a parody site where “PETA” stood for “People Eating Tasty Animals.” The court ruled that the parody diluted the PETA brand, causing commercial harm through non-commercial use.
Can’t I just do this myself?
Sure, if you’d like to pour several weeks’ worth of time into researching trademark law, learning how to put your filing together, dealing with Trademark Examiners, answering objections, and filing appeals.
But here’s the kicker – up to 80% of self-filed trademark applications submitted to the USPTO are denied! That includes filings prepared with do-it-yourself services like LegalZoom.
That’s what makes having an attorney on your side – especially one that specializes in working with coaches – so important. Not only will you greatly increase your odds of getting your name trademarked successfully… but you’ll save an incredible amount of time, frustration, and wasted money along the way!
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