Intellectual property lawyer, branding expert and IP business advisor, Shireen Smith joins the show today to share her IP secrets that you can utilise to protect your business. Together they discuss the importance of understanding IP, how IP often acts as a container for your brand's values and why focusing on having unique branding will help separate you from your competitors.

Shireen's latest book 'Brand Tuned the new rules of branding, strategy and intellectual property' is available on Amazon 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• One of the big problems within branding is that people are not trained in IP which is of central relevance to brands because all the identifiers by which a brand is recognised are intellectual property. This intellectual property needs to be protected and the business can often be uniquely identified by a name or other identifiers.
• Intellectual Property (IP) acts as a container for the brand value. So using a name that is uniquely yours, helps contain the value of your brand. When you are using a name that other people can use, you have a colander rather than a container. Other competitors can use the name and customers may find other people when looking for you which will therefore lose your business.
• Don’t choose a name until you know the business is viable. Therefore you do not have to get into all the costs of trademarking. When you are ready, register a name and trademark it immediately.
• Understanding IP at the same time as creating a brand or when trying to grow your company will allow you to develop the right strategy. Instead of focusing so much on how you can be different to your competitors in terms of products you offer, designers should be looking at coloring, branding and how they can visually stand out. They cannot copy your distinctiveness.
• There is a tiny percentage of people who find themselves in a situation where another company begins using the same name as them and they are unable to fight back. You have to decide whether to take the risk of not trademarking your company name. Try to protect yourself within your home market and try not to worry about international companies unless you have a more substantial business.

 

BEST MOMENTS

“It is important to find a name that can be uniquely yours.”

“In the 21st century we have the internet, which has changed everything.”

“Distinctiveness is what you can protect.”

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

“Shireen Smith is an intellectual property lawyer and business advisor specialising in trademarks and brands, and founder of IP law firm Azrights. Her interest in business and entrepreneurship led her to in-house positions at Coopers & Lybrand and then Reuters. She briefly returned to private practice, working at the international law firm Eversheds while raising her two daughters. Shireen is also a trained journalist and writes extensively about brands, business and IP on her various blogs. She has a strong social media presence, including a YouTube channel, and has published articles in numerous journals. She has been a regular speaker at the British Library, LSE and conferences for the legal industry and entrepreneurs, and has written 2 books, Legally Branded and Intellectual Property Revolution, which focus on the impact of the internet on business IP. Intangible assets are more important than ever to businesses, yet many entrepreneurs are unaware of the IP implications of their work or their brand creation. Drawing on her own marketing experience with Azrights and her extensive work with clients, Shireen created Brandtuned as a unique combination of branding and IP that helps businesses position themselves for the 21st century.”

Shireen's Contact Information

Website: https://www.brandtuned.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandtuned/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/brandtuned/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brand_tuned

Shireen Smith Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShireenSmith

Shireen Smith FB: https://www.facebook.com/shireensmith.4/

Shireen Smith IG: https://www.instagram.com/shireensmith/?hl=en 

 ABOUT THE HOST

Steve used to be a slave to his business but when he moved to Sweden in 2015, he was forced to change the way he worked. He switched to running his businesses remotely and after totally nailing this concept he decided to spend his time helping other small business owners do the same. Steve’s been investing in property since 2002, has a degree in Computing, and worked as a doctor in the NHS before quitting to focus full-time on sharing his systems and outsourcing Methodology with the world. He now lives in Sweden and runs his UK-based businesses remotely with the help of his team of Filipino and UK-based Virtual Assistants.

Most business owners are overwhelmed because they don't know how to create systems or get the right help.

Our systems and outsourcing Courses and coaching programme will help you automate your business and work effectively with affordable virtual assistants. That way, you will stop feeling overwhelmed and start making more money.