Trade Mark Agent

Center to any established companies brand strategy is a trade marked name, symbol, logo or slogan. The process of trade marking a companies newest brand asset isn’t quite as simple as a whois domain search on the internet, the many factors that need to be taken into consideration make the process quite technical. Many large companies might rely on their legal team to handle this responsibility, but not all firms take this route. A freelance trade mark agent handles all aspects of trademark research and registry.

Before The Start-Up – Let’s Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves

Before going freelance you’ll need to have experience working in the trade mark or patent industry. Every job will require you to draw on past experience and knowledge of procedures. While you don’t need to be lawyer to do this job, experience in the legal profession is certainly helpful.

The Start-Up

To effectively run your trade mark consultancy you’ll need a work space, desk, computer, fax machine, mobile phone and printer. A large part of your work will be done online so a high speed internet connection is essential.

As trade mark rights are territorial you’ll need to investigate the registration process and procedures that pertain to your country. If you live in the U.S.A the trade mark office is located in Washington D.C. Don’t forget to consider export markets when researching trade marks. Having a locally registered trade mark won’t protect your client against trade mark infringements in another country.

Without a reputation in the industry you’ll need to start small and work your way up. Begin targeting your services at small to medium sized business. You’ll typically charge between $150 and $250 (USD) per trade mark researched and registered.

Making It Work

Casting a wide net in the field is not always the best idea. The trade mark field is so complex that many consultants specialize in individual industries. If you decide to take this route be sure the industry you plan to target is big enough to support yourself and the competition that’s already in place.

Marketing

Market your services using direct mailers aimed at large corporations, advertisements in business publications and a website. Consider a small pay per click campaign using Google’s AdWords and Yahoo’s Overture to drive traffic to your website.

Don’t Forget

Specialized search directories and services used in your trade mark research will usually require an annual membership; don’t forget to factor this in when calculating your hourly rates.