The Story
After helping my client navigate a trademark opposition successfully, it became clear that I couldn’t have any more clients to face such issues.
Promoting trademarks to my existing clients initially seemed like selling another service rather than protecting their brands. I therefore created The Trademark Helpline to not only support my existing client base but to attract trademark enquiries (which I hoped would lead to websites and marketing campaigns).
Within three years, The Trademark Helpline was handling 100 applications a month. I realised my passion for trademarks outweighed my interest in marketing. So, I handed the marketing business to my partner; he gave me trademarks, and the rest is history.
So, What Are the Hints and Tips for This Tale?
Hint – Passion can often be the bi-product of hard work and persistence.
So many people I speak to want to be entrepreneurs and most of them don’t actually have a clue what they want to do.
Find something you are good at and go and do it. I promise you that more opportunity will come from doing business today than planning and scheming at home.
I’ve seen literally hundreds of people spend thousands of pounds training to start a business that they ended up hating. For most (and not all I admit), the best route to finding your passion is by being in the mix, asking questions, watching, listening and learning in real life, from real people, gaining real experience. That’s when real opportunity suddenly smacks you in the face, because you have learned enough to recognise it.
I never set out to have a trademark business and the success of The Trademark Helpline is largely down to the experts we employed and continue to employ but I still love it to this day.
Tip – Do what you can to find what you love.
Not sure about your passion? Or maybe you’re looking for the right problem to solve? Head on over to our Instagram for some inspiration.
Questions about this
How did The Trademark Helpline start?
Jonathan Paton ran a marketing business and, after helping a client through a trademark opposition, did not want other clients to face the same problem. He set up The Trademark Helpline to support his existing clients and attract trademark enquiries. Within three years it was handling 100 applications a month. His passion for trademarks outgrew his interest in marketing, so he handed the marketing business to his partner and focused on trademarks.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOHow do you find your passion in business?
For most people, by doing rather than planning. Passion is often a by-product of hard work and persistence. Finding something you are good at and getting on with it tends to create more opportunity than planning at home. Being in the mix, asking questions, watching, listening and learning from real people builds the experience needed to recognise a real opportunity when it appears.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEO
