This year, the WIPO is marking World Intellectual Property day by shining the light on how SMEs use their IP rights. So we caught up with our recent client, Linn Boo, founder and managing director of Newquay based Boo Consulting Limited to find out why she decided to trademark her business brand name.
What is Boo Consulting?
Boo Consulting Limited is privacy and risk consultancy firm. Since 2018, our expert consultants have been helping organisations, charities, local authorities and SMEs in Cornwall and across the UK to do the right thing when it comes to business compliance. We specialise in Information Security, Data Protection, Marketing Compliance, ISO Consultancy, Food Safety and Health & Safety.
Understanding laws, regulations and industry standards can be complex and daunting. Boo Consulting are here to help, whatever the size of your business. We make business compliance easy with professional risk management consultancy from data protection to food safety and health and safety.
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have worked in information security and data protection for over 15-years.
Ethics is a big thing for me. When I worked for another consultancy firm, I worked on a GDPR audit for a homeless charity. Whilst speaking with members of staff it became clear that the charity had been forced to let a member of staff go in order to have enough funds to pay for the audit. This really didn’t sit well with me; compliance shouldn’t have to be expensive or intimidating.
What challenges did you face when you set the business up?
Definitely finance; I set up the business with no financial support and I wanted to grow the business organically. This on its own is challenging, especially as I didn’t have the budget for a sales team/function. The business was essentially built on the idea that keeping our overheads and costs low and our clients happy would lead to word-of-mouth sales.
How important is it to you that your brand identity is protected?
Building a reputable brand is hugely important, it solidifies our reputation, service quality and future innovation.
How do your IP rights help your business?
There are a couple of other organisations with similar names and the IP has given me some peace of mind that my brand is protected.
Why is it important for brands and start-up businesses to focus on IP?
It can distinguish your services from your competitors and help to protect and enhance your brand in the marketplace.
What advice would you give to other small businesses regarding IP and brand identity?
If you aren’t sure how to go about trademarking your business product/services, get help from the start. I thought I could complete the trademark registration on my own, however, it takes time and thought at each stage of the process. A little investment into an IP specialist goes a long way.
What are your plans for the future of your business?
We are launching a number of new services, including CISO as a Service, cyber maturity assessments and cyber essentials certification.
You can contact Linn and her team through her website www.booconsulting.co.uk or on their social media accounts:
Facebook, LinkedIn, or their Instagram account.
Questions about this
Why did Boo Consulting decide to trademark its brand name?
Founder Linn Boo explained that a couple of other organisations have similar names, and registering the trademark gave her peace of mind that her brand is protected. Building a reputable brand is hugely important to the business, because it solidifies its reputation, service quality and future innovation, and protecting the name helps distinguish its services from competitors.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOWhat did Boo Consulting learn about filing a trademark without help?
Linn Boo initially thought she could complete the trademark registration on her own, but found that it takes time and thought at each stage of the process. Her advice to other small businesses is to get help from the start if they are unsure how to trademark their products or services, because a little investment in an IP specialist goes a long way.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOWhy should start-ups think about intellectual property early?
Because intellectual property can distinguish a business’s services from its competitors and help protect and enhance the brand in the marketplace. For a start-up growing organically, as Boo Consulting did without outside financial support, reputation and word-of-mouth sales often drive growth. Protecting the brand name early means that reputation is built on something the business owns.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEO
