Picking a beauty salon name is hugely serious. There are unscrupulous people out there who will absolutely copycat a business name and purposely try to confuse the public. Unfortunately, not all cosmetology schools teach professional ethics, which is why picking your salon name is critical. The beauty industry is a very competitive arena. Sadly, unethical folks will take your business name just to make profits.
The last thing you want is to invest hard earned start up money into building a brand, only to have another person purposely try to steal your clients through confusion.
In 2009, we began providing professional eyelash extensions as well as other cosmetic services to the public. Over time, our company began appearing prominently on the internet. Coincidentally other Chicago area salon owners started creating nearly identical business names or directly using our name Chicago Lashes- as part of their online marketing campaigns. It became very apparent that these establishments were purposely attempting to maliciously ride our coattails for free. Thankfully, we obtained both state and federal registered service marks.
Use these tips when choosing a beauty salon name:
Spend Time on Research
Do you already have a good name idea? The best advice we can give is researching your local area to see if the salon name is already being used. The key here is to pick something unique that isn’t similar to another salon, or provides nearly the same services. Above all, hire an experienced business lawyer to help you make a sound decision. Although there may be some protections under common law, an intellectual property lawyer will help you navigate the process.
Don’t Take Chances
According to Cornell University Law School, being found guilty of infringement can cost the offender the following:
- Injunctive Relief
- Lost Profits
- Legal Fees
- Damages
Why risk having to change your business name later, when starting off on the right foot is so much easier? Ask an experienced lawyer about The Lanham Act.
Pick a Solid Salon Name
The term service mark is a fancy legal word which basically helps consumers distinguish between different companies. So you wouldn’t want to pick beauty salon names like “Hair Salon Services” because this is a common phrase. But you could maybe claim “Collet’s Awesome Hair Salon Services”. A trademark is different from a service mark. Chicago Lashes service mark relates to the eyelash extensions industry. A trademark would be if we sold a specific type of product within our industry. Example: Hard Stick Adhesive could possibly be trademarked if we sold such an item.
Make a Unique Logo
Reviewing beauty salon names prior to making a choice is smart. Did you know Payless Shoes was ordered to pay nearly 65 million dollars to Adidas for using the commonly known 3 stripe logo on their shoes? Your business logo ties directly with your branding. Find a graphic artist to assist you with creating logo designs which makes whatever beauty salon name you have chosen to stand out. Having said this, forget about using images that could be mistaken with another beauty salon. Do you really want to trick customers into your establishment by using a copycat image?
Conclusion
All things being said, seek legal advice before moving forward with settling upon the best beauty salon name. Admittedly, we are certainly not law experts. Rather, we hope sharing our experience can help you have a successful salon. Ultimately, we all want to help clients look beautiful.
