When you’re trying to function on minimal sleep, constant worry and unsolicited advice from everyone around you, starting a new business can feel a lot like being a new mum, according to Mums & Co founder Carrie Kwan.

The Sydney-based managing director and mum of two launched Mums & Co in 2016 as a national community and digital subscription for female business owners. At the very core, the business strives to empower women by helping grow their networks and access to mentors and assistance.

Today, the network offers a range of support for women at all stages of business and motherhood, with digital resources, courses, podcasts and diverse networking opportunities to help mums in business succeed.

Carrie’s business is synonymous with its clever branding and memorable hashtags, turning everyday phrases into powerful marketing tools. But, behind the taglines, logos and hashtags, are registered trade marks authenticating and protecting Mums & Co.

Trade marks are a type of intellectual property (IP) that protects your unique brand and distinguishes your product or service in the market. Trade marks can be used to protect a logo, phrase, word, letter, colour, sound, smell, picture, movement, aspect of packaging or any combination of these.

Kochie’s Business Builders asked Carrie to share her experience in registering for trade marks and what other small businesses may need to know.

Protecting business trade marks from day one

Arming her new business for success, the decisions Carrie made during Mums & Co’s early stages of growth have protected her now thriving network from brand copycats and plagiarists.

Registering her trade mark early was a top priority for Carrie, even when she didn’t have products or services in the market yet.

“Our first two trade marks were registered a few months prior to our minimum viable product launch stage around 2016,” Carrie reflects. “For a few years we had more trade marks than we did years in operation! However, we knew trade mark registration was an important consideration and investment in future growth.”

Registering all the Mums & Co trade marks not only secured the protection of the brand, but also allowed Carrie’s team to focus on other aspects of development. Learning from each subsequent trade mark experience, Carrie now sits at the helm of a diverse range of assets.

“We currently have eight registered trade marks,” Carries says. “Most recently we’ve registered Mumbition™®, referring to the unapologetic blending of motherhood and ambition.”

So when should a business owner start exploring registering a potential trade mark? Carrie says the first step is a simple search for what currently exists.

“Consider the classes your business operates in now, and might potentially enter in the future,” she says.

Luckily, you don’t need to spend hours scrolling through endless web pages scoping out any potential competition. IP Australia has launched a new pilot tool TM Checker. TM Checker makes it easier for small businesses to check if a brand name or logo is available in Australia. The tool is free, and enables you to refine your search to the classes relevant to your business.

Running your business like running a family

There are many benefits of registering a trade mark for your business. Registered trade marks instill a sense of identity for your business within the market you’re in, and differentiate your product or service from competitors – two important factors when it comes to attracting customers.

Like so many successful business owners, Carrie has found being prepared for anything has been her secret weapon.

“For new founders, like new parents, there’s so much to think about and learn,” Carrie says. “It’s good practice to protect first in the event you might have to defend later.”

The parallels between running a business and running a family don’t stop there. As most mums would agree, keeping on top of things is always made easier by having a strong sense of structure and guiding values.

“Like being a parent creates a legal connection and responsibility for your family that you’d do anything to protect, a trade mark creates that same relationship for your business assets,” notes Carrie.

De-risking the business journey

Carrie knows how daunting the first steps of a new business can feel. In fact, supporting women in building confidence and skills has been the driving force behind Mums & Co since its inception.

“Eighty per cent of business owners in our community are sole traders so often it can be a lonely experience,” says Carrie. “TM Checker is another way of providing support to women brave enough to make the leap into their new ventures, role modelling entrepreneurship for future generations.”

Before any major steps are taken, Carrie stresses the importance of knowing when to ask for help, and what should be a priority for business owners. With two young sons and a blossoming business to take care of, Carrie leaned on the help of experts like trade mark lawyers when it came to her first registrations in 2016.

“In my experience, pick your battles,” Carrie says. “Outsourcing is always an option to allow you to focus on another, equally valid and important aspect of business, or parenting!”

For more information, head to the IP Australia website and check out the TM Checker tool.

This article is intended to provide general information regarding intellectual property and does not constitute legal or professional advice. It is not intended to take the place of legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon as such.

This article is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in consultation with IP Australia.