If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, you probably don’t need to be told how important it is to protect your company name and logo. The hit to your business if some other company started using your name or logo could be substantial. Trademarking your company’s name and logo is one of the best things you can do to protect your intellectual property from infringement.

You can use the trademark (TM) logo without having a registered trademark, but registering your mark is what gives you the right to take intellectual property infringers to court. You should trademark your company’s name at the same time as or soon after you file for incorporation.…