Founder 101: Protect your Brand Name Before You Launch

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Some of the most exciting brands today are founded by purpose-driven entrepreneurs who build strong, loyal communities around their products. We’ve admired the journey of a UK-based hair brand whose natural haircare line grew rapidly thanks to exceptional products and great founder leadership.

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After many years of products that striped nutrients from hair or failed to resolve hair issues within a reasonable price point, the company’s products was a breadth of fresh hair and their community felt personally invested in the brand's success.

Perhaps you have done the same, decided to create something different — something people finally trust. A breath of fresh air in a market full of overpromising and under-delivering.

You have invested in your new company and hoping for rapid growth, but with that comes exposure. And nothing exposes a business faster than not protecting its brand name.

When You Don’t Protect Your Brand Name, You Invite Risk Many founders—especially in beauty, wellness, and haircare—face the same pattern:

• The product launches fast.

• The community grows even faster.

• The brand becomes recognisable before the legal foundations are set.

This is exactly what happened with the UK-based haircare brand this article refers to. Their products were loved. Their community was loud. But behind the scenes? They were unknowingly using a name already protected by another company.

The result:

❌ They were forced to rebrand ❌ They spent thousands on legal fees ❌ They had to pause operations

❌ They risked losing customer trust and brand equity

As many founders learn too late…

A strong brand without legal protection is a liability. Unfortunately this is a common mistake we see founders make. A growing UK business was forced to rebrand in 2025 due to trademark issues, resulting in them having to sell over £250,000 worth of stock within a few months.

The Legal Challenges of Ignoring Brand Protection

Here’s what happens when you don’t protect your brand name early:

1. You may unintentionally infringe another company’s trademark

Even if your brand name feels original, another business may already:

• Own the trademark

• Operate in the same class (e.g., cosmetics, haircare, wellness)

• Use similar branding

• Sell in the same jurisdiction

And in trademark law, similarity alone can be enough for infringement.

2. You risk losing everything you’ve built — overnight

Trademark conflicts can lead to:

• Cease-and-desist letters

• Court threats

• Product takedowns

• Loss of listings on marketplaces

• Instagram/TikTok handle removal

• Forced rebranding

A rebrand can wipe out months—sometimes years—of momentum.

3. Rebranding costs more than trademarking ever will

Founders underestimate the costs of a forced rebrand:

• Packaging redesign

• Domain purchase

• Marketing updates

• Trademark filings

• Legal consultations

• Communicating the change to customers

• Inventory write-offs

A £170 trademark could save thousands. In the case of the the earlier business mentioned, having legal guidance or support to guide them on their brand name would have saved the founder time, stress and over £250,000.

The Startup Trap: “No One Will Notice”

Fast-growing UK and US brands often believe:

• “We’re still small, no one will care.”

• “I’ll register the trademark after we go viral.”

• “It’s just a name, I can change it later.”

• “We checked Companies House so it’s fine.”
  

But here’s the truth:

Companies House registrations in the UK don’t protect your brand name. Trademarks do. And in beauty and haircare, brand identity is everything. Customers fall in love with a name. A story. A feeling. Losing that—even temporarily—can break the emotional connection that drives sales.

💡 C&S Tips: How to Protect Your Brand Name Before Launching

Founders who win long-term do these three things early:

1. Conduct Trademark Searches in Every Relevant Market

Searches should check for:

• Exact matches

• Similar names

• Identical pronunciation

• Overlapping classes

• Existing disputes

This prevents “surprise” infringement claims later.

2. Trademark Your Brand — In the Right Countries and Classes

A trademark only protects you in the countries and categories you register in.

Register early. Renew on time. Expand as you grow.

 A brand is more than a name—it’s an emotional connection with your audience. Losing that identity because of a preventable legal issue is heart breaking and stress you do not need. So aside from ensuring you are developing the right product or service, ensure you protect your business from these potential issues so you can scale confidently.

If you have already launched, it’s best to look into these areas as early as possible to ensure they don’t cause issues in the future.

The good news is this UK-based hair brand was determined to come back from this and after spending thousands to resolve the issue and has generated 8 figures over the last few years. However, fast scaling businesses can often be met with an array of other issues as they scale, which this company did, showing the need to constantly stay on top of how you manage your business.

But many businesses often put legal protection to one side until it’s too late, thinking it’s too complex or expensive. For deeper insight into how Count & Sol’s ongoing legal support can help you to proactively avoid legal risks that can impact your business, book a consultation today.