H&A Update

We’re getting closer to the official launch of Houchin & Associates, PLLC. The finished print materials are starting to arrive.

The materials were designed by a great illustrator and designer on my team named Kurt Pfaff. Kurt also illustrated the portrait of me that I use for the masthead of the blog and for all my PR shots… Visit Kurt’s site here: http://www.kurtpfaff.com/

Here’s what the set of materials looks like, it includes a pocket folder, overview brochure, letterhead, business cards, envelopes, some #10-size cards, some invitation-sized cards, and some bookmarks.

(Click on the image for a better view…)

Print materials Thumbnail.

All the materials are being printed at my long-time favorite printer, Barnhart Press, in Omaha, Nebraska. As always, they’ve done a great job at a great price. Here’s their Web site: http://www.barnhartpress.com/

Progress

We’re making progress on the launch of Houchin & Associates and the guidingvalue.com Web site. Yesterday, I received press sheets on the new presentation folder, stationery, and business cards. They all look great. I should have all the new print materials in my hands on Monday.

The Web site is coming together too. Hopefully, we’ll be able to launch it before the end of the day on Monday. There are some holes that we’ll need to fill in, but the bulk of the best information should be live.

The Web site will feature some “latest thinking” comments on other blogs about IP law, branding, and business development. You’ll also be able to check the events calendar for upcoming seminars, and you’ll be able to register for those seminars online of course. (Visa and Mastercard will be accepted…) 🙂

Finally, I’ve drafted two ebooks that are in various stages of editing and design right now. As soon as those are ready, you’ll be able to purhcase and download those titles and future titles from guidingvalue.com. The first book is a workbook on naming new companies, products, and services. The second book is a workbook on marketing left-brain (high-tech) products to right-brain people. I’ve received good feedback on the drafts from people I respect saying the content is great. I hope you’ll think so too.

A little Blue Ocean

Read the book Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. (Harvard Business School Press – 2005 – ISBN: 1-59139-619-0).

It’s about innovation – a topic dear to my heart.
In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set.

The authors studied buisness launches at 108 companies and found:

86% of launches are just line extensions, which account for 62% of total revenues, but only 39% of profits.

The remaining 14% of launches were aimed at creating “blue oceans” – new areas of value innovation. This 14% of launches generated 38% of revenues and 61% of profits.

So, doesn’t it make good business sense to stop trying to compete with everyone else and start looking for ways to add value and reduce costs?  This is what we’re trying to do by bringing the law firm and the marketing firm together – add real quality to both the legal and the branding product, at the same time reducing the costs associated with handling separate partners for legal and marketing services.

Workshop

I’m tentatively planning a workshop for April 24, 2007 at the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce.  There will be two stand-alone sessions: 9-12, and 12-3.  Right now, I’m planning on the first session focusing on the creative and legal issues relative to naming a new company, product, or service.  The second session would focus on the legal and creative issues of marketing intellectual property.  My plan is for each session to be $150/person, or $200/person for the entire day.  Of course there will be handouts and reference material.  I’d like to incorporate some “workshop” aspects as well, so people come out with some tangible progress toward their goals.

Please shoot me some thoughts and feedback on the idea as comments…

eBooks

I have several ebooks I would like to publish.  I’m stating this in the blog so that any of you out there can help hold me to the pledge.

Here are the working titles:

  1. Branding & The Law: Naming Your New Company, Product, or Service.
  2. Launching your Creative Business
  3. Marketing & Intellectual Property
  4. Copyright for the Visual Artist
  5. Copyright for the Musican
  6. Copyright for the Filmmaker

I’m open to suggestions for others… just add your suggestions as comments to this post.