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Guest post by: Roger Pierce Become an Author

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As homes get smaller while televisions get bigger, that big black box in the living room may become an unwanted eyesore. “Women especially resent an ugly TV in their living room or bedroom,” claims entrepreneur Heather Azima.

Azima has just launched a revolutionary product called the TV Kozy (www.tvkozy.com), which is a beautiful, custom-fitted fabric cover that conceals a television when it’s not being watched.

“For years, my husband was covering his TV with a blanket,” recalls Azima. “I liked the idea of hiding the TV but the blanket had to go, so I sewed a full canvas cover. We loved it, and knew other people would appreciate it too.”

Azima and her husband, Bard, worked on the product and the business plan for a year before officially launching in May of 2005. It’s available in many different fabrics, styles and sizes to fit any television or computer monitor.

While it’s a great décor item, Azima says she is really focusing on the deeper benefit to buying her product.

“It’s a tool for developing a healthier family,” says Azima, adding that 73 percent of parents would like to limit their children’s television time. Since out of sight is out of mind, she says covering up the tempting black box will curb the number of hours families spend watching it, freeing up time to pursue healthier activities such as reading, playing games or physical fitness.

“These are very appealing benefits to our target market of women and parents who are concerned about the addictive and lethargic nature of television,” explains Azima.

She calls the time when the TV is turned off “Kozy Time”, so her company website offers a “Kozy Club” where kids can post drawings or describe fun activities they’ve enjoyed while not watching the tube.

Azima says her TV Kozy is the first in a line of quality-of-life products. “We plan to build our company by promoting healthier choices for people, especially children.”

Business name legal issues

Registering and protecting a business name is a confusing process for new entrepreneurs.

To find out if your preferred business name or identity is taken you must conduct a search on the Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search (NUANS), a database containing all registered business names and trademarks in Canada. You can search business names online at www.cyberbahn.ca. If you decide to use the same name of another company or one that is similar, you could face a lawsuit.

“It’s important to understand that registering a business name generally does not protect your right to use that name,” comments entrepreneur-friendly lawyer Albert Luk (www.luklaw.com). “The primary purpose of a registration is to tell the world you’re using that name,” he says. “Instead, you protect a business name by registering a trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.”

A trademark is a distinctive mark which distinguishes a product or service from others. A trademark may be a word (“Coke”), combination of words (“PriceWaterhouseCoopers”), logo or symbol (Nike’s swoosh), a slogan (“Just do it!”) or a series of numbers (Pizza Pizza’s famous 967-11-11). The primary purpose of a trademark is to protect your identity from imitation or confusion with competitors.

To avoid future problems when starting your small business, it’s always worthwhile to consult a lawyer.

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