Check That Name, Quick! Before you register that name, make sure it doesn't belong to someone else.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
You're about to set up your Web site and you want a greatdomain name--that is, www.yourcompanyname.com, or something pithy,catchy and clever. If you haven't already reserved that perfectname, be prepared to find out it's already taken by someoneelse. I sometimes spend hours trying to see if domain names areavailable and then registering the ones I like on a registrationsite such as Register.com.The basic cost of reserving a domain name is $35 per year, but youhave to pay for the first two years at once ($70). Before you plunkdown your credit card, make sure your domain name isn'tinfringing on an existing trademark by visiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Website to do a quick trademark search.
Aliza Sherman is an BIZ Experiences and author of Cybergrrl:A Woman's Guide to the World Wide Web (Ballantine Books).She is currently working on her next book and new company.
