A Mother/Container name for all your businesses?

cormie

Just looking for a few opinions on this.

Some of you may have seen a few of my threads here along the lines of me having a few different ideas, not just business wise but a few things.

I'd view myself more of an ideas man rather than someone who'd be the running force behind a huge business (even though the idea may be mine and I made it successful, but just wasn't the person to take it to a much larger scale). Now since I have a few different ideas that I'd like to pursue, I was thinking to have a container name for all my things. Now since this might be more like a portfolio of things I've created, which could range to for example my transport business, to an invention, to art and crafts I do and sell, and then maybe just other general things I'd be into, I was thinking to have a more personal name rather than your typical Corporate style name like Virgin (which also has various business types within it which is why I'm using that as an example.)

What are peoples thoughts on this? I know Dragons on the den can get put off when they hear people looking for investment are involved in various other things too, so is it even a good idea? Or should I just keep everything completely separate and unrelated?

It would make things a good bit easier to have things under one tree and it would also mean that as an example, I could sponsor something as the tree name or donate to something under it too, in a more personal manner.

Any feedback appreciated

Peterdalkey

I think you are confusing your proposed brand name and your company/business legal names. Think of Apple or Virgin, they have a myriad of companies which they own or part own that use their brand. I am sure they have a licence agreement between the overall brand owner entity and each of the users. This allows them to sell off parts of the business with or without the brand, depending on the deal. For security, the brand name should be a registered Trade Mark, as having it as such affords very specific and actionable protection.

dahamsta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holding_company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mitty

sandin

Knowing you (you know me too, but I keep undercover here) what you are looking for is a corporate name and that all the off shoots would have a tagline "part of The xxx Group of companies" or along those lines.

In keeping with one of your themes I intially thought of "3Sevens" - Therefore company is called "3Sevens Business Development ltd", shortened to "3Sevens"
and the tagline

Cormie Transport, part of the 3Sevens Group.

cormie

Hehe, thanks for the replies everyone. Sandin, you do a good job at keeping undercover! I haven't a clue who you are, even checked your signature link/phone number and still not a clue. Did you get 3sevens from thinking of the poker website?

I'm not sure if the walter mitty reference is implying to have such a "holding" brand, is a fantasy?

So would Apple and Virgin be a holding name too then I guess? That wouldn't be a bad idea alright, but would I guess, take away the personal aspect of it. I've no big desire to become a huge multi national as I don't believe that's what I'm good at, although I believe some of my ideas and business ideas certainly have such potential. I just have more of the idea/start up brain than the taking it to a huge business brain.