PcCowboy Report post Posted March 14, 2015 In 8 months I will be retiring and closing my shop. Any thoughts about how to sell a saddle shop. How do you figure out a price to sell. Do you have to sell the Company name with the shop. My wife doesn't like the thought of someone using her father's name that isn't in the family. I also have a website (www.lewissaddleshop.com) for the last 20 years. I have heard of selling websites. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camano ridge Report post Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) The sale of the company name can be done as part of a price or negotiated separately. There is nothing that says you have to sell the company name as part of the business. Just make sure that who ever buys the shop or equipment from the shop that the name of the business does not go with the shop. If you don't want to sell the company name and you don't want anyone else using it make sure you have registered it as a trademark. It is no guarantee that no one will use the name but it gives you legal rights to the company name. Edited March 14, 2015 by camano ridge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grmnsplx Report post Posted March 15, 2015 Actually, if you stop using a trademark (i.e. you close Lewis Saddle Shop) then you give up your trademark rights to the name. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camano ridge Report post Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) That is not totally true I own two trade marks bought and paid for for two businesses I have owned in the past and if you check with the Department of revenue of the state of Washington those two are still showing as registered and enforceable trademarks. I also have one federally registered with USTPO. It is my understanding that if a federally registered trademark is not used for a period of time usually 2-3 years minimum then the use of that trademark can be challenged in court. How ever a new trademark will not be issued for a registered trademark until it has been successfully challenged. Edited March 15, 2015 by camano ridge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grmnsplx Report post Posted March 16, 2015 Yes, there are some timelines around that stuff. But in general, if a name or brand is no longer in use, you give up your rights to it. As to the original post, sell the shop with or without the name and work out whatever arrangement works best for you. Be prepared to accept the fact that what happens afterwards is almost entirely out of your control (which is as it should be). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thor Report post Posted March 17, 2015 As to selling the website, the domain name is really only valuable to someone who wants to do business under that name. As far as the content goes it's not really of any value as far as selling the site goes. Sorry but that's not right. It does apply to this particular page somehow but for different reasons than what you stated. If you only had 33500 visitors in the past nine years and you're barely having any visitors according to Alexa a day it means it's unimportant and has no value. The name really doesn't matter. One could name a website shittyleatherworks.com, but if you would have 10,000 visitors a day at 1% conversion rate it would be important. All the rest is SEO stuff most people don't even understand and this is what makes a website important and valuable. Further if someone wants to takeover the business and wants to have past customers still find him, he would want to have the domain just additionally to his new one and reroute the visitors to the new domain. Therefore there is a small marketing value, but that may not be of any interest to a prospective buyer. Something far more important is your customer list, if you have one. This is worth a lot. Don't know for the USA but it may be illegal to sell it to leads companies but the new owner is allowed to buy it. Therefore I'd make that a sales item. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
