How to Choose a Trademark Professional
Search for specialised professionals: You should search specifically for a trademark professional, rather than a regular law professional. Check to see that your trademark expert is well-versed in Australian trademark law. A trademark professional can provide you with specialised advice on trademark searches, trademark registration, and trademark management.Choose professionals with experience: There is nothing more valuable to you than a trademark expert with experience in the field. Trademark matters concerning your intellectual property require precise navigation and a sound depth of knowledge. An experienced professional will best be able to advise you on protecting your trademark. You should also search for professionals who have experience that is specific to your industry, or experience in business.Look for professionals with good reputations: It is essential that the trademark expert you hire has a solid foundation within the industry, accompanied by a good reputation for service and success. Search for firms that are established within their industry. You should ask around for references, or contact the clients of different firms to ask them about the level of service they received.Search for professionals with connections: Your trademark professional must be well-connected in order to ensure that your mark achieves registration without complication. A well-connected trademark expert can guide you through the registration process and provide you with legal advice in regards to protecting your trademark rights, and continuing trademark management.Why Hire a Professional?You should hire a trademark professional if you are considering using your mark in relation to your products and services, as you will require registration to protect you intellectual property. A trademark professional will file the relevant application: whether you want to register a mark that is already in use, or whether you wish to ‘reserve’ a mark intended for use in conjunction with your products and services, you should contact a trademark professional for advice.If you are already using a trademark, you should hire a professional to conduct trademark searches to ensure that you are not infringing on anyone else’s rights, and therefore are vulnerable to legal ramifications. A trademark professional can assist you in making decisions concerning your marks before you encounter any problems. You should especially contact a trademark expert if you are already aware of potential issues concerning your marks.You should also contact a professional if you wish to register any of your marks as trademarks. A trademark professional will be able to assist you in drafting and filing your trademark application, as well as navigating the entirety of the registration process, including legal action taken against you or adverse reports that you are issued.What Else Will Your Trademark Expert Do?Your trademark professional will not only assist you in searching and registering your mark. They are also capable of assisting you in enforcing your trademark rights. Your trademark professional will help you remedy cases of infringement, as well as identify potential infringers before an issue arises. In addition, if you are issued a ‘cease and desist’ notice by another party, your trademark professional will help you to respond. Hiring a trademark professional before you start using your mark can help prevent you losing your mark and your investment in your brand.Your trademark expert can also advise you on whether your mark is available for registration, or whether it infringes on the rights of another party. It is important to know whether your mark can be registered before you file your application.Three Reasons to Hire a Trademark Professional:
Trademark law is complex: it is always convoluted, particularly to someone that is not versed in intellectual property laws. Filing a trademark registration can be difficult, as is managing your application throughout the registration process. If you fail to properly complete, submit, and maintain your application, you will find that it is quickly rejected despite the money you have invested.
Registering your mark with the assistance of a trademark professional works out to be cost-effective. If you file your application yourself and come up against legal issue or contest, you will have to hire a professional to assist you: however, by hiring a trademark professional from the very beginning, you can minimise or even avoid those fees.
Foremost, your professional will help you avoid infringement of other parties’ rights that would otherwise results in legal fees and a loss in your investment.
The Three P’s of Project Management
Project Managers are People Managers. Many of us have heard this over the years, but is that it? Are we nothing more than people managers? I will agree that we are responsible for managing people and that this is a portion of the PM (Project Manager) role. I ask that we take a moment to look at a couple of facts. Many PM’s get certification from the PMI (Project Management Institute) which is ISO (International Organization for Standardization) recognized certification. Additionally, one could also receive a Masters Degree in Project Management. With that in mind, are PM’s really nothing more than people managers? Is there really a perception that PM’s do nothing more than manage people? Is people management the most important function of a PM?In this article I want to present the three P’s of project management. The three P’s are to take into account the elements and structure of project management. As most of us know, there are five project management process groups and nine knowledge areas (please refer to the PMBOK guide for clarification). I can assure you that there is more than people management when it comes to the process groups and knowledge areas. On the other hand, without people and without people management projects can not be accomplished. So people management is important but without the other two P’s will a project be successful? Let me present the three P’s of Project Management and follow them with a review.1) People Management
2) Process Management and
3) Performance ManagementPeople Management is essential in regards to project management. It takes the leadership of the project manager to guide a team towards working together in symmetry to accomplish the objectives of a project. I feel that cooperation and collaboration are a couple of key ingredients when it comes to people management. Without cooperation and/or collaboration by the team or an individual on the team, a project can end up in jeopardy.How do you build a team that fosters collaboration and cooperation? I have found that the best decisions are made by a team not an individual. Early on in a project I bring the team together to discuss the objectives of the project. Then to engage the subject matter experts and the IT resources in a discussion that elicits the best decisions. I ask questions and encourage the team to do the same. Next we look at making a decision. I follow this up by looking for options or alternatives by asking if there is a better way. The information presented here leads to new and better decisions. New decisions are based on new information, get the team to to collaborate and cooperate and the best decisions will be made. The best information will be presented and individuals will be contributors.It is common for any team to go through forming, norming, storming and conforming in order to grow. The PM expects this and is prepared to manage it accordingly so the team performs. It is persuasive assertiveness that, when used effectively, leads the team in overcoming differences and strives for project success.To this point we have only discussed people management, and frankly, teams can be organized for all sorts of reasons and the team leader can use the information above to leverage the team. Is people management another term for project management?Process Management is equally important to People Management. Without either of these, the ability to provide a successful project outcome is severely diminished. To improve the outcome of a project the PM utilizes sound and repeatable processes that lead to a successful project implementation. PM’s use their knowledge, skills and effectiveness to incorporate the project management process groups and knowledge areas. If the project management process groups and knowledge areas are not effectively managed along with the team there will be project chaos. If your project is in chaos or total chaos, what areas of project management are not being effectively involved in your project? Do you need to look far?I feel that without the utilization of a project management process that projects will wander and drift like a message in a bottle, no charted course and an unknown destination. I have felt the pains of projects without process. They struggled with technology implementations, cost over-runs and the project scope in constant flux. The end result, failure.I found that a similar team managed the next version of an application with a project management process in place, the results were outstanding. There was a solid scope document that provided the necessary information for user acceptance testing. There were five change requests made that went through the change control procedure, four were approved. The plan target date was not only achieved, but the work was completed ahead of schedule. Being ahead of schedule meant cost savings thus the project was completed under budget. All of this was achieved and there were no product defects.Could this have been accomplished with people skills alone? Would you be able to create project symmetry without a project management process? I feel you already know the answers to these questions.Finally there is Performance Management. For the most part, this category falls under process management for all intensive purposes. I like to breakout performance management and look at it from a different perspective. The purpose of performance management is to answer the question … How is you project coming along? When that is asked it should be able to be address the triple constraints. Is the project on schedule? Is it within budget? Will it meet the project scope? By measuring the triple constraints, a PM can track the actual progress of a project and make adjustments based on this information. Performance management holds the team accountable and keeps the senior team informed.Let’s take a moment to look back at earlier questions. Are project managers nothing more than people managers? Is people management the most important function of a PM? My response to this is that project managers must balance both people and process management. One without the other will not provide the optimum outcome.Special Note: I want to convey that I am not overlooking Quality. Quality falls under the knowledge areas which is referred to in the earlier process writings. I hope to go into greater detail on this topic in a future article. In addition, I am not overlooking problem management. I feel that problem management falls under people management since problems are found by people and decisions are made by people.With everything that has been presented here, it is important to keep in mind that Project Managers bring so much more to the success of a project than their ability to manage people. The three P’s of project management, (people, process and performance management) take into account much of the criteria needed for successful project management. As project managers, we are trained, skilled and experienced in this field. If projects are going well we know we are doing the right things. If projects are not going well, reflect on this and take action to correct its course. How well are your projects being managed?
Spa And Hot Tub Buyers Guide
For many consumers buying a spa is a life changing event. It is an event often accompanied by stress, when the intention is to alleviate it. There are so many producers of spas, so many sizes and models, prices and quality levels. Making it more complicated is that many spas look and feel virtually identical, even though they are not. Adding further to the confusion some manufacturers use different names to describe similar features in an attempt to make their products appear distinctive. When confronted with so many choices, consumers often become overwhelmed. This guide will help you make a more informed decision about purchasing a spa by providing you with some basic facts. After reading this guide you will be well on your way to selecting the spa that is right for you, both practically and aesthetically.How do I keep the water clean?Proper water maintenance is vital to the enjoyment of your spa. While some sales people will try to convince you they can sell you a chemical free spa; that is not a practical option for truly clean water. Professional retailers and manufacturers most often recommend: Choosing a spa with an advanced filtration system, purchasing an optional ozone purifier with your spa and using mineral purifiers in conjunction with chemical-based sanitisers. These minerals can significantly reduce the amount of chemicals such as chlorine. Maintenance procedures are not difficult, and knowledgeable retailers will provide the start-up kit and instructions you need. Manufacturers recommend draining and cleaning your spa 3 or 4 times per year, depending on how frequently you use it and how well you maintain your water. In most cases this simple process will only take about an hour to accomplish.How many of the spa’s jets are adjustable?Real, beneficial hydrotherapy is directly related to being able to adjust each jet where it is needed. This is the standard by which physical therapy and athletic hydrotherapy systems are judged. A common point of consumer confusion is introduced when manufacturers load up a spa with lots of inexpensive, non-adjustable, stationary jets. Look for advanced jets that feature in- built durability such as bearingless technology, which oscillates with no moving parts and so will not wear out. It doesn’t make any difference how many jets a spa has if they are not properly located and plumbed to provide the correct balance of water, air and horsepower.Is the spa full foam insulated?All major manufacturers agree that completely filling the spa cabinet with polyurethane foam insulation significantly reduces heat loss, thus reducing heating costs. While this process adds to the cost of manufacturing, research has shown that full foam insulation provides substantial savings to the spa owner over time. In addition to greater energy efficiency full foam insulation locks the spa plumbing in place to support the joints when stressed as the jet pumps are turned on and off over time. Some manufacturers eliminate full foam insulation in an attempt to provide product at a lower cost.How expensive is it to operate a spa?The main cost of operating a spa is heating the water. If you have a full foam insulated spa with an insulated locking cover, the average daily cost is less than the price of a small bottle of water. In addition to the energy cost consumers should look carefully at the total cost of ownership. An advanced filtration system in conjunction with ozone will significantly reduce chemical expenses. Bearingless jets will not wear and need replacing. Also look for time saving features to reduce time spent on maintenance, thus increasing the enjoyment of your spa.What do I need to know about horsepower?Efficient plumbing, better jets, and flow control are more important than horsepower. A lower horsepower pump in an efficient spa will produce just as much jet power as a higher horsepower pump in an inefficient spa. Many manufacturers use oversized, high horsepower pumps to compensate for poor design. Other companies employ a more cost and energy efficient system to achieve the same ends.How is the water temperature controlled?Most quality spas have sophisticated digital thermostatic controls. These highly reliable modern systems are capable of keeping the spa water within 1 degree of any temperature you select. While this is important for comfort, it is also important for safety. You should pay particular attention to the control system if you have children who will be using the spa. Better control systems have safety locks and digital readouts combined with automatic cut off should there be any obstruction to water flow. A good indicator of the control system’s quality is to read and compare manufacturers’ warranties.Is the spa installed indoors or outdoors?A spa can be installed indoors or outdoors, although over 90% are installed outdoors. The two main considerations for installing a spa indoors are: will it fit through the door, and is the structural strength of the flooring adequate? Most importantly an indoor spa must have adequate and substantial ventilation. A typical 3-person spa weighs approximately 1,150 Kg when filled. The recommended foundations are: concrete pad of 75mm or thicker; or wood decking with a concrete foundation.What should I consider for the control panel?Not every spa control panel has the same ease of command, so test a control panel to verify it gives you the type of precision control you desire to fully enjoy your spa experience.Will I have to install plumbing for my new spa?No. All above-ground portable spas are filled with water using a garden hose. Check the spa can be conveniently and easily emptied.Do I choose a synthetic or wood cabinet?All cabinets used to be wood. A recent development in the spa industry is synthetic wood cabinets, which are now provided by many top-notch spa manufacturers. This product extends the “new look” of a spas surround, and eliminates the maintenance associated with wood cabinets. Synthetic wood cabinets are durable and UV-resistant, providing your spa with exquisite beauty for years to come.What about the warranty?This is one of the most crucial areas in the spa industry. Here are a few simple rules to keep in mind: A product warranty is a performance and reliability agreement between you and the manufacturer. Avoid spa manufacturers who add prorated and deductible provisions. Make sure you read the manufacturers warranty before buying, and compare coverage with other spas you are considering. Most quality spas will have at least 2-5 year warranties on parts, plumbing and labour without any service call charges.What do I need to consider before purchasing a spa?Consider “wet testing” a spa before purchasing. This means getting into a spa with water in it. All reputable spa dealers maintain filled demonstration models just for this purpose. Look for and verify that the seats provide lumbar support. When sitting in any seat, the water should reach at least shoulder level. If it does not, you will not get full hydrotherapeutic value. Lean your head back against the pillows. Make sure you do not have to hyperextend your neck to rest your head. If the spa has a lounge seat, make sure it is deep enough to keep you in the seat. Take notice of the alignment of jets with your muscles. Make sure they are massaging muscle tissue and not your spine. How convenient are the controls to use when you are seated in the spa? Stay in the spa with the jets on for at least 15 minutes. At the end of that time you will know whether the seating and jet arrangements are truly comfortable.How much should I spend on a spa?Quality spas are available in a wide range of prices. Just like cars, spa prices reflect features, materials and workmanship. The information in this consumer guide will help you determine the best spa for your needs based on value and performance. No matter which brand of spa you finally choose, we want you to be an informed consumer and have a satisfying spa experience.