# How do I put several brands under one company?



## teddyINC (Jul 26, 2007)

I have several t shirt brands that I want to start. They all have there different styles. What I want to do is have one main company with several t shirt brands underneath it. This is so I dont have several bizness all over the place. How do I do this? What is it called?


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## Bob-O (Apr 26, 2006)

What my attorney had me do was an S-corporation. Before I go any further, I would recommend getting your own legal advice that is specific to you and your goals, there are a number of different options (Corporation, LLC, Sole Proprietor, etc.) as to which is the best way for you to go. Granted, it is big expense, but sometimes mistakes can also be expensive.

Once you have determined which kind of entity is the best fit for your biz, you can create as many brands as you like, and "pre-Trademark" the names of the lines. By that I mean that you come up with your names & logos, place the letters TM, in the logo or at the end of the line name. What this does is give notice that you/your company are using the name/logo as a trademark. This gives you a limited amount of legal ground to stand on if someone infringes on your rights. When you get to the point where you can tell which lines are "keepers" (in other words, the ones that truly warrant the time and expense of an actual registered trademark) then you can officially register them with the trademark office.

Personally, I would recommend picking the one line that you are the most passionate about, and focus on establishing that one first. Then add the others as time and finances allow. I'm sure there are cases of people successfully launching multiple brands at one time, and I'm not trying to discourage you from your dream, I just think its something you should consider carefully before following through. If nothing else, make a solid business plan, then double, triple and quadruple check it. Try to poke holes in it to see if it stands up to the scrutiny. I say this because I've really screwed myself up by not following this advice & playing the "damage control" game is not a lot of fun.

In closing, I wish you the best of luck and tons of success.

Cheers!


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## tawnya (Aug 6, 2007)

You can put several business registration #'s under the same incorporation...well...you can in Canada anyways...


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

Steve, I have set up my business with a name and Logo. (of course) And that business owns 3 different "brands". All are different styles, just as you described. Each brand has it's own Logo, website and a DBA. In Hawaii, all three brands and the parent business share the same tax # or "resellers permit".
When I set up the websites, I listed the owner of the domain names as the parent company. So, I have several brands owned by one business. I am set up as a sole proprietor. (You'll need to decide witch business type would be best for you.)
This will give me all the flexability I will want when I decide to wholesale 2 of the brands, and retail the high-end stuff myself. That way, each of the brands are independant and uneffected by the other, unless I choose to have one ride the coat-tails (so to speak) of another that may be doing better. (sales and popularity wise) As they all are Hawaiian themed, I could eventually combine them all onto one website and then they would all become different clothing lines of one "brand".

Not sure if this helps,but..........


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

Good answer Mike ...... thanks for your input, I needed this same question answered. ...... JB


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

A "Brand" is not a company.. it is a product. Your company makes different products and sells them under different names, thus branding them.. Like the cigarette companies make different brands but are owned by one company.


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## AustinJeff (May 12, 2007)

HulaArt said:


> Each brand has it's own Logo, website and a DBA. In Hawaii, all three brands and the parent business share the same tax # or "resellers permit".


Do you separate them at all within your accounting system?


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

I break them down for my use so I know where the money is generated but for tax it is all sales combined.


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## kikkoman (Oct 30, 2007)

I've had some of the same questions. I too am looking to do 3 if not four brands under one roof. However we have one brand that is very different and does not mesh well with the others. I think it will be successful in its own way, but trying to figure out the details.

We seem to be leading towards an LLC, but what if one brand gets sued for something down the road.... I suppose then that (worst case) the could take everything from all the brands, if they are owned by one company. 

Is there a better way to protect individual brands under one roof? Is that what an S-Corp does?


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## HulaArt (Nov 14, 2007)

AustinJeff said:


> Do you separate them at all within your accounting system?


Lou said it quite well. Since they all share the same tax id#, for taxes, they're all one income. For my accounting purposes, yes. I keep track so I'll know where to focus my attention.


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## PeterPromo (Oct 10, 2006)

We also have several brands and changed our company name to "... group" to make it clear to others they deal with one company that has several departments which are brands in our case. We use the same payment gateways for all of our brands and also kinda co-brand our main company on each of our promotion materials. Our benefit in the long run are probably cross sales between the brands and we also plan to launch a combined loyalty program for all brands.


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