Okay so far all we've done is pay the State $500 dollars for the right of being able to pay them $500 annually and go through the hassle of submitting taxes. Great. Also if you are anything like me and messed up somewhere along the way you will also pay a lawyer to fix your mess---an additional $325.
$825 total, or for the average cook: 1.5 weeks of salary BEFORE paying taxes so actually two weeks of pay. Or 90 hours of work. Or 3.75 days of your life. That means for the next month the average cook will struggle to pay their rent, buy food, or pay their ridiculous culinary student loans.
The crazy thing is we’ve just started the process, there is still a long way to go. The fight is a uphill one, and many times that Sisyphus-ian boulder will come right back on your head. If you’re like me and you’ve decided to call Massachusetts your home base, then you’ve also picked one of the hardest states to open a restaurant--any small business actually. With a D+ (see how abysmal Massachusetts has been grated for small businesses at: http://www.thumbtack.com/ma/#/2014/6) rating in small business friendliness you are about to see how quickly your savings are going to be depleted.
But point of this blog is for you, the cook, to understand the basics so you won’t waste time and money on simple mistakes. I’ve made a ton, but I suppose we only learn from our mistakes.
Domain Parking -
Now that you have a name immediately secure your Domain. I use Namecheap because of their reputation, cost, access to Whois database, etc (I strongly suggest you shop around and choose your own).
As their name suggests, they are cheap. BUT note always, always, ALWAYS, read the fine print. You are about to enter a business where there will be more contracts and licenses then you could ever imagine; and if you don’t read them and understand them you just may screw yourself over, completely.
Now I know we all just click Okay to the Terms of Service (TOS) from places like Facebook and Apple, but honestly you should at least give them a cursory glance. Here are some examples to WHY you should read the Terms of Service and what clauses you should watch out for:
- “Transfer-Out” Fees, this fee is charged if you decided to change your domain to another service. Eventually you will higher a web designer and they may suggest a different registrar. The last thing you want to do is pay a 3x times fee for a “Transfer-Out”.
- “Pay-as-you-go” is basically where you register a domain with a registrar for multiple years. Generally at a discounted rate. Some shady registrars just simply stop providing support after year one and essentially pocket your money. So you get locked into a long term contract with no support. This clause is often bundled with a “no-refunds” policy, so be careful if you see these two together in a TOS.
- “Whois” premium services, edit fees, lockdowns, etc. Essentially when you acquire a domain your information goes to the Whois database--a public database for everyone to see who owns the webpage. Whatever you do DO NOT pay for these “privacy” services and IMMEDIATELY opt out of them. These services basically put the domain registration company's information instead of your own on the Whois database. This gives the illusion of “protecting” your privacy, BUT LEGALLY whoever is listed on the Whois database OWNS the website and the rights to it. So by signing up you will be giving them the rights to your website and anything you publish on it--and why the hell would you do that?
So yes, get in the habit of reading those TOS. Because it can really screw you. Also did you know your Facebook App has access to your microphone?
Lesson: READ all your contracts, ask questions, and understand what rights you are signing over.
The Brand Icon -
Now you have the a registered name and the domain rights, now you need a logo to park on your pretty website. This is where a designer comes in and breaths life into your project. Remember this is your LLC and not necessarily your restaurant, that comes later, much later.
The cost of a designer varies greatly. You can find a college student and pay them 200 bucks under the table or you could go to a professional studio and pay thousands. I went the later route and had a friend create the Kinsai logo (thanks Mike F., if you want his contact info just ask), I believe it cost me a few meals and $500, and I couldn't be happier with it.
After many renditions we choose a persimmon because of what we wanted our restaurant to embody:
- Greater vegetable/fruit consumption over meat
- Wood cut design to show maturity and reflect the old Family Crests in Asia
- Simplicity in design to parallel simplicity in our food--also easier to create in vector
- Elegance in appearance to give a feel of calm and serenity
Now I can guide you step by step on establishing your brand, choosing colors, what typefaces, etc, but we suggest using the free tool located at: https://openbrand.com/ .
If you sit down for one day and fill out all the steps listed--as I did--you will be well on your way to having a better idea of YOUR brand identity. After you understand your own brand then you can successfully communicate it to a design team--again saving time and money. Honestly I could list it out here but this tool does it so well. Just remember you already paid $500 to create your company, and the 1 year timer is ticking before you have to dump in another $500 to maintain it. Keep the momentum moving.
You will save lots of time and money the more of this you complete this yourself then having a professional team do everything from scratch. However if you are looking for a professional design quote--called a RFP (request for proposal)--I really enjoyed working with Vince of Analogue Studios in Boston: http://www.analoguestudio.com/ . A professional team will cost upwards of $5000, a fee you will eventually have to pay unless you are an idiot savant at Photoshop.
Total Cost so far:
$825 for you LLC and Lawyer Fees
$100 for your Domain Names (opt out of Whois guard, read TOS!)
$500 for Brand Design$1425, guess paying rent is going to be real tough this month
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