Happy 2010! What the future holds...

First, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

It's nice to be able to hit the "refresh" button every 365 days.

2009 brought a lot of changes in my life, both personally and professionally. I am truly greatful for my little Isabella that I welcomed in April. She and Emma are the reason I put one foot in front of the other.

I am also grateful for the friendships I have formed in the business community this past year. These people are inspiring, and I truly appreciate their willingness to listen and give advice. I hope I can pay it forward in the years to come.

Lastly, I want to thank all my clients I had the pleasure of getting to know and work for in 2009. I work so closely with my couples, that they truly do become my friends after the wedding. In fact, I have plans to meet up with my former clients this summer on my trip to Chicago.

Looking ahead to 2010:

I am making a commitment to myself to meet more fantastic people in the community this year. Through networking and attending community events, I can't wait to meet more inspirational, forward thinking individuals.

2010 is going to bring additional staff members to Events Refined. I brought on Lindsey at the tail end of wedding season this year, and she is going to be my "right hand woman" beginning the first of the year. She is going to be a wonderful additional to the Events Refined family, and I can't wait for the opportunity to work with her.

I am also looking forward to all the things I can't predict or plan for in 2010. Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never saw coming.

Here's to 2010! Stay tuned for upcoming events announced in January!

Third times the charm, right?

When I started my own business, I offerred errand running services, personal assitant services, dog/home services, etc. The name, My Girl Friday was a great name that reflected all the services I offerred.

A year later, I decided to focus solely on event planning. My Girl Friday didn't really fit the bill anyone, so I brainstormed a new name and decided to re-brand my company. I am all about creating an event that reflects the person it's for, so "Signature Events" was a great choice. Bella means beautiful in French, and I had just had my second daughter and named her Isabella. So, Bella Signature Events was born. Just as every person who is brainstorming ideas for their business should, I checked with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) website. I checked their database for the business name I was interested in, and as luck would have it, nobody had trademarked Bella Signature Events. Score! Bella Signature Events was my new business name, and the rest was history.

Wel, the rest was history until a month ago. I was contacted by a company out on the westcoast called Bella Signature Design. They have been doing business as that name for over a decade and have service marked that name. They explained to me that Bella Signature Events is close enough to Bella Signature Design, and since they own the rights to that name, I need to cease and desist. Too bad the USPTO website didn't explain that to me. Hence the reason one should ALWAYS hire a lawyer when setting up a business. Another lesson learned the hard way. Not my first and it probably won't be my last. Incredibly frustrating, but I will move on!

So, time to think of a THIRD name for my business. There were quite a few business names I was throwing around when I was brainstorming Bella Signature Events. Events Refined had been in the running, but it took second place. I liked the idea of incorporating a family name into my business name, hence the reason Bella Signature Events took first. However, after being reminded by MANY people how my Emma might be angry that I didn't name the business after her, I decided the third time around it would be best to leave family member's names out of the business name. So, Events Refined it is. I hope you enjoy the new business name. There are also some new (and very exciting I must say) events that I will get to announce right after the New Year. Stay tuned!