Trademarks directly influence consumer purchasing decisions, and the right trademark can help to grow your business (just like the wrong trademark can impede its growth). For these reasons — and many more — it is critical for business owners to understand why trademarks are so important, as well as how to use them to effectively grow their business.

If you have a trademark registration, you must file certain maintenance documents to keep the registration alive. Failure to file these documents will result in cancellation of your registration, so mark your calendar.