Re-branding your wedding business at DVinfo.net

Cody Dulock · January 3rd, 2011, 06:23 PM

For those of you who have changed your company name or re-branded to something else, I have a few questions:

1. How did you get your facebook fans to join the new facebook fan page? Can you repopulate content from the old page? Can you change the name of the page?

2. How did you inform past clients about this change?

3. Taxes... how did you file if you did this mid-year? As two separate DBA's?

If you have anything to add that would be awesome!

Any help at all would be amazing!

Thanks,
Cody

Scott Brooks · January 3rd, 2011, 06:59 PM

I can't answer any of those questions except for one.

I think you're allowed to change the name of your facebook page one time only. I know I did, but I believe it's limited to that one time. You might want to google it to make sure.

Travis Cossel · January 3rd, 2011, 08:22 PM

We've been through this process.

#1
We explained the situation to our fans and politely asked them to join the new page. Most did. We never saw any way to populate the new page with the old page info (but maybe check on the ability to do a rename).

#2
To inform our past clients we sent out an email with all the necessary information. For our existing clients (anyone we were still actively working with) we sent them the same email as well as a hard copy letter by mail.

#3
This is where you should check with your accountant to be certain as laws vary quite a bit. For us, we simply filed as two businesses.

Good luck!

Dimitris Mantalias · January 4th, 2011, 01:27 AM

I have searched about the changing of name in Facebook page and I haven't found some way to do it. If anyone know, please share it here, because we actually changed brand name recently and facebook page remains with the old one.

Chip Thome · January 4th, 2011, 01:46 AM

Cody, I'll take a stab at the tax question.

If, your Fed ID # didn't change, and your State Sales Tax # didn't change and your LLC didn't change, then file under one name, the last name used.

IF any of those I listed did change, you have an entirely new entity as far as the government is concerned and they are not going to let you roll one set of books into a new company. You should completely wind out the old company and begin the latest named company anew.

The only serious complication of doing a wind down of one and birth of another would be if you have any depreciation schedules in place that have some time left on them. If you do and want to capture what is left on that depreciation, make sure you talk to someone real tax savvy, like an accountant.

Steve Zugelter · January 4th, 2011, 09:07 AM

I did this back in 2009. Just as Travis said, ask your current FB fans to migrate to the new name.

Email your past, current, and future brides as well as any industry colleagues you have.

Check with your acct about name change. We had to file a paper with the state and everything fell into place.

Brian Johnson · January 5th, 2011, 12:24 AM

I did something similar. I operate Fusion Video Productions LLC, and provide two wedding video services: "With This Ring Wedding Films" (budget to midrange) and my new venture "Rossi Wedding Films" (high-end.) I file taxes as Fusion Video since the "parent company" is the same. I assume this is right?

Cody Dulock · January 7th, 2011, 02:32 PM

This is all really good info! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to give a fellow entrepreneur some help! I'm going to get in touch with my accountant to figure out what I need to do here in Texas.

Lloyd Morgan · January 8th, 2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dimitris Mantalias

I have searched about the changing of name in Facebook page and I haven't found some way to do it. If anyone know, please share it here, because we actually changed brand name recently and facebook page remains with the old one.

Unfortunately there is no way of changing the name of a Facebook Page. Ive been through this problem, I had a date in my page name, and just wanted to change it from 2011 to 2012, and even contacted facebook asking them to make this small amendment and they wouldnt.

Its a real pain, and it takes time and patients building up your 'likes' again!

Good luck with it.

Bill Grant · January 10th, 2011, 11:35 PM

Cody,
We have just shifted video into a new brand from branding both. So our previous name was Grant Photo & Video and the video brand is now Cinema Couture. I have a new website, blog, fanpage, and am slowly building. I have 466 fans on the old page now and only 69 on the new one. I've sent requests to everyone, etc. but I guess that is just slow. As far as official business stuff, we are still Grant Photo & Video dba Cinema Couture.
So, I hope that helps.
Bill

January 4th, 2011, 01:27 AM	#4
Dimitris Mantalias Major Player Join Date: May 2009 Location: Arta, Greece Posts: 342	I have searched about the changing of name in Facebook page and I haven't found some way to do it. If anyone know, please share it here, because we actually changed brand name recently and facebook page remains with the old one. __________________ "A successful wedding videographer is the one that offers for viewing some excellent videos and some boring videos, and gets positive reviews for both".

January 5th, 2011, 12:24 AM	#7
Brian Johnson New Boot Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Brentwood, TN Posts: 12	similar I did something similar. I operate Fusion Video Productions LLC, and provide two wedding video services: "With This Ring Wedding Films" (budget to midrange) and my new venture "Rossi Wedding Films" (high-end.) I file taxes as Fusion Video since the "parent company" is the same. I assume this is right?

January 7th, 2011, 02:32 PM	#8
Cody Dulock Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: arlington, texas Posts: 420	This is all really good info! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to give a fellow entrepreneur some help! I'm going to get in touch with my accountant to figure out what I need to do here in Texas. __________________ Twitter: http://twitter.com/CodyDulock--Facebook: http://bit.ly/ciGD2v Creative Wedding Films: www.dulockproductions.com

January 10th, 2011, 11:35 PM	#10
Bill Grant Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Columbia,SC Posts: 806	Cody, We have just shifted video into a new brand from branding both. So our previous name was Grant Photo & Video and the video brand is now Cinema Couture. I have a new website, blog, fanpage, and am slowly building. I have 466 fans on the old page now and only 69 on the new one. I've sent requests to everyone, etc. but I guess that is just slow. As far as official business stuff, we are still Grant Photo & Video dba Cinema Couture. So, I hope that helps. Bill __________________ Cinema Couture www.cinemacouture.com

January 3rd, 2011, 06:23 PM	#1
Cody Dulock Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: arlington, texas Posts: 420	Re-branding your wedding business For those of you who have changed your company name or re-branded to something else, I have a few questions: 1. How did you get your facebook fans to join the new facebook fan page? Can you repopulate content from the old page? Can you change the name of the page? 2. How did you inform past clients about this change? 3. Taxes... how did you file if you did this mid-year? As two separate DBA's? If you have anything to add that would be awesome! Any help at all would be amazing! Thanks, Cody __________________ Twitter: http://twitter.com/CodyDulock--Facebook: http://bit.ly/ciGD2v Creative Wedding Films: www.dulockproductions.com

January 3rd, 2011, 06:59 PM	#2
Scott Brooks Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Charleston, IL Posts: 231	I can't answer any of those questions except for one. I think you're allowed to change the name of your facebook page one time only. I know I did, but I believe it's limited to that one time. You might want to google it to make sure.

January 3rd, 2011, 08:22 PM	#3
Travis Cossel Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,933	We've been through this process. #1 We explained the situation to our fans and politely asked them to join the new page. Most did. We never saw any way to populate the new page with the old page info (but maybe check on the ability to do a rename). #2 To inform our past clients we sent out an email with all the necessary information. For our existing clients (anyone we were still actively working with) we sent them the same email as well as a hard copy letter by mail. #3 This is where you should check with your accountant to be certain as laws vary quite a bit. For us, we simply filed as two businesses. Good luck! __________________ Black Label Films www.blacklabelweddingfilms.com

January 4th, 2011, 01:46 AM	#5
Chip Thome Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Green Bay Wisconsin Posts: 553	Cody, I'll take a stab at the tax question. If, your Fed ID # didn't change, and your State Sales Tax # didn't change and your LLC didn't change, then file under one name, the last name used. IF any of those I listed did change, you have an entirely new entity as far as the government is concerned and they are not going to let you roll one set of books into a new company. You should completely wind out the old company and begin the latest named company anew. The only serious complication of doing a wind down of one and birth of another would be if you have any depreciation schedules in place that have some time left on them. If you do and want to capture what is left on that depreciation, make sure you talk to someone real tax savvy, like an accountant.

January 4th, 2011, 09:07 AM	#6
Steve Zugelter Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 26	I did this back in 2009. Just as Travis said, ask your current FB fans to migrate to the new name. Email your past, current, and future brides as well as any industry colleagues you have. Check with your acct about name change. We had to file a paper with the state and everything fell into place.