A bad name will cost you 6-7 figures. This isn't exaggeration - here's the actual breakdown.
Rebranding Costs
£10,000-£100,000 depending on size. Includes legal, design, marketing, domain.
What You're Paying For
Trademark lawyer: £2,000-£5,000. Designer: £3,000-£15,000. New domain: £500-£50,000. Updated materials: £2,000-£10,000.
Lost SEO Authority
2 years of Google history gone. 6-12 months to rebuild. Worth £30,000-£100,000 in equivalent ads.
Customer Confusion
30-40% of existing customers won't find you post-rebrand. Lost lifetime value: £100,000-£500,000.
The Reality
Google searches for your old name don't redirect automatically. Old business cards in circulation. Customers Google old name, find competitor.
Domain Premium
Your ideal domain is now £15,000. Pay up or settle for "yournameuk.co.uk."
Legal Fees
Trademark dispute: £5,000-£50,000. Cease-and-desist response: £2,000-£10,000.
Real Example: SaaS startup raised £500k, spent £3,200 on branding, got cease-and-desist 14 months in. Total rebrand cost: £47,000. Lost 8 months. Competitor took their SEO rankings.
Total Impact
Real example: £170,000+ for startup forced to rebrand after 18 months.
Prevention
Spend 2 hours verifying with Trademark Lens. £50 saved now = £50,000 saved later.
Trademark Lens verifies business name availability across UK trademark registry, Companies House, and domain availability - preventing £170,000+ rebranding costs.