We're not experts, but we wanted to share what we've done and the resources we’ve used to set Tapkido Games up for success.
It started with an embarrassing story among friends. Over time (and some drinks), it evolved into a full-fledged business idea: starting a mobile game company with the flagship game involving said embarrassing story.
But how exactly did we get this startup started?
But how exactly did we get this startup started?
Note: We may be compensated through the links in the post below, but the opinions are entirely our own. For more details, please refer to our Affiliate Disclaimer.
Our Name
The idea of starting a business was just that for a few weeks – an idea. Whenever we talked about it with friends, it was “So, when are you guys making your game?” or “Are you really gonna start something?" It wasn’t until we had a name that things got real (literally).
The original criteria were 1) it had to convey that we were in the mobile space and 2) ideally it had to incorporate Scott’s last name. Some of the names that didn’t make the cut include Takiwi, Rockytaki, and Taki2Me. We finally chose the name Tapkido Games. Although it didn’t quite meet the 2nd requirement, it’s catchy, it immediately conveys the action of tapping to play, and it evokes a martial arts feel due to the play on words (e.g. Hapkido and Aikido). One must hone his/her skills and practice in order to achieve the ultimate goal: to become legendary.
The original criteria were 1) it had to convey that we were in the mobile space and 2) ideally it had to incorporate Scott’s last name. Some of the names that didn’t make the cut include Takiwi, Rockytaki, and Taki2Me. We finally chose the name Tapkido Games. Although it didn’t quite meet the 2nd requirement, it’s catchy, it immediately conveys the action of tapping to play, and it evokes a martial arts feel due to the play on words (e.g. Hapkido and Aikido). One must hone his/her skills and practice in order to achieve the ultimate goal: to become legendary.
Our Logo
From there, we utilized a great design resource in 99 Designs. The concept is simple, yet effective: you start a contest where designers around the world compete for your business. We'd heard good things about 99 Designs, so we tried it. We submitted a description of who we were and selected some pre-existing designs that we liked so interested designers could get a feel of what we were looking for. Then we waited. After a couple days, we received over 30 designs, narrowed it down to our top finalists, and worked with them on refining their designs. We then decided to poll our friends and family for their feedback to choose the final winner. The cool thing about 99 Designs is that if you aren't happy with any of the submitted designs you receive, you can always get your money back. Luckily for us, we received a design we really liked, which is the one you see today.
Our Business
Based on a recommendation from a friend, we decided to use LegalZoom to incorporate. It was a straightforward process, and they do a lot of the legwork for you (i.e. providing the forms necessary based on the state you're incorporating in and filing them for you). Other services that LegalZoom offers include obtaining an Employee Identification Number (EIN), legal advice, your company operating agreement, and ownership certificates.
We opted for the Limited Liability Company Economy package with the following additional options: EIN Obtainment, Registered Agent (point of contact that receives official documents on behalf of your LLC), and Business Legal Plan (legal advice). Overall, it’s been a great resource for us and made the company formation process simple and painless. In just a few weeks, we received our documentation and became a real company.
We opted for the Limited Liability Company Economy package with the following additional options: EIN Obtainment, Registered Agent (point of contact that receives official documents on behalf of your LLC), and Business Legal Plan (legal advice). Overall, it’s been a great resource for us and made the company formation process simple and painless. In just a few weeks, we received our documentation and became a real company.
Our Site
We originally attempted to build our site using WordPress, since that seemed to be the standard for a lot of folks. It didn’t work out for us. We couldn’t find the right theme that matched our aesthetic, and getting the layout the way we wanted wasn’t straightforward. Enter Weebly. Choosing a theme and customizing our website was as easy as dragging and dropping elements where we wanted. It literally took less than half an hour to get up and running. The longest part of the process was choosing the graphics we wanted to use. Plus, when you log in, you’ll get a dashboard report summarizing your site’s stats. It’s awesome.
So far, we're impressed with the resources we used to get our company started. What other tools or resources would you recommend for setting up a business?