If you are in college or graduate school, the reasons for getting your Domain Name are endless. It is in your generation when the trend of passing out your Domain Name Address instead of your Email Address will truly take full effect -- and yet only one person with each name can get their .com Domain Name.  And if you are that one, you can:

Put up a website that lets you stay in touch with old and new friends alike.

Put up a website and show everyone back home what you're up to at school.

Put up a website that showcases your art or photographs or features your resume as you enter the working world.

Put up a website that promotes a current project like your college band.

Or just get the Domain Name now, so you have it down the road when you want to use it - and in the meantime, link it for free to the website of your alma mater or favorite charity or favorite author or favorite movie.

And when you are ready to use it, just undo the link, and you can build a website that helps you look for a job,  launch your new company, promote your services, show off pictures of your wedding, you Name it!

The key thing is that to do any of these things, the first thing you need is a Domain Name. And there is none better -- none more fitting -- than Your Name.  And yet, only person with your Name can get it. Will it be you?

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary?" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if the Name you want is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

LAWYERS

The easiest way to explain the potential upsides to owning your Name as a .com Domain Name, the potential downsides to not owning it and how you could put yours to use if you did own it can all be shown through a couple of examples.

What's the risk of an Attorney not getting your Name as a .com Domain Name?

The biggest risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  Chris Darden -- The well-known Prosecutor-turned-Author can't do anything at www.ChrisDarden.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - a real estate consultant. And in that case, you've lost out on a great chance to strengthen your Name as a brand, promote your legal work, your writings, speeches or anything else you do.

As an attorney, there is an additional risk if you are either (a) Involved in High Profile Cases (b) Involved in Polarizing &/or Controversial Cases or Issues or (c) Regularly in the Media as a 'Pundit' discussing cases that are polarizing, controversial or high profile - somebody taking your Name on purpose.  We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's an example.  A prosecutor brought a case with a potential life sentence against an otherwise popular man.  A supporter of the defendant went out and got the Prosecutor's Name as a .com Domain Name to promote a website devoted to why the defendant should be set free.  In another example, a defense attorney is representing a high-profile defendant against a very serious charge. A special interest group strongly opposed to people who commit those crimes took the defense attorney's Name as a .com Domain Name to further promote their agenda.

Again, this is obviously not a typical concern to worry about unless you are in a big name case, or representing any given side on a very controversial issue like the death penalty or a political case, or if you are on t.v. as a pundit talking about those kinds of cases but if you are, then it is one more risk to consider.

What could an Attorney do with their .com Domain Name if you did have it? 4 main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your law firm's website. Perfect for attorneys who have a specific page about them on their firm's site. Alan Dershowitz - The well-known Attorney, Author & Law School Professor either does not have the time or interest in building his own website, but he did see the value in having his own Name as a .com Domain Name -- so he has www.AlanDershowitz.com but instead of building a website, simply used Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about him that already exists on Harvard Law School's website.  You could do the same thing - re-directing it to the page about you on your law firm's website. It protects your Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, allows people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the website for the entire law firm.  Perfect for attorneys who are Named partners in the firm or who are not partners and have no individual page yet on the firm's website. Sean J. Hunter - A Representative of Pre-Paid Legal Services.  Got his name - www.SeanJHunter.com . Doesn't have the time or interest in building a website. He simply wants to promote the services he has to offer. So what did he do? He got Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in his Name are re-directed to the website for the firm he represents.  It protects his Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes the firm he represents, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Build a website of your very own. Perfect for sole practitioners. Also perfect for attorneys who do additional work outside of their practice such as write books & give speeches  Robert Shapiro - The well-known Defense attorney has www.RobertShapiro.com .  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, he is able to strengthen his Name as a brand, become easier to find online, further craft his Name and Image as he wishes, promote his law firm and also promote his work outside his practice --  including his books and his appearances.

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

BUSINESS EXECUTIVES & PROFESSIONALS

The easiest way to explain the potential upsides to owning your Name as a .com Domain Name, the potential downsides to not owning it and how you could put yours to use if you did own it can all be shown through a couple of examples.

What's the risk of a Business Executive not getting your Name as a .com Domain Name?

The biggest risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  John Buck -- The well-known Real Estate leader in Chicago has spent years building his Name and reputation, but he can't do anything at www.JohnBuck.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - another John Buck who also happens to be in real estate. And in that case, it dilutes the first Buck's Name as a brand, and he's lost out on a great chance to strengthen his Name as a brand, promote his firm, and anything he might do outside of it. Another example is Richard Melman - the well-known Restauranteur in Chicago can't do anything with www.RichardMelman.com.  It's already taken by some guy in England with the exact same name.

There is an additional risk if you are the head of an extremely well-known company or you yourself are an extremely high profile business executive.  We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's an example.  The head of a major Fortune 500 company's Name was taken as a .com Domain Name to promote another company's business venture. Again, this is obviously not a typical concern to worry about unless you run a major company or you yourself are a very high-profile executive but if you are, it's something to consider.

What could a Business Executive do with their .com Domain Name?  There are 3 main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your company's website. Perfect for those who have a specific page about them on their firm's site. Joseph Siegman- An executive at a well-known company who doesn't have the time or interest in building his own website, but he did see the value in having his own Name as a .com Domain Name -- so he has www.JosephSiegman.com but instead of building a website, simply used Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about him that already exists on his company's website.  You could do the same thing - protecting your Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, allowing people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the website for the entire firm.  Perfect for heads of companies or for those who do not yet have an individual page yet on the firm's website. Nicholas S. Gouletas is CEO of American Invsco and has spent years building his Name and reputation - but he also doesn't the time or interest in building a personal website. So he got his name - www.NicholasSGouletas.com and what did he do? He got Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in his Name are re-directed to the website for his company.  It protects his Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes the firm he represents, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Build a website of your very own. Perfect for sole practitioners. Also perfect for attorneys who do additional work outside of their practice such as write books & give speeches  Robert Shapiro - The well-known Defense attorney has www.RobertShapiro.com .  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, he is able to strengthen his Name as a brand, become easier to find online, further craft his Name and Image as he wishes, promote his law firm and also promote his work outside his practice --  including his books and his appearances.

(4) Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. May be perfect for the prosecutor who thinks they have nothing to promote now, but might want it so they can promote their practice down the road if they go to the other side of the aisle. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. So get your name, and just because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite pro bono cause, until you're ready to use it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

SALES PEOPLE (No Matter What You Sell)

The easiest way to explain the potential upsides to owning your Name as a .com Domain Name, the potential downsides to not owning it and how you could put yours to use if you did own it can all be shown through a couple of examples.

What's the risk of a Salesperson not getting your Name as a .com Domain Name?

The biggest risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  John Buck -- The well-known Real Estate leader in Chicago has spent years building his Name and reputation, but he can't do anything at www.JohnBuck.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - another John Buck who also happens to be in real estate. And in that case, it dilutes the first Buck's Name as a brand, and he's lost out on a great chance to strengthen his Name as a brand, promote his firm, and anything he might do outside of it. Another example is Richard Melman - the well-known Restauranteur in Chicago can't do anything with www.RichardMelman.com.  It's already taken by some guy in England with the exact same name.

What could a Salesperson do with their .com Domain Name?  There are three main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your company's website. Perfect for those who have a specific page about them on their firm's site. Gladis Cofre Beirne sells real estate. She understood the value of having her Name as a .com Domain Name but she knew her company already had a page about her on the company's website. So what did she do? She got www.GladisCofreBeirne.com but instead of building a website, simply used FREE Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about her that already exists on her company's website.  You could do the same thing - protecting your Name, strengthening it as a personal brand, using the internet as a greater tool to help with sales, allowing people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website AND if you ever switch firms, all you need to do is switch the link so it forwards to the page about you at your new company's website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the website for the entire company you represent.  Sean J. Hunter - A Representative of Pre-Paid Legal Services.  Got his name - www.SeanJHunter.com . Doesn't have the time or interest in building a website. He simply wants to promote the services he sells. So what did he do? He got Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in his Name are re-directed to the website for the firm he represents.  It protects his Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes the firm he represents, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Build a website of your very own. Perfect for sole practitioners. Also perfect for sales people who do additional work outside of their sales practice or who want a website that shares both their professional and personal endeavors.  Robert Shapiro - The well-known Defense attorney has www.RobertShapiro.com .  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, he is able to strengthen his Name as a brand, become easier to find online, further craft his Name and Image as he wishes, promote his law firm and also promote his work outside his practice --  including his books and his appearances.

(4) Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. May be perfect for the prosecutor who thinks they have nothing to promote now, but might want it so they can promote their practice down the road if they go to the other side of the aisle. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. So get your name, and just because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite pro bono cause, until you're ready to use it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

If you are a priest, rabbi or other religious official, your name is almost as important as your faith and in the 21st century, having your name as a .com Domain Name could be a powerful tool for you and your house of worship as you try to connect with more people in the digital age.

Whether it's to increase awareness about you -- or just to spread the word about where you practice your faith and your desire to have others join you there -- or to promote an eventual book when you step down -- or just to allow your Rolodex of friends to know where you've gone if you move from one place to the next--  your Name can and should be seen as a brand unto itself.  Getting the .com Domain Name can help strengthen it.

And if you don't, and somebody else shares your name and gets it first, then you've lost out on a potentially great vehicle for your ventures that would have come with an extremely low cost. 

Even if you don't intend to use it just yet, it might just be a good idea to protect it.

Regardless of why it may occur -- whether it's an opportunist or, much more likely, just an innocent case of somebody else having your name - the end result is the same: You are unable to strenghten your Name as a brand by securing the .com Domain Name

Having said that, even if your name is a unique one that nobody else shares and even if you think nobody else will think of taking it, it still should be a purchase you consider given all the wonderful ways you can use it.

(1) THE FREE DOMAIN FORWARDING OPTION:  Link it to a specific page about you on a website that already exists (like the page about you on the website of your house of worship) FOR FREE. It's called Domain Forwarding. It costs you nothing extra. Saves you the time of learning about websites and the time it takes to build and update one - while at the same time, protecting your Name as a brand, and letting you put your Domain Name to work & strengthening your brand. And best of all, if you ever do switch to another church or synagogue, just switch the forwarding link to the page about you at the new one. And if you ever want to put up a site of your own? No problem. Just take down the link and put up your own site.  For more on this, click HERE

(2) SECOND OF THE PUT-IT-TO-USE OPTIONS:  Put up a one page website of your own.  Relatively quick and easy to do with a self-starter template for just $9.90 a year. Allows you to protect your Name from being taken by someone else who has it or someone else who wants it and allows you to control your Name and your Image and promote your work. For more, email Clients@IdeaListEnterprises.com

(3) FULL WEBSITE OPTION: Put up a full-fledged website. Takes more time. Comes with a monthly fee. Allows you to protect your name and also control your Name and Image, and more fully promote your work -- perhaps having a different page on the website for different philosophies you wish to discuss or projects you want to promote or support. For more, click HERE.

(4) THE SAFE OPTION. Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

TEACHERS, PROFESSORS, PRINCIPALS & SCHOOL OFFICIALS

The easiest way to explain the potential upsides to owning your Name as a .com Domain Name, the potential downsides to not owning it and how you could put yours to use if you did own it can all be shown through a couple of examples.

What's the risk of a Teacher, Professor, Principal or School Official not getting your Name as a .com Domain Name?

The biggest risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  John Buck -- The well-known Real Estate leader in Chicago has spent years building his Name and reputation, but he can't do anything at www.JohnBuck.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - another John Buck who also happens to be in real estate. And in that case, it dilutes the first Buck's Name as a brand, and he's lost out on a great chance to strengthen his Name as a brand, promote his firm, and anything he might do outside of it.

What could you do with your .com Domain Name if you did have it?  There are 3 main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your school's website. Perfect for those who have a specific page about them on their firm's site. Alan Dershowitz - a well-known professor at Harvard Law School apparently did not have the time or interest in building his own website, but he did see the value in having his own Name as a .com Domain Name -- so he has www.AlanDershowitz.com but instead of building a website, simply used Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about him that already exists on his school's website.  You could do the same thing - protecting your Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, allowing people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the website for the entire school.  Perfect for heads of Universities or for those who do not yet have an individual page yet on the firm's website. Nicholas S. Gouletas is CEO of American Invsco and has spent years building his Name and reputation - but he also doesn't the time or interest in building a personal website. So he got his name - www.NicholasSGouletas.com and what did he do? He got Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in his Name are re-directed to the website for his company.  It protects his Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes the firm he represents, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Build a website of your very own. Perfect for sole practitioners. Also perfect for attorneys who do additional work outside of their practice such as write books & give speeches  David Gernen - The well-known head of Kennedy School of Government has www.DavidGergen.com .  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, he is able to strengthen his Name as a brand, become easier to find online, further craft his Name and Image as he wishes, and promote his work outside the school --  including his books and his appearances.

(4) Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. May be perfect for the prosecutor who thinks they have nothing to promote now, but might want it so they can promote their practice down the road if they go to the other side of the aisle. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. So get your name, and just because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite pro bono cause, until you're ready to use it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

CURRENT & FUTURE ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Your name, as much as anyone's, is the most important thing you've got. That's your name you sign on the bottom of the paintings. And your name next to the photo when it runs in a gallery or in the paper.

With that in mind, owning your own Name as a Domain Name could be a wonderful way to promote your art and photography, your upcoming shows and selling the work online. Even if you're just an amateur, it's a great way to express yourself and get your work noticed.

And yet, all it takes is one person who shares your name and wants a website of their own -- or one fan who particularly admires your work -- and you stand to lose that chance to Strengthen your Name as a brand, showcasing your work and allowing your audience to grow and follow along as you do more work.

If it's worth $9 a year to you, then the question becomes what would you do with your Domain Name if you got it. As a current or future artist or photographer, there are four basic options:

(1) THE SAFE OPTION. Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. For more, click HERE

(2) EASIEST OF THE PUT-IT-USE OPTIONS:  Link it to another existing website (like the website of the gallery or newspaper where your art or photography is featured) or link it to a specific page about you a website that already exists (like a page about you on the gallery's website) FOR FREE. It's called Domain Forwarding. Costs you nothing extra. Saves you the time of learning about websites and the time it takes to build and update one - while at the same time, protecting your Name as a brand, and letting you put your Domain Name to work, strengthening your brand, promoting your project and building your audience. Want to promote a new project? Just switch the link to the new gallery's website.  And if you ever want to put up a site of your own? No problem. Just take down the link and put up your own site.  For more on this, click HERE

(2) SECOND OF THE PUT-IT-TO-USE OPTIONS:  Put up a one page website.  Relatively quick and easy to do with a self-starter template. Available for just $9.90 a year. Allows you to protect your Name from being taken by someone else who has it or someone else who wants it and allows you to control your Name and your Image and promote a sample of your work, sell merchandise and connect with fans. For more, email Clients@IdealistEnterprises.com

(3) FULL WEBSITE OPTION: Put up a full-fledged website. Takes more time. Comes with a monthly fee. Allows you to protect your name and also control your Name and Image, and more fully promote your work -- displaying an extensive amount of your work, perhaps having a different page on the website for different categories (such as black-and-white or color) -- allowing you to market them each individually. For more, click HERE.

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

ACTORS, COMEDIANS, MUSICIANS & OTHER ENTERTAINERS

Whether you've already been on the Tonight Show or you're playing a show tonight at the local tavern, your name on the marquee outside is the most important thing you've got in the world of entertainment. It's like the name of your personal company, and you've already got a lot riding on it. 

And yet, all it takes is one person who shares your name and wants a website of their own -- or one fan who particularly admires your work, or for that matter, one critic who doesn't -- and you stand to lose that chance to strengthen your Name as a brand by having the .com Domain Name version of your name.  

The chance of some who shares your name taking it is a reality for all of us.  And depending on how readily visible you are -- or you are going to be -- in the public eye, it is distinctly possible that the latter can happen as well. In some cases, it is done as a show of support (www.BenAffleck.com is not owned by Ben Affleck, but one of his fans - who created a website devoted to their favorite actor).  In other cases, it is a show of contempt (www.BillSimon.com is not owned by the Republican Governor candidate but instead an opponent who built a website devoted to keeping Simon out of office).

In either case, good or bad, the bottom line is the same. You do not control it, and you would be better served if you did. Owning your own Name as a Domain Name could be a wonderful way to promote appearances, an upcoming book or tour, book signings, a new film, premieres, to market merchandise or just to build your fan base online. Author Scott Turow promotes his books on www.ScottTurow.com, Politician George Bush promotes his re-election bid on www.GeorgeBush.com and actress Jennifer Aniston promotes her work at www.JenniferAniston.com.  If you own your Name as a .com Domain Name, you can control your image in the same way -- and put it to use to help promote your work and strengthen your Name as a band.

Whether you are as well-known as they are, or simply starting out, you can use it now and later to strengthen your Name as a brand, promoting your current & future work and allowing your audience to grow and follow along no matter where your career takes you next -- if you get it yourself.

If it's worth $9 a year to you, then the question becomes what would you do with your Domain Name if you got it. As an actor, musician or entertainer, there are four basic options:

(1) THE SAFE OPTION. Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. For more, click HERE

(2) EASIEST OF THE PUT-IT-USE OPTIONS:  Link it to the page about you a website that already exists (like a film studio or tv network) FOR FREE. It's called Domain Forwarding. Costs you nothing extra. Saves you the time of learning about websites and the time it takes to build and update one - while at the same time, protecting your Name as a brand, and letting you put your Domain Name to work, strengthening your brand and building your audience. Want to promote a new film? Just switch the link to your new film's website.  And if you ever want to put up a site of your own? No problem. Just take down the link and put up your own site.  For more on this, click HERE

(2) SECOND OF THE PUT-IT-TO-USE OPTIONS:  Put up a one page website.  Relatively quick and easy to do with a self-starter template. Available for just $9.90 a year. Allows you to protect your Name from being taken by someone else who has it or someone else who wants it and allows you to control your Name and your Image and promote your work, sell merchandise and connect with fans. For more, email Clients@IdealistEnterprises.com

(3) FULL WEBSITE OPTION: Put up a full-fledged website. Takes more time. Comes with a monthly fee. Allows you to protect your name and also control your Name and Image, and more fully promote your work outside of work and/or perhaps you simply want to personalize your website by having a more personal, less professional section of it. This option would allow you to do both at the same website - have a professional section and a personal section. For more, click HERE.

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

CURRENT & FUTURE ATHLETES, COACHES & TEAM MANAGEMENT

The easiest way to explain the potential upsides to owning your Name as a .com Domain Name, the potential downsides to not owning it and how you could put yours to use if you did own it can all be shown through a couple of examples.

What's the risk of an Athlete, Coach or Team Executive not getting your Name as a .com Domain Name?

One risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  Kevin McHale-- The well-known athlete turned NBA Executive spent years building his Name and reputation, but he can't do anything at www.KevinMcHale.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - another Kevin McHale who also happens to be an up and coming singer. And in that case, you've lost out on a great chance to strengthen your Name as a brand, promote your post-athletic career, memorabilia sales or appearances.

There are also additional risks for athletes, coaches & team management that are unique to the sporting world.

== A Fan takes your Name as a .com Domain Name Getting fans is an inevitable result of what you do -- it's as old as sports themselves.  And sometimes, a fan becomes such a fan that they want to create an entire website devoted to you.  Ask NBA Executive Red Auerbach about www.RedAuerbach.com or current NBA Player Tyson Chandler about www.TysonChandler.com The websites - cited as their Unofficial Fan Club Websites - may reflect well on the legendary exec and athlete, and the fans may have wonderful intentions, but the end result is that they don't have their own Name, which decreases ther ability to control and foster their image, and deprives them of the ability to promote and market themselves in and out of the game, and beyond - whether they would have sold their own memorabilia, promoted appearances or even just used their marketable name to launch their post-athletic endeavor.  Again, having fans is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile athlete or coach or member of team management, it is.

== A Critic takes your Name as a .com Domain Name We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's a true example.  A well-known and outspoken leader in baseball management can't have his Name as a .com Domain Name.  Why? It was already taken on purpose by a group going by the title "Baseball Fans for Real Baseball." In another example, an athlete's name was taken by a fan of opposing team -- to promote the opposing team! Certainly, less malicious than the first example, but the result is the same. The athlete is unable to use their own name to further their own image and promote and sell their own merchandise now and for years down the road. Again, having such outspoken critics is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile athlete or coach or member of team management, it is.

== An Opportunist your Name as a .com Domain Name We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's a true example.  A well-known pro athlete spends years building his Name & reputation. He likely could make tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars over his lifetime selling memorabilia and autographs...but he won't be able to do it at a website named after himself.  Why?  Because his Name as a .com Domain Name was purposely taken by a group out to promote their Sports Fantasy League.   And in other, true, more extreme examples, some well-known athletes names have been taken as .com Domain Names and used to promote adult entertainment-related websites.Again, this is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile athlete or coach, it is.

What could they do with their .com Domain Name if they did have it? 3 main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your network or publication's website. Marvin Barltett- An anchor for FOX --  doesn't have the time or interest right now in building his own website, but he did see the value in having his own Name as a .com Domain Name -- so he has www.MarvinBartlett.com but instead of building a website, simply used Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about him that already exists on his network's website.  You could do the same thing - protecting your Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, allowing people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the website for the entire firm.  Perfect for coaches, heads of teams or players who want their Name for future use but are content simply promoting their team for now. NBA Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban has certainly become well-known and his Name is known throughout the sporting (and business) world - but he also doesn't likely have the time or interest in building a personal website. So he got his name - www.MarkCuban.com and what did he do? He got Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in his Name are re-directed to the website for his team.  It protects his Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes the team he owns, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Build a website of your very own. Perfect for any athlete or coach, past present or future. - There are an extensive number of athletes, past and present, ranging from Walter Payton (WalterPayton.com) to Brian Urlacher (BrianUrlacher.com) to Kendall Gill (KendallGill.com) to Tim Hardaway (TimHardaway.com) whose Names are taken by .com Domain Names are owned by themselves (or their families) and who use them as Official Websites.  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, they are able to strengthen their Name as a brand, further craft their Name and Image as they wish, promoting their civic interests and generate additional income - by selling memorabilia, appearances and books if they write them. 

(4) Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. May be perfect for the prosecutor who thinks they have nothing to promote now, but might want it so they can promote their practice down the road if they go to the other side of the aisle. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. So get your name, and just because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite pro bono cause, until you're ready to use it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

CURRENT & FUTURE FILMMAKERS & AUTHORS

NOTE: In addition to getting their own Names as .com Domain Names, Filmmakers & Authors can & should also consider getting the Names of their present & future books and films, and the Names of their Production Companies, as .com Domain Names.

What's the risk of a Filmmaker or Author not getting their Name as a .com Domain Name?

One risk is that somebody else with the same name takes it.  Kevin McHale-- The well-known athlete turned NBA Executive spent years building his Name and reputation, but he can't do anything at www.KevinMcHale.com .  Somebody else with the same name already has it - another Kevin McHale who also happens to be an up and coming singer. And in that case, you've lost out on a great chance to strengthen your Name as a brand, promote your post-athletic career, memorabilia sales or appearances.

There are also additional risks for athletes, coaches & team management that are unique to the sporting world.

== A Fan takes your Name as a .com Domain Name Getting fans is an inevitable result of what you do -- it's as old as sports themselves.  And sometimes, a fan becomes such a fan that they want to create an entire website devoted to you.  Ask NBA Executive Red Auerbach about www.RedAuerbach.com or current NBA Player Tyson Chandler about www.TysonChandler.com The websites - cited as their Unofficial Fan Club Websites - may reflect well on the legendary exec and athlete, and the fans may have wonderful intentions, but the end result is that they don't have their own Name, which decreases ther ability to control and foster their image, and deprives them of the ability to promote and market themselves in and out of the game, and beyond - whether they would have sold their own memorabilia, promoted appearances or even just used their marketable name to launch their post-athletic endeavor.  Again, having fans is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile athlete or coach or member of team management, it is.

== A Critic takes your Name as a .com Domain Name We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's a true example.  A well-known and outspoken leader in baseball management can't have his Name as a .com Domain Name.  Why? It was already taken on purpose by a group going by the title "Baseball Fans for Real Baseball." In another example, an athlete's name was taken by a fan of opposing team -- to promote the opposing team! Certainly, less malicious than the first example, but the result is the same. The athlete is unable to use their own name to further their own image and promote and sell their own merchandise now and for years down the road. Again, having such outspoken critics is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile athlete or coach or member of team management, it is.

== An Opportunist your Name as a .com Domain Name We don't want to cite the actual website because we don't want to give it any promotion, but here's a true example.  One of the world's best known authors spends years building her Name & reputation. And she likely could make hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions over her lifetime selling memorabilia and autographs and copies of her work online...but she won't be able to do it at the most likely destination - a website named after herself.  Why?  Because her Name as a .com Domain Name was purposely taken by a group out to promote their Internet Company.   And in other, also true, more extreme examples, some well-known filmmaker's and author's names have been taken as .com Domain Names and used to promote adult entertainment-related websites.Again, this is obviously not a typical concern to worry about for most people, but if you are a high profile filmmaker or author, it is.

What could they do with their .com Domain Name if they did have it? 3 main options: 

(1) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name are re-directed to the page about you that already exists on your network or publication's website. Marvin Barltett- An anchor for FOX --  doesn't have the time or interest right now in building his own website, but he did see the value in having his own Name as a .com Domain Name -- so he has www.MarvinBartlett.com but instead of building a website, simply used Domain Forwarding which means those who type in his Name, get re-directed to the page about him that already exists on his network's website.  You could do the same thing - protecting your Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, allowing people to find out more about you & your work, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating a website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(2) Use Free Domain Forwarding so that people who type in your Name, or your Production Company's Name, are re-directed to the website for one of your books or one of your films.  Perfect for filmmakers & authors who want their Name for future use but are content simply promoting a specific book or film for now. Filmmaker George Lucas does that.  Go to www.LucasFilms.com and it is Domain Forwarded straight to the website for one of his filmworks, Star Wars. It protects his company's Name, strengthens it as a personal brand, promotes one of his works, and yet, does not require the time, knowledge or money of building, managing and updating an additional website. IF THIS IS THE OPTION FOR YOU, CLICK HERE TO PROCEED.

(3) Get a Domain Name & put a website of your very own. Perfect for any author or filmmaker, past present or future. - There are an extensive number of writers, past and present, ranging from author Maya Angelou (www.MayaAngelou.com) to Stephen King (www.StephenKing.com), to filmmaker Michael Moore (www.MichaelMoore.com) to author Scott Turow (www.ScottTurow.com)  to filmmaker Greg Forbes (www.GregForbes.com) who have their Names as .com Domain Names and  use them as Official Websites.  Having your very own website does have an additional monthly fee, but as a result of doing it, they are able to strengthen their Name as a brand, further craft their Name and Image as they wish,  and generate additional income - by further promoting and selling their books, films and memorabilia online. 

(4) Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it. www.ShelSilverstein.com appears to have no website at all, but the Domain Name is registered to the "Estate of Shel Silverstein". It's a smart thing to do if you are a famous writer. Hold onto your Name just so you have it. It costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. It gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. It also may be perfect for the future writer who thinks they have nothing to promote now, but might want it so they can promote their books and films down the road. So get your name, and just because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite pro bono cause, until you're ready to use it. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?

PARENTS

If you are a parent and have a second job (because there's no doubt being a parent counts as one!), then you ought to click on Getting My Name. Why? and click on the Profession that describes you best.

If you do not have an additional job, there are still a number of reasons why you should consider getting your Name as a .com Domain Name. 

(1) If you do plan to get an additional job at a later time, then - again - you should click on Getting My Name. Why? and click on the Profession that will describe you best.

(2) And there are still plenty of things you can do with your Name as a Domain Name if you remain a stay-at-home Parent.  These include: promoting activities or events you are involved with at your child's school or with your favorite charitable cause...to proudly post pictures of your growing family (Though, if you do, PLEASE read Safety on the Internet and talk to others who use the internet to be safe)...or to share your thoughts on parenthood for others to see.

And of course, there is another thing for you to consider as a Parent -- getting your Child's Name as a .com Domain Name.  To understand why this can be such a valuable step to take, and to see all the endless ways your child can put it to use when you feel they are old enough, click on Getting My Child's Name.

There is perhaps no better candidate for getting a Domain Name than someone running for Public Office.   Almost without question, there is no group of people who could put their name to better use -- after all, it is your Name and only that Name on the ballot.  And at the same time, there is no group of people who run a greater risk of getting their Name taken if they don't

The first concern you have is the same everyone else shares -- what if somebody else has the same name as you?  Only one of you can have your Name as a .com Domain Name.  So you're running for Public Office, he runs a local barber shop. If he gets the name you share first, you've lost out on a tremendous chance to strengthen your brand and boost your chances in the election.

As a candidate for public office, you also face an additional concern that comes with the territory of trying to be an elected leader. All you really need are two examples to explain it all:

EXAMPLE 1: CALIFORNIA

Dianne Feinstein:  Incumbent Candidate for Senator of California

www.DianneFeinstein.com -- The Domain Name is used by Dianne Feinstein to promote her bid for re-election, foster a positive image of the candidate and gain contributions for her run for office.

Bill Simon: Candidate for Governor in California Recall

www.BillSimon.com - The Domain Name is used by Opponents of Bill Simon to highlight what they feel are his inconsistencies and to cite the reasons why people should not vote for him.

**
**

John Kerry: Democratic Candidate for President

www.JohnKerry.com - The Domain Name is used by John Kerry to promote his bid for the Presidency, foster a positive image of the candidate and gain contributions for his run for office

Howard Dean: Democratic Candidate for President

www.HowardDean.com - The Domain Name is used, apparently, by a watchdog group that monitors which candidates are breaking promises or bowing to special interests.

--Those examples should really explain it all.  The potential positive of having your own Name and the potential downside of not having it.

As a political candidate, you can use your own name to strengthen your name as a brand -- crucial to any election -- correct the record about your views on any issue and generate contributions for your election bid....or you can face a very legitimate risk of someone going after your Name as a Domain Name just to criticize your views or perhaps even to promote your opponent.

And even if it just turns out somebody who shares your Name got it to promote that barber shop, the bottom line is you don't have it and you could have put it to great use.

Even once in office, you can use that same Domain Name to remind your constituents about the efforts you are making to follow through on all your campaign promises.

What's more, win or lose, your Name is still your Name...and if you own the .com Domain Name version of yours, you can leverage it as you take on other ventures - whether it's a public speaking tour, a new book or a new company you start after leaving politics.  www.BobSmithforGovernor.com is nice, but that won't stop people who oppose you from getting your .com Domain Name -- and it won't be of much use once you leave office or run for another one.  Your Name will stick with you and will remain valuable no matter what field you enter next or what office you run for next.  If Bob Smith had BobSmith.com, he could promote his run for Governor one year, and run for President a couple terms later -- and have built it all up on one site all along.

And if nothing else, if you are running for office, or plan to, get your Name just to protect it. It is one line of work where it is not over-stating things to say you run a definite risk of someone opposed to you taking your Name if you do not. Just ask Bill Simon of California.

(1) THE FREE DOMAIN FORWARDING OPTION:  Link it to an existing website or even to a specific page about you on another website FOR FREE. It's called Domain Forwarding. It costs you nothing extra. Saves you the time of learning about websites and the time it takes to build and update one - while at the same time, protecting your Name as a brand, and letting you put your Domain Name to work, strengthening your brand and promoting your company and its products and services at the same time. And if you ever want to put up a site of your own? No problem. Just take down the link and put up your own site.  For more on this, click HERE

(2) SECOND OF THE PUT-IT-TO-USE OPTIONS:  What if you want more control over what people see or if your company doesn't have a page about you on its website? Put up a one page website of your own.  Relatively quick and easy to do with a self-starter template for just $9.90 a year through our service (Or you can get your Domain Name here and get the website service somewhere else). Allows you to protect your Name from being taken by someone else who has it or someone else who wants it and allows you to control your Name and your Image and promote you or your company's work. For more, email Clients@IdeaListEnterprises.com

(3) FULL WEBSITE OPTION: Put up a full-fledged website. Takes more time. Comes with a monthly fee. Allows you to protect your name and also control your Name and Image, and more fully promote your work. For more, click HERE.

(4) THE SAFE OPTION. Do nothing but hold onto your name to protect it (and link it for free in the meantime to the website of your favorite cause). Costs you nothing extra. Just the $9 a year for the Domain Name. Saves you the time of a website.  Gives you the insurance that the Domain Name is there if and when you ever decide to use it. In the meantime, it won't allow you to strengthen your Name as a brand and put the Domain Name to work for you-- but also protects it from being used by anyone else, and given what you do for a living, protecting your Name from anyone else with the same name taking it may be just as valuable to you as actually using it. And in the meantime, because you can, link it for free to the website of your favorite Think Tank, or voter registration group. For more, click HERE

Your first time here? Click on "60 Second Summary" to get started. 18 or older, been here before, read the Safety on the Internet Tips, About This Website, understand the Terms of Use and Conditions associated with this service and want to check if a name is available? Enter it below as one word with no spaces (ie Want BobSmith.com? Type BobSmith in the box below.) If it's not available, go to What If My Name's Already Taken?