It’s a question I’ve asked many times. What would happen to your domains if something happened to you? Our domains are a very valuable asset yet many of us have not properly prepared a plan to manage the domains after we’re gone. Does your family even know what domains you own, where they are at, or their value? These are questions that industry veterans Mike Robertson, Jen Sale, Bill Vanderent, Adam Strong and Paul Keating believe they can answer for your family. They have combined to form Domain Guardians, an ICANN accredited registrar providing domain estate planning and management services to domain professionals. The team will be launching the company and services at the upcoming ICANN Silicon Valley conference in San Francisco, CA, USA from March 13-18, 2011.
Domain Guardians has developed Domain Legacy to technically and legally protect and manage domain assets in the event of a portfolio owner’s death or disability.
According to two of the founders.
Paul Keating, who is a domain lawyer, sums it up in this way “No one lives forever, and most domain investors are not planning enough for the future. Managing domains across multiple registrars and monetization providers is a daunting task. It requires a great deal of skill developed on the back of years that may include lost opportunities, missteps and other failures. What will happen to the asset base and income streams when the manager is no longer there because of a death or disability? How will our survivors cope in an industry where contacts and experiences are shared by word of mouth?”
Adam Strong, addresses the importance of Domain Legacy for your loved one’s protection and peace of mind, “Like other domain investors, I’ve thought, ‘Who’ll take care of my domains when I’m gone?’… I’ll be transferring my assets to my loved ones, who unfortunately don’t have the skills or desire to continue managing my business. It gives me peace of mind to know that they can trust the expertise of Domain Guardians to do this for them. Every domain investor with a valuable portfolio should protect the future of that portfolio.”
I think this is a fantastic idea and there is a real need for this service. Especially for those that have a portfolio that continues to grow in value. I talked to Adam about his new company and asked him if the idea came to him as he lay in bed, deathly ill after DomainFest. He replied with ” This had been planned out way before that happened” Thankfully for Adam his family didn’t need his own services because the irony would have been too much.