As you finalize your business’ infrastructure, one of the last steps will be obtaining a patent, or trademark – if relevant to you. These are both broad protections of your company’s IP or intellectual property. In a previous two-part post, I discussed the question, “Should I file a Patent?” The two posts go through the [...]
When you create your business plan, one of the sections will be about the “Management Team.” This isn’t just asection to show that you know how to make a cool management structure graphic in Microsoft Word, or to include the resumés of your employees. Any investor or advisor of your business wants to see the [...]
Having the right setting for your office space can be critical to your success. Having the right amount of room (if you can afford it), thecorrect balance of privacy and togetherness, and the right neighbors can all add to the fun, sanity and success of your business. Home Office There are several ways to go [...]
Keeping your business legal and in compliance can be a difficult but important chore. There are many different kinds of licenses and permits, and they vary depending on the kind of business you run. As a basic rule, every business needs a tax identification number from the federal government as well as the state where [...]
Did you hear the story about the wholesale Bakery that was on the 2nd floor? They didn’t have flood insurance, because they’re on the 2nd floor. Then the company above them had a pipe burst. Water flooded their space. While equipement wasn’t ruined, this violated the health code, and they not only had to sterilize all their equipment but [...]
Quick quiz – would you rather set up your business budget or go to the dentist for a filling without Novocain? If you’re like me, you’ll spend a few minutes in serious debate about this topic. (But you shouldn’t – and besides, you might bite the dentist.) Most entrepreneurs prefer to spend time working in their business than on [...]
In our last installment, we had gotten the money for our business - hooray! And we were working through the legal and accounting issues and changes that might be required in order to actually get and use the capital from investors. Again, a special thanks to the FizzLaw team for connecting us to some great attorneys to answer [...]
Most start-ups spend lots of time seeking out investors to help them move the company forward. Once you’ve grabbed the brass ring, what do you do with it? Companies who come to agreement for funding terms with an investor often have to make a few changes to their structure, governance, and more in order to [...]
Almost all businesses accept debit and credit cards these days – even service businesses and B2B ventures. Having a way to accept a card is critical when you get ready to operationalize and start your business. You’ll need a merchant account – something provided by financial institutions that lets you accept cards for payments. In order [...]
“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” – Helmuth Von Moltke Von Moltke’s quote above is one I’ve used before, and I’ll keep using it because it is the truth. In many startups I’ve helped, the business plan is written, researched, tested and presented as a fait accompli or a done deal – something [...]