Browsing Tag
trademark
29 posts
Can a Trade Secret Protect Small Business Ideas?
What are the best ways to protect a business idea? You can protect intellectual property (IP) using one of four methods. The three most common protections are filing for a trademark, copyright or a patent. The fourth form of protection is a trade secret, and a trade secret can, indeed, protect small business ideas. What...
What is a DBA? Benefits of Filing for a Doing Business As Name
As states start to transition tiers amid COVID-19, storefronts are beginning to increase indoor capacity and ease into doing business in the "new normal." Some brick-and-mortar business owners may be using this time to file paperwork for additional assets that can provide great benefits to their business. One such asset is a Doing Business As...
Entrepreneurs Share Tips for Overcoming E-Commerce Product Launch Obstacles
With consumers spending more than ever online, it’s no wonder why so many entrepreneurs are joining e-commerce marketplaces in droves. Consumers around the world spent $900 billion at online retailers in 2020, according to report from the Mastercard Economics Institute. Up to 30% of that shift is expected to be permanent, too. This growth, regardless...
What Do Software Startup Unicorns Like OneStream and StockX Have in Common?
OneStream and StockX are two of the most recent unicorns to emerge out of Detroit’s thriving startup ecosystem. OneStream provides B2B corporate performance management (CPM) software, while StockX offers resellers a marketplace to sell shoes, electronics and other products. Despite differences in their products and target audiences, the two companies likely followed similar intellectual property...
What Startup Founders Should Know About NFTs and Intellectual Property Protection
As a startup founder, you might be wondering how you can take advantage of the recent craze surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Perhaps NFTs can be used to protect your startup’s intellectual property without spending the time and money to secure more formal IP protection. After all, NFTs can be an effective way to enforce a...
How to Choose the Right Business Name for Your Startup
Starting a new business is exciting. For many entrepreneurs, nothing is more thrilling than building a business that solves a big problem in a unique way. Startup founders have to make many decisions in the days, weeks and months after starting a business. One of the most important decisions comes very early—you have to give...
How to Form an LLC in Michigan
Starting a business is an exciting journey. For many entrepreneurs, starting a business is their chance to take their product to market, to become part of their local communities and to start making income from their own ventures. Many entrepreneurs choose a limited liability company (LLC) as a preferred vehicle for that journey. An LLC...
How to Select a Business Name and Trademark It
Picking out a name for your business is an exciting step. As you start to brainstorm ideas for your company name, it's important to ask yourself a few questions, including: Does this name reflect my brand? Will customers be able to associate my offerings and services with this business name? Can my business name be...
The Gen Z Guide to Starting a Business
Each generation leaves a significant mark on entrepreneurship. Gen Z is currently entering the working world in a time of great uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Gen Zers are also watching businesses make significant pivots with their business models and may be inspired to make similar moves. Why wait for a dream job when...
5 Intellectual Property Considerations Startups Oftentimes Overlook
Many contestants on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” answer “yes” when asked if they have a patent, illustrating that startups may generally appreciate the importance of filing a patent application early to protect their innovations. However, there are a variety of options available when developing a company’s strategy for protecting its Intellectual Property (IP). StartupNation...
What Are the Legal Asset Must-Haves for E-Commerce Startups?
What else does an e-commerce business need after it has incorporated as a legal formation? Quite a few assets, actually! Depending on the kind of e-commerce business you start, you may prioritize registration for certain assets, but here are the top five to file for: Trademark Basic business operation license(s) Employer identification number (EIN) Doing...
What is a Franchise? The FranchiseHelp Primer and Quiz
Contrary to popular opinion, franchising extends far beyond food and retail. In recent years, franchises have become popular for the services and manufacturing sectors. The U.S. Census shows that in 2012, franchises alone accounted for $1.28 billion of sales. A franchise can be broken down into the following two specific categories: Product or trademark franchising This is...
Why Your Business Name Should Be a Powerful Branding and Marketing Tool
When you are brainstorming a name for your new business, it can be difficult to know how to select the best one, especially if you are initially drawn to a particular name. You might have numerous brand name ideas, and all of them work, but none of them seem like they’re the perfect fit. In...
Intellectual Property Considerations for Your Startup
Starting your own business is a new and exciting challenge that can be rewarding, but overwhelming. From the beginning, it’s important to consider the intellectual property associated with your business and ensure its protection and availability for use. There’s nothing worse than building a business and a brand around a name, later to find out...
Social Media Marketing: Can You Trademark a Hashtag?
It’s been more than a decade since the hashtag made its debut on social media. Chris Messina proposed this tagging method on Twitter in 2007. While Twitter developers initially rejected it, it gained traction after users began employing it extensively to track what was happening with the San Diego forest fires in October of 2007....
Securing Your Startup’s Intellectual Property Rights: Patent vs. Trade Secret
Entrepreneurs and emerging companies often look for ways to protect their valuable assets. They want to secure their ideas and ultimately enforce their rights around them. Traditionally, there are four types of intellectual property rights: patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. Patents and trade secrets are the two types of intellectual property rights that protect...
This Sneaky Hack Saved Me $7000 (and Helped Me Build a Million Dollar Business)
I started my first company when I was six years old, selling fallen apples to keep the streets clean. I have always seen problems and created a solution, despite all the odds. So when it came time to get my fashion-forward, hygiene-focused clothing line, PantyProp, off the ground, I wasn’t going to let a little...
What’s the Difference Between a Trademark and Copyright?
For entrepreneurs starting their first company, it’s easy to get confused with some of the small business jargon that comes with the territory. One of the most common mistakes is mixing up trademarks and copyrights. Which is which and what do they do? Do you need both or just one for your business? Let us...
Business Registration 101 for Franchises, Startups and Amazon Sellers
So, you’ve got your small business idea — whether that takes on the form of a startup, franchise or Amazon seller — with a business plan drafted up. You’re ready to begin with the registration process, but if you’ve never done this any of this before, you might feel at a loss on where to...
How to Prep Your Side Hustle to Become a Full-Time Business
For many entrepreneurs, there comes that inevitable moment where balancing a full-time job with a growing side hustle just can’t be done anymore. It is time to take the next step and transition out of the traditional 40 hour workweek in favor of becoming an entrepreneur and growing your small business. Don’t let the calm...