Columnist: Maritza Nelson, J.D.
Why Your Business Website Must Have a Privacy Policy
Laws requiring websites to post privacy policies have been passed in several jurisdictions. And these laws typically apply even if your business isn’t located in that state or country. For example, California’s Online Privacy Protection Act requires websites and apps to post a privacy policy if they collect any personally identifiable information from California residents. […]
Protecting Your Brand: Just what is “Confusingly Similar”?
The most common reason for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to refuse a trademark registration is because there is a “likelihood of confusion” between the mark you applied for and an already registered mark. Put simply, in order to protect consumers, two trademarks generally cannot be “confusingly similar” to one another when used […]
Bad Contracts: Red Flags to Watch For
Contracts are everywhere in business. From online click-through agreements to the service contracts you use with your clients and customers, contracts are part of doing business in the modern world. Contracts are like the rules to a game. Uno’s game will end in a fight if half the players aren’t aware of the unwritten house […]
Starting a Social Enterprise
The idea of “doing good while doing well” certainly isn’t new, but it is increasingly popular in both the business and non-profit worlds. Increasingly, non-profits are developing social enterprises to help the organization become financially sustainable without being as dependent upon the good will of donors. And for-profit businesses are intentionally being established with the […]
Protecting Your Brand: Why Trademarks Are So Important
A trademark (or mark for short) is a distinctive word, phrase, logo, or graphic symbol that is used to identify the source of a product or service and distinguish your products or services from someone else’s. Registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides important benefits: Registration creates a legal presumption that your business […]
Protecting Company Secrets: Employee Confidentiality Agreements and Trade Secret Policies
What do you do when your business has valuable competitive information that you don’t want a current or former disgruntled employee to share with others? Perhaps you’ve built a valuable customer list over the years, or you have a unique way of pricing your goods or services. Maybe you’ve developed a unique software solution, or […]
Understanding Overtime: A Guide for Small Business
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that virtually all employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage for hours worked, plus for any hours over 40 in any given work week. It is critical for small businesses to know which employees are considered “exempt” from the overtime rules and which are “non-exempt,” meaning they […]
4 Easy Steps to Make Sure Your Business (or Non-Profit) is Structured Properly
Is your business or non-profit structured properly? Is it built on a solid foundation? These seem like simple enough questions. You set up your business or non-profit, and as far as you know, things are going smoothly (or at least as smoothly as they can be in the world of entrepreneurship). But what problems might […]
7 Tips for Saving Money on Legal Fees
As an entrepreneur, you’ll probably need legal advice at some point. But any given legal project should make your business better, not just increase your business expenses. How do you get the advice and representation you need without breaking the bank? Here are seven tips: 1. Prevention is the cheapest medicine. By getting legal advice […]
5 Legal Tips for Every Business
As a business attorney, I talk to all kinds of entrepreneurs about both their passions and their struggles. Going out on your own to pursue your passion is scary stuff. So here are five legal tips that will help every entrepreneur spend more time pursuing their passion and less time worrying. 1. Surround yourself with […]