Managing a business is hard work for any owner, manager, or operator. When you throw legal nuances into the mix, it gets even harder. Here are 3 legal basics you need to know as you grow your business.
Copyright vs Trademark
A copyright is for creative or original work. A trademark is for something that distinguishes your services or products from a competitor. You can learn more about copyrights and trademarks from this article by the Small Business Chron.
Online vs Offline Marketing
Online and offline marketing are different right? Wrong. You can’t misrepresent yourself on a business card, just like you can’t on your emails. You can’t create fake reviews on your Yelp page or on a printed sign on your store window. Many marketing laws are the same whether it’s on a piece of paper or on the web.
The only difference is that you have more opportunities to reach out to customers through online methods, which creates a few more regulations with spam and communication laws.
Partnership Agreements
Always have a written agreement in place for business partnerships and customers if you offer a service. On the partnership side, a legal agreement can keep lines clear of what each party is expected to do and hold each party accountable if something were to happen. On the service side, a written agreement isn’t always necessary, but it can help in many situations. Adding it to your estimates is an easy way to set expectations and avoid customers demanding more or less from you.
Questions on a particular topic or need help in a legal situation? Contact us here to talk with our expert legal team to help guide you on legal basics and so much more.
