article thumbnail

Nuts & Bolts of Intellectual Property for New Startups

Gust

So you’ve chosen a name for your startup, product, or both. Most traditional, bricks-and-mortar businesses have substantial, often enormous hard assets, such as raw materials and supplies, work-in-process, inventory, manufacturing equipment, real estate and more, as well as armies of employees. Tech startups are at the other extreme.

article thumbnail

Tips For Hiring An Independent Contractor

YoungUpstarts

Any person or business you hire to do work on your behalf, but not as an employee, is an independent contractor. You pay employees for the result of the work and the ability to control how the job is done. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set guidelines for determining if someone is an employee or an independent contractor.

Hiring 246
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Someone Stole My Startup Idea – Part 3: The Best Defense is a Good IP Strategy

Steve Blank

Or it can be your brand , logo or domain name. A contract is a binding legal agreement that is enforceable in a court of law. a Non Disclosure Agreement gives you certain rights to protection of your confidential information.) Make sure you have Employee Invention Assignment Agreements. (If

article thumbnail

Tips For Protecting Intellectual Property

YoungUpstarts

Have Employees Sign Non-Disclosures. If you work with a team or have employees, it is important to have them sign non-disclosure agreements to cover the security of your intellectual property. Obtain assistance to have the non-disclosures well-written to keep your ideas safe from being taken.

article thumbnail

There’s More To Protecting Your Firm Than Using A Stronger Lock

Women Entrepreneurs Can

On top of that, having staff at a high level sign non-disclosure agreements, no matter how much you trust them, can allow you to sue them for financial liability should they leak their sources. It can be important to consider how entry to your business can be gained, especially in a non-permitted context. Stay Ahead .

article thumbnail

Protecting Your Business Idea

YoungUpstarts

Anytime you decide to bring in someone who does not have a stake in your business idea you should have them sign a binding Non Disclosure Agreement or NDA before you tell them or show them a thing. The document is an agreement between the two of you to keep confident everything about the business. Protect Your Rights.

article thumbnail

Are You Really Safeguarding Your Startup?

YoungUpstarts

While you can get non disclosure agreements printed out, having people sign these before you meet with them can be difficult. Trademark Your Name. A company’s name is usually associated with the idea, so by trademarking your name , you could be adding a little extra layer of protection to your business model and plan.