The StartUp Greater Good Blog
Birthday Freebies Are Like Internet Legal Forms
Too Much Cake and Too Many Freebies May Be Great Today, But You Won't Be Too Happy Tomorrow Last week I had the good fortune to celebrate 5 birthdays in one day. As with most birthday celebrations, they involved food. In addition to all the birthday cake (and one...
Picking Your Business Structure is Easier Than You Think
What kind of business structure is the best choice for your new business? Sole Proprietorship? LLC? There are a lot of options, and at first it may seem a little scary since your structure will lay the groundwork for how your business will operate. But it’s really not...
Business Alert: FinCEN Revises BOI Reporting Requirements!
Update: 8/11/26 UPDATE (August 11, 2026): FinCEN Formally Ends BOI Reporting Requirements for U.S. Companies The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a final rule permanently eliminating Beneficial Ownership...
The Legal Implications of Implied Partnerships
Getting big money from Big Easy was anything but easy. Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday) is fast approaching. I’m still reeling from all the holiday season feasts and Valentine’s chocolate so I was going to pass on the fat part of Fat Tuesday, but a friend of mine told me...
Copying Is Wrong If It Has a Copyright
Why copyrighting your work is more complicated than simply saying, “This is mine.” Did you watch any part of the annual 24-hour cycle of the movie “A Christmas Story”? In this classic tale set in the early 1940’s, 9-year old Ralphie Parker’s Christmas dinner turkey...
When a Business Offer or Coaching Program Is a Scam
Odds are you’ve seen e-mails, infomercials, or social media ads encouraging you to start an online business, earn money from investing, or make enough money to retire early just by using their “system” and working from home. Lots of people are looking for ways to earn...
What Happens When It’s Time to Close Your Business
Starting a business is an exciting undertaking. Running it is an adventure unlike any other. But like everything else in life, all good things must come to an end. Businesses close for a wide variety of reasons. It could be because of financial hardship, changes in...
Trademark War of the Roses…and Beer…and Horses
Contrary to what Anheuser-Busch tried to prove, you’re probably smart enough to know beer isn’t sold by the stem. Budweiser’s ads with their iconic Clydesdale horses are some of the most popular commercials every year. One of the most memorable was called "Best...
Why and How To Do a Texas Series LLC
Many business owners initially start as sole proprietors because it’s the easiest way for you to start a business. All you have to do is file an assumed name (DBA) and you’re done. If you started your business without registering with the State as some type of...
How To Pick a Good (and Legal) Business Name
When you decided to go into business you were probably focusing on operations: your products, services, funding, how to get sales, etc. Once you’ve figured out what you’re going to do you have to decide what to call it. That’s when you find out coming up with a...
Understanding Intellectual Property: Copyrights, Trademarks, and When to Register
This blog highlights why protecting your intellectual property requires strategy. Start with your common law rights, register the essentials early, and think through your long-term business goals before diving into complex, multi-category, or international...
Protecting Your Business With Terms and Conditions
In an effort to eat healthier, I've started packing a healthy lunch instead of eating out (or worse, going through a fast-food drive thru). I’ve got a ton of lunch bags—polka dots, prints, flowers, and promotional lunch bags in different shapes and sizes; some have...