The Launch Blog

One of the many risks business owners face is one that rarely comes to mind—but could put your business in a dangerous position. We’re talking about trademark protection for your intellectual property. A trademark is a word, phrase, name, or symbol that identifies the source of a product or service and distinguishes it from competitors. You can trademark your company name, product names, logos, and taglines. Running a Business Without Trademark Protection Without the protection of a federally registered trademark: Your company or product name could be stolen. Without trademark ownership,...

Choosing the perfect business or brand name is only half the battle when starting a new venture. You need to protect that name from getting stolen or misused. But what if you haven’t started using the brand name yet? The good news is even if your website is still under construction and marketing materials are still at the printers, you can apply for protection with an intent to use trademark application. What is a Trademark? In its most basic definition, a trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of these elements identifying the source of a product or service. A...

One of the first decisions new entrepreneurs make is “What should I name my business?” A lot of brand equity gets built around a business name, so it’s essential to protect that valuable marketing asset. During a presentation to accounting professionals, I discussed trademarks vs. registered business names and the differences in the protection and peace of mind they offer. I believe much of the information I shared may help you, too, as you explore your options for safeguarding your business name. Let's Start With Basic Definitions Business Name - A business name is just that. It’s the...

If you’ve incorporated your business or formed a limited liability company, you’ve taken critical first steps toward building a successful business. When registering your business, you’ve protected your company name from being used by competitors in the state the entity was formed. However, your business name remains open to the risk of similar companies in other states claiming the name and potentially other brand assets. Fortunately, you can further protect your brand with trademarks. An Overview of Trademark A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design (or a combination of them)...

From your company logo to your trade secrets, your business’s intellectual property has value. That’s why it’s important to take measures to protect it. What are the various types of intellectual property and how can business owners’ safeguard them?  Here’s a primer on trademarks vs. copyrights vs. patents. Trademark Basics A trademark is a word, phrase, name, design, or symbol (or a combination of those elements) that identifies the source of a product or service. Its purpose is to distinguish a business and its products or services from competitors. Trademarks can be a company’s name,...

Now that you’ve started your business, it’s time to protect its name. After all, your business name is — and will continue to be — one of the most crucial branding assets you possess. So, how do entrepreneurs protect that critical element from being infringed upon locally and nationwide? Registering a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a wonderful step to accomplish that. By registering for U.S. Federal Trademark protection, trademark owners are eligible for numerous benefits such as treble damages in some cases of infringement, the right to use the ®...

Is a recession on the way? While some economic experts believe a recession is on the way, others, such as the National Retail Federation (NRF), think that although the economy is slowing, consumers are financially healthy and a recession is unlikely in 2022. And the United States is still at nearly full employment. But the recent Small Business Recovery Report by Kabbage from American Express reveals that 83% of small business owners worry that a recession is indeed looming. However, the good news in the report is that 80% of entrepreneurs are optimistic and they believe their small...

School’s out! Chances are your kids are celebrating right now because weeks of summer vacation beckon. But, if you’re starting a business or running a business, and you have school-aged children, you’re likely feeling a little conflicted. Entrepreneurs like me, and probably you, struggle a bit in the summer trying to balance our desire to be great business owners and great parents. While I love (and truthfully look forward to) having my kids at home during the summer months, I confess it’s getting increasingly harder to keep them occupied while I’m hard at work. I know this is a struggle...

Over the last two years, many businesses have chosen to go virtual, either temporarily or on a permanent basis. But that decision can impact the business’s nexus status. Companies with remote employees in other states may also need to register for foreign qualification, register for payroll taxes in those states, or they may need to start collecting sales tax from places they never have before. Business Compliance Consequences for Pivoting to a Virtual Company Many businesses have pivoted to a remote working model to keep employees safe and many may continue to do so for the foreseeable...

The SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is an amazing opportunity for small businesses. It provides a 100% forgivable loan to cover payroll, rent, and utilities. The United States government has moved swiftly to get this program funded and operational. And in some cases, a little too quick for the average business owner to keep up with. Small business is the core of CorpNet and our service offering. We’d like to make sure we do everything we can to help business owners obtain PPP loan funds. To do this, we need to make sure you have everything you need to get you Paycheck Protection Program...

Business entities in the state of Delaware have various reports and filings they must submit to the Delaware Division of Corporations each year. Delaware Limited Liability Companies don’t have to file an annual report, but they do have to file to pay an Annual Tax each year by June 1. Businesses that are registered as a corporation in Delaware must file a Delaware Annual Report every year by March 1, and most must also pay a Franchise Tax fee yearly. These requirements apply whether a Delaware corporation operates in the state of Delaware or somewhere else. In this post, I’ll cover...

Establishing healthy business credit is essential to ensure a company can thrive and grow. If an entrepreneur doesn’t take measures to establish credit in their business name, they may miss out on opportunities and even pay more than they have to for goods and services. Does a company’s business structure matter? Moreover, does being a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or corporation help build business credit? Absolutely! Operating as an LLC, S Corporation, or C Corporation is one of the most effective ways to begin establishing a credit record in the business name. That’s because those...

Depending on a business’s entity type and the state it’s registered in, its owners may be required to hold annual meetings and record minutes from those meetings. But how do you know if that requirement applies to your company? In this article, I'm going to explain what annual meetings and annual meeting minutes are to help you get on the path to determining if you must fulfill those important business compliance tasks. If you're a professional services provider that coaches or gives direction to business owners, this information may be helpful to your clients, so feel free to share this...

According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021. Already a trend before the pandemic, remote working became the “new normal” for businesses of all sizes struggling to stay afloat during safer-at-home directives. Today, both employers and employees have found the positives that remote working offers. However, only employers can claim work from home tax deductions on their income taxes. Let's review who can claim work from home tax deductions, what expenses qualify, and how you should calculation those...

Tax considerations are a significant factor in how entrepreneurs structure their businesses. The qualified business income deduction (or QBI tax deduction) is an important tax deduction that allows eligible businesses to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income from their taxes. As a provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the QBI deduction was intended to help business owners of companies with pass-through tax elections lower their taxable income and receive additional tax benefits. In today's post, we'll cover all the essential details you need to know about the...