If your business has a brand—a website, merchandise, an identity—you may have valuable intellectual property and not even know it. In fact, your brand can be just as relevant to your bottom line as your revenue numbers if you nurture it correctly. And if you don’t? Well, you can only imagine what happens if someone else starts using your...
Continue ReadingConstruction is one of the fastest-growing industries across Texas. To reap the rewards of the building boom, make sure you are prepared. Good planning helps protect individuals and businesses from a host of different construction risks. While you cannot control external factors like shipping delays when planning your construction project, you should take charge of the things you can...
Continue ReadingStarting your own medical practice is an exciting way to take the next step in your journey as a medical professional. However, when considering how to start a medical practice in Texas, the law can be complicated and challenging. Whether you are an entrepreneur considering providing financing to a medical business or a physician striking out on your own,...
Continue ReadingIf you’ve started the process of registering a trademark, you may have come across the term “Statement of Use.” But what exactly is a Statement of Use in the context of a trademark application? And how do you know whether you’ll need one for your business? At Massingill, we can help you answer these questions and more. When you...
Continue ReadingCopyright is an important type of intellectual property (IP). Specifically, copyrights protect original works of authorship as soon as the creator fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. Common examples of copyrightable works include: No matter what type of work you want to protect, registering your copyright is an important step to take to better protect your...
Continue ReadingA lot of acronyms can come out of the woodwork when an entrepreneur decides to start a new business. A new business owner might hear things about LLCs (limited liability companies), EINs (Employer Identification Numbers), and DBAs (“doing business as” names). But what’s the difference between a DBA and an LLC? The quick answer is that a DBA is...
Continue ReadingWhen most people start a business, they don’t think about falling out with their business partners. On the contrary, this is a time of optimism and hope. But unfortunately, sometimes, business relationships do become strained. Below, we will discuss what happens when business partners decide to part ways and what you can do to protect yourself and your business....
Continue ReadingMost small business owners make the mistake of assuming that once they have set up a corporation or limited liability company, they and their personal assets are protected from liability. As a result, they do not take any further action to sustain limited liability protection. Or worse, they take actions that weaken limited liability protection, increasing the risk that...
Continue ReadingPeople enter into small business partnerships based on a common interest and a common vision. The hope for the future of your business tends to drive all decisions. But these halcyon days almost always pass and difficulties and disagreements arise. Therefore, the smartest foundational business decision you can make is to hope for the best and prepare for the...
Continue ReadingThe creation of the limited liability company (LLC) as a business entity was transformative for small businesses. It took the best of the C corporation and partnership models and also perfected the intentions behind the S corporation. However, an LLC without an operating agreement is but a shell. To truly realize the potential that an LLC business model provides,...
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