Starting a Business

There are many issues to attend to when starting a business, however intellectual property is a fundamental one to address at the outset. Depending on your industry, the success of your business may turn on how innovative you are, or how you improve on efficiency, funding, human resources and other fundamentals.

In particular consider:

• Structure. The legal structure you adopt will depend on a number of different factors including taxation, the market in which your business operates, how equity is to be split and whether you want limited liability.
• Trademarks – consider your brand name at an early stage and choose a distinctive one which is available for you to use. Registering a trademark is useful if you have a name you want to use long term. Names involve a whole host of issues which we are well placed to advise upon.
• Domain names – Domain names should be chosen at the same time as your brand name. It is important to consider the rights of existing trademark owners first. They could potentially stop you from using a domain name which is too similar to their existing mark.
• Contracts – There are many contractual issues to consider when setting up a business, from the contract commissioning your website, to your privacy policy and terms of use. Each contract must take account of your individual needs, and relationships. It is important to clearly define some relationships to avoid misunderstandings.
• Websites and Marketing – A professional, content driven website is an effective way to build your reputation, capturing new prospects and publicizing your products and services.
• Whichever market you enter you will be faced with a vast array of competitors online, looking to reach the top of the search engine rankings. It is important to have an online presence which is sophisticated when compared to other market players.