Erin Ogden 
I have been asked quite a bit lately about when one should create a business entity like an LLC. I get told things like: “It is just a small side gig.” or, “It is a direct sales thing.” And I get it. You don’t know if it is going anywhere, and you don’t want to … Read more
It has been a busy first quarter for our clients, which means a busy time for us. One thing that has kept us hopping is the purchase or sale of businesses. Often, but not always, that takes the form of an asset sale. That means assets of the business are sold – not ownership of … Read more
We have written in the past about the control that a copyright owner has over the subject of his or her copyright. However, it seems some people aren’t paying attention to the message that they can’t simply use (and especially charge money for) other people’s works without permission. In this case linked to above, there … Read more
OK, you have gone through all of the questions that Gary set out for you, but now’s the toughest one of all: Do you have the support network at home for this? Start-ups are not for the faint of heart. You will be putting in hours of work – possibly for little or no pay … Read more
I joked last time that I was having an existential crisis about my own value by discussing how much I should pay myself when starting a business, but this week’s post kicks it into high gear as we ask: Are you the right person to start this business? Well, now, these questions are not getting … Read more
As we have discussed before, January 1 brings a new year and a new crop of copyrighted works entering into the public domain. This year, works from 1924 become available. We wish you a wonderful, fulfilling new year with lots of great works to build on! A few of my favorites: All these shorts and … Read more
Perhaps one of the most important questions that someone thinking of starting a business (or adding a new line to their existing business) is: Will you make money? Or as Gary put it: Can you compete and still make a reasonable return on your investment? This is an easy, yet hard question. Often, people will … Read more
Last time, we took a look around to see if people are actually buying handmade soap. We found my friend from kindergarten and some other sellers on Etsy. But, does that really answer Gary’s second question? Who else is selling a competing product, and at what price? Not really. It is just saying that some … Read more
Back to our little soap opera. What dilemma is our start-up hero facing today? Last time, we discussed what it is that we want to sell: Handmade soap. The next question is: Does anyone need or want what you are planning to sell? Wow. Harsh reality hits fast and hard. Just because I want to … Read more
Last time in my soap opera, I discussed professionals that I would need to talk to before I started any soap business. I received a nice email from Gary Barber, a committed volunteer at the Madison Chapter of SCORE. He proposed that his first steps are not the professionals, but rather something else: My first … Read more