Ferrara Candy Company, the maker of Nerds, recently filed a lawsuit against the maker of Dweebs candy. What looks like a quirky fight between two playful names is actually a cautionary tale for startups and small businesses building their brands. Ferrara has spent decades growing Nerds into a cultural touchstone. In 2024 alone, sales topped … Read more
Want to hear the easiest way to clear up your calendar, your stress, and your risk? How to improve your work and life? It’s simple! Say “no.” Now, it is simple to suggest that, but we all know it isn’t as easy to do. But I have found it to be easier if I prove … Read more
This post is the second part in a series on Minnesota Paid Leave. Feel free to check out Part 1. The previous post talked about who qualifies for Minnesota Paid Leave. This post focuses on the types of leave available to those who qualify. The leave types essentially break down into two separate buckets: Medical … Read more
Whenever we address an issue, it is important that we understand the actual issue. That involves a lot of questions to poke around in all of the corners of the problem. Sometimes those questions are uncomfortable. The person answering is sometimes embarrassed about what they know is hiding in the shadows, but more often, they … Read more
Startups move quickly. Founders are focused on building, shipping, and staying alive. Legal work tends to come in later, often after something has already gone wrong. At that point, fixing the issue usually costs more than it would have to prevent it. After years of working with startups, I have seen a handful of problems … Read more
Operating a company or a department within a company is quite an adventure. With adventures, a lot can go right and a lot can go wrong and a lot can go absolute nowhere and waste a whole lot of time. In order to get as much to go right as possible, we need a plan. … Read more
As hinted in a previous blog post, here comes the first part in a series about Minnesota Paid Leave. As a quick recap, the State of Minnesota is in the process of rolling out a paid leave program, with benefits available starting January 1, 2026. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Develop (DEED) will … Read more
In any transaction, the spotlight usually shines on the main agreement. That’s where the negotiation happens, the signatures go, and the headlines get made. But the real guts of the deal? They’re often found in the documents no one talks about. Lien releases. Bills of sale. Assignments. Resolutions. Certificates. Notices. These so-called ancillary documents may … Read more
Many people choose to start running their business by just starting to do their thing. If it is by themselves, they are a sole proprietor. Lots of hairdressers do that. Get a chair, some scissors, and a whole lot of skill, and ta-da! A business! Some join with one or two others to start, and … Read more
A lot of the businesses we work with are experimenting with AI tools – drafting content, summarizing data, even building internal workflows. And understandably so: these tools are accessible, affordable, and increasingly powerful. But we’re also seeing a familiar pattern emerge. AI is easy to use, and just as easy to misuse. If you’re a … Read more