Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

just joined up and saying hi to all.

hi

Hi and Welcome JRizzle!!

 

Erin

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Our Goal Is Your Success!
Founder Girls with Goals

Welcome!

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Leslie
Founder and President
Charmed Life Products LLC
Grill Charms™… The MUST HAVE grilling accessory that is revolutionizing the American Cook-out AND The perfect gift for any occasion!
Grill Charms
                                                                                                    

Hello and welcome to the forums. :)

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I`m really nervous about starting up my business. I feel this is my one and only shot and I want to make sure that all is done in the proper order. From what I can see in your 10-step program, step 5 is where I really get things legal. I have a personal product I wish to market from my home and on the internet and I`d like to get selling ASAP. Should I go ahead with the nonprovisional patent application right off the bat? Does the provisional application limit my doing business now? Then would come the copyright and afterwards do I come up with a trademark followed by a website? I want to thank you so much for your help and advice. This is all a bit overwhelming and I couldn`t even think of doing this if it weren`t for your program.

Hi there...welcome to the community :-)

I`m not an attorney, so you`ll want to at least speak with one about some of your questions. However; try not to get TOO caught up in the legal aspects of organizing a business. Remember that the 10 steps being outlined are very general, designed for all types of businesses.

There`s no such thing as a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Likewise, this almost for sure isn`t your one and only chance to start a business. It may look like that at the moment, but life is filled with options, variety, and variables. You may be getting a bit stressed by maintaining a belief that if you don`t do this exactly right, you`ll fail miserably and vanish into the abyss. :-) Relax....it`s supposed to be fun!

In most cases, industrial espionage and coping products or processes tends to happen in large-scale engineering and chemical environments. At least that`s been my experience of things. When you`re working with hand-made personal items and crafts, most people either can`t be bothered, or they`ll copy you anyway, regardless of patents.

The more important thing is to jump in and get started. Too many times, people end up using their fear of getting out front to look around for reasons not to do so. I`m not saying this is your situation, but I`ve often seen people get bogged down in the details of legal issues so they don`t actually have to start selling something.

Better, is to put your product out there. See how it sells, and how much interest there is in the marketplace. If it catches on immediately, selling like hotcakes, you`ll have a bigger problem of supply, outsourcing, and volume manufacturing. At that point, you`ll want some legal protections.

You can be working on those legal aspects while you`re *also* getting the product to market, selling it in some amount, and seeing how it`s moving. Make sense?

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Our Goal Is Your Success!
Founder Girls with Goals

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Leslie
Founder and President
Charmed Life Products LLC
Grill Charms™… The MUST HAVE grilling accessory that is revolutionizing the American Cook-out AND The perfect gift for any occasion!
Grill Charms