The number 7 enjoys a long history of positive associations across many different cultures. There are 7 days in a week, 7 colours in a rainbow, and 7 wonders of the ancient world. In the tradition of positive associations with the number 7, we have put together 7 legal requirements for small business to help you.

As a graphic designer, your creative work is your livelihood—but sharing it online makes it vulnerable to copycats. Learn how to protect your designs with essential legal steps, from business agreements to copyright and trademarks, plus what to do if you encounter a copycat.

“How much does a lawyer cost” is something that gets asked a lot. Any rightly so. As business owners, we all need to plan expenses, and we need to know that our spending fits within our budget.

But how do you get an accurate gauge on what the real cost of an Australian business lawyer really is?

The reality is that there is so much to do when starting your new business. There is so much to know, and let’s be honest, there’s so much we don’t know! Here are my tips for what to focus on when starting your new business and how to keep business costs down early on.

Building a small business from scratch can be overwhelming. There's so much advice out there! Here are the top five things to consider and act on when you start - from business structure right through to website Ts & Cs.

Over the years I have seen many businesses crash and burn as a result of the business owners simply not having the time (or mental bandwidth) to take care of absolutely everything in the business. Things fall through the cracks and over time, this leaves the business susceptible to pit-falls and risk.

In a business setting, as unavoidable as it is, there is so much we can do to come out of disputes unscarred (and even sometimes with a new friend!). I believe that our reactions, preparation, and communication can change the course of our business, and lives, in a BIG way.

‘Prevention is better than cure’. I can see you nodding, yet so many of us still find ourselves ruining our new designer handbag by not taking time to apply a leather protection treatment before we excitedly take it out for drinks…

If nothing else, the events of 2020 so far have meant that the time is gone where business owners can dismiss concerns by saying ‘it won’t happen to me’ or ‘I’ll deal with it later’.

Starting a business is much like starting a relationship – the right time is when it feels right, and when you are so passionate about it that you just can’t wait.

In business, there will always be unexpected things that happen. Despite best intentions, things can go wrong from time to time. Often these things catch you off guard, making the situation uncomfortable and unsettling.

When you entered into the partnership with your business partner (or partners), hopefully you took the time to have a partnership agreement drafted, and hopefully it was done with the level of skill and care required to reflect the agreement between the parties. If you did, then you will have a carefully prepared dispute resolution process to step through in the event of a dispute.