information you can trust

Resources & Blog

Business + legal insights, updates & tips.
All the good things you need in one place.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Sign up to receive my Atelier Briefings every fortnight where I share business + legal insights, important legal updates, guidance, suggestions, useful legal tips, and more.

Sign Up

Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

Set Your Business Up Right for 2023

I talk a lot about legal documents being an important part of your risk mitigation strategy (along with your business structure and insurance). The thing is, when it comes to these things, they’re not set and forget. Each year, you’ll need to check everything to make sure it’s still serving you.

Read More
Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

Mental Health and Running a Business

I talk a lot about mindset with my followers and my clients, because good business acumen is half of the story, and our mental health is the other. Entrepreneurs have it particularly tough. So if you’re running a business and wondering why your mental health seems to be lacking, you’re not alone!

Read More
Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

The Intellectual Property that Wasn’t Theirs

Intellectual property is something you need to get your head around if you’re a business owner. When you do, you might find that you’re set and good to go. But you might find that you’re not, and if that’s the case, you’ve got some work to do on this front. Let’s dive into some famous trademark cases and what we can learn from them.

Read More
Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

Failure Happens | What can we learn when business goes wrong?

Without failure, there is no learning, no growth, no upleveling. This is ok, but it seems the public perception of failure is often that it’s bad, it’s hard, it’s ugly. I think it can be ugly (ghastly, at times), and it can feel hard (like really, really hard), but it’s not bad. It’s never bad. It’s not wasted. It’s necessary.

Read More
Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

The Great Template Debate: Is it safe to use legal documents from the internet?

It’s no secret that templates can make life a whole lot easier. Whether you’re aiming to cut costs or time, templates have their place in business. But there are some scenarios where templates are an excellent idea, and some scenarios where they’re a terrible idea—the fact is, there’s little in between.

Read More
Small Business Operation Nicole Macdonald Small Business Operation Nicole Macdonald

Their Property, Your Risk

As a business lawyer working with many interior designers, I've noticed a common thread: the excitement of transforming spaces often overshadows important considerations about working on client properties. In this blog, I share some key insights about protecting your interior design business when conducting site visits.

Read More
Employees & Contractors Nicole Macdonald Employees & Contractors Nicole Macdonald

Tips to Grow an All-Star Team

For many small business owners, growth is inevitable. At some point, you’re likely to find yourself with more work than you can handle, or wanting to expand your services, so you might decide to outsource to a contractor or bring on a new employee. I’m going to share what I’ve learned: top tips to grow an all-star team (from an Australian business lawyer).

Read More
Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald Small Business Advice Nicole Macdonald

Trademarks and Copyright: Is it Really Yours?

Think about the parts that comprise your business: the name, your tagline, your logo, the wording on your website, any courses you’ve made… All of these things count as “property”. But do these things really belong to you? Or are you just borrowing them? What if somebody else starts using them? Are they even allowed to do that?!

Read More
A person using a laptop computer on a brown leather sofa.
A legal checklist book titled "Check Your Legals" from Legal Atelier, with a small paper checklist and a woman working on a laptop on a document.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Check your legals now with the Essential Legal Checklist. Identify areas in your business that need your attention, so you know exactly what to focus on to ensure you’re legally protected.  

Send It My Way

STAY IN THE KNOW

Sign up to receive my Atelier Briefings every fortnight where I share business + legal insights, important legal updates, guidance, suggestions, useful legal tips, and more.

Sign Up