How to Protect Your Business Long-Term

Last updated: September 22, 2023

While your business might not be completely unique, you still need to pay attention to what the future looks like and how you can protect it. Here are some of the most important things that you can take to protect your company. 

NDA

Non-disclosure agreements are important for the initial stages of anything to do with your business. The business world can be cutthroat, and you never know who knows who. Confidentially, in this case, an agreement is a tangible way to protect the conversation, idea and information. 

With an NDA it means that the person who signed it can take advantage of the information without speaking to the other party first. 

In some industries, it is wise to have an NDA in the early stages of recruitment, too, because there is some information that you may need to give to the person who is vital for their role. 

For times when you aren’t sure if you need one, do it anyway. 

IP Protection

Intellectual property is inventions, artistic works, designs, names, images and more that is considered to be a creation of the mind. IP is protected by law when there is a copyright, trademark or patent in place. 

Without the right protection in place, someone could potentially take your idea and use it for their own business. You can lose your IP rights if there is nothing enforceable in place. 

Without it, you need to prove ownership if you intend to take action; you can do this by: 

• You gave the person or company the information in a pitch or within a proposal. 
• You gave the idea with an invoice (you assumed it was paid work).
• It has a trade secret and commercial value.

When you have the right legal representation and advice from the jump, like the Beyond Law Group, you will have the right protection in place early on. 

Trade Secrets

You might not think so, but you probably have trade secrets that are commercially valuable. Trade secrets are typically known to only a small group, giving them a competitive edge. Think about things like the most coveted recipes in the world, like the KFC spice list, Big Mac special sauce, and even WD-40. 

They are the secret sauce, as it were, behind some of the most famous flavors and technology in the world. It extends further than food, though, source codes, manufacturing or growing processes, algorithms and more. 

Why should you put protections in place?

For the longevity of your business, putting plenty of protections in place is vital. Other forms of protection include insurance and airtight employee contracts. When you put protections in place, you are free to ensure that you keep your competitive edge. Looking at the long term, you will be able to face uncertainties in the future. 

As you grow your business, there will continue to be things that you need to take care of, not just the business idea itself, but here are some of the other considerations: How To Keep A Workplace Truly Safe.