Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to have Gemma Went, an online business mentor, with a focus on helping online business owners to create the foundations that allow them to scale. She also trains and certifies online business coaches and consultants in the methods she's been using for almost a decade and is founder of the Lighthouse Academy.   This episode covers so much … as Suzanne and Gemma go into the various benefits of trademarking, some of the potential drawbacks of waiting, as well as some of the nuances involved with ensuring you're protected wherever you intend to do business. Gemma also shares how she's managed to save a small fortune on legal costs where trademarks are concerned.   Finally, Gemma shares her concerns with Suzanne surrounding defamation and how to properly protect herself from that, as well as what could happen if Gemma could no longer work within her business. If you run an online business, plan to trademark anything in the near future, or are the face and main facilitator of your brand, this episode is well worth a listen.   In this episode:   [1:34] What does Gemma help people do as an online business mentor?  [4:33] What are some of the things Gemma has trademarked within her business? [7:22] Possible outcomes of waiting too long to trademark something within your business and what happens if someone tries to use something you've trademarked already. [12:07]  Suzanne shares the costs of registering your trademark in various jurisdictions, as well as the benefit of doing so. [18:33] Is defamation the worst thing that could happen in Gemma's business? How would she protect herself against that?  [29:04] What happens if Gemma can no longer work within her business?    Learn more about Gemma: https://gemmawent.co.uk   If you would like access to all of the resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to be joined by Karen Haller founder of the Behavioural Design Consultancy, which works with corporates and design professionals.  She's also the author of the best selling Penguin published A Little Book of Colour which has been translated into 14 different languages. Karen's business journey has not been without legal issues and concerns, especially when it comes to Intellectual Property.  Over the years she's learned valuable lessons including which party should present the contract first as well as the value of slowing things down during negotiations. She also shares her recent experience of what happens when you  transfer a large sum of money to the wrong business account … and the recipient then goes into liquidation! Karen and Suzanne then go on to discuss the worst that could happen in her business and what you can do to protect yourself if a client doesn't like the product or service that you've provided.    In this episode: [1:45] Who is Karen Haller and what does she do? [6:10] What is the value in sending your agreement to an organisation first instead of accepting theirs?  [10:57] Should you have an agreement in place and your first invoice paid before you begin work? [20:24]  Lessons learned: What happens when you make a payment to a wrong account? [23:58] Can you get your money back from a mistaken payment?  [32:30] What's the worst that can happen in Karen's business, and how can she protect herself if a client decides they're not happy with the end product? Learn more about Karen:   Consulting: https://karenhaller.com/  Free design industry e-book:  https://karenhaller.com/free-10-myths-ebook/  Colour & Design courses https://karenhaller.com/courses/ If you would like access to all of the resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast we're looking at what you should actually register as a trademark. Most people know that trademarking the name of their business is a crucial step in establishing legal protection over your brand, but should you delve a little deeper and register other components of your business? If you do, which components should you consider registering including is it worth registering your own name for a trademark? All of these questions and quite a few more are answered in this final piece of the trademark training trilogy.   In this episode: [2:18] What is the main thing you should consider trademarking within your business? [3:40] Under what circumstances might it not be possible to register?  [7:00] What can you do if trademarking your business name isn't possible? [9:18]  What are 3 major things to consider registering for a trademark outside of your business name? [13:40] Can you register your own name and surname for a trademark, and is it worthwhile to do so?  [25:15] How much does it cost for a trademark registration in the UK?   Please note: In this episode Suzanne refers to a workbook and pop up Facebook group which were only available during the live Trademark Implementation Sprint earlier this year.     If you would like to listen to all of the replays and receive the downloadable workbooks from Suzanne's Trademark Implementation Sprint sessions go to: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today, on the podcast, Suzanne discusses the value of owning a registered trademark in the second of her trilogy of podcasts taken from her highly successful Trademark Implementation Sprint.   In this episode she covers:   What is a brand?  What are your brand values? What are the main benefits of owning a registered trademark? If someone copies your trademark how easy is it to stop them using it? Clarity on jurisdictions and classes. How much does it cost to register a trademark and how long will it take?   If you're unsure, or you've been sitting on the fence, about applying to register a trademark this is definitely an episode you're going to want to listen to.    In this episode: [5:00] What is your brand and why is it important to protect it? [12:29] What happens if someone were to copy your registered trademark?  [16:30] Why trademarking your brand can lead to licensing opportunities, which can be of great benefit to your business. [21:30] Do you need to register your trademark in each jurisdiction you plan to trade within? [27:37] What are the costs to register a trademark?  [29:31] How long does the process of registering a trademark take in the UK?   Please note: In this episode Suzanne refers to a workbook and pop up Facebook group which were only available during the live Trademark Implementation Sprint earlier this year.     If you would like to listen to all of the replays and receive the downloadable workbooks from Suzanne's Trademark Implementation Sprint sessions go to: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today, on the podcast, we're doing something a little different. For the next 3 weeks we'll be focusing on a topic that Suzanne is asked about time and time again … trademarks. Earlier this year over 3000 people registered for Suzanne's Trademark Implementation Sprint and since then she's helped hundreds of people in actually going forward to register their trademarks.  In this episode she shares the 5 vital checks that you need to carry out before you think about using any name for your business whether applying for a trademark or not.   Business name, name of a programme, membership site, course, book or methodology, anything you're naming for your business needs to be run through this checking process if you want to avoid someone with the same name accusing you of copyright infringement at a later date.   This really is a must listen for anyone thinking about naming anything in their business!   In this episode: [5:00] Suzanne recounts the case of a client who was set to run an event in two days, only to be informed that she was infringing on another person's trademark and with that came costly implications. [7:05] What's the worst that could happen if you don't carry out these 5 vital checks?  [9:03] Which 2 vital checks are the most important to perform first? [12:20] What are the other 3 vital checks that you need to carry out before choosing a name? [18:10] Is there a registry for business names that are not company names? [22:52] What should you do if you discover that somebody else is using your proposed name? [35:53] Can you stop another business from using your name?   Please note: In this episode Suzanne refers to a workbook and pop up Facebook group which were only available during the live Trademark Implementation Sprint earlier this year.     If you would like to listen to all of the replays and receive the downloadable workbooks from Suzanne's Trademark Implementation Sprint sessions go to: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to be joined by Sara Price, the founder of Actually, a business that supports purpose-led business owners to achieve their business dreams through marketing and strategy support. She was also the co-founder of one of London's leading independent PR agencies.   Sara shares her experience of choosing to start a business at a time when the economy was recovering from the financial crash and, despite the odds, turning it into a huge success. That success brought with it rapid growth. The company then had to be restructured a few years later leading to some staff redundancies which meant negotiating all the complexities and legalities that came with it.   Suzanne and Sara discuss some very important distinctions between employees and freelancers, and the rights and regulations that come into effect with each type of relationship.    They then go on to talk about the worst that could happen in Sara's business - the ever- present threat that someone will steal Sara's Intellectual Property, and what happens if someone decides not to pay their bill.     As always, Suzanne has practical advice on all of the subjects discussed in this episode - particularly timely as anyone in business tries to navigate through these very challenging times.   In this episode: [3:50] Sara recounts her story of starting a business within a recessive period and having massive success during that time. [5:00] Sara talks about having to restructure her business after that growth period, and how that led to making some of her employees redundant. [7:52] Suzanne highlights some of the intricacies involved in letting employees go, and how to avoid major consequences. [9:50] Suzanne and Sara discuss the differences between an employee and a freelancer, and why that definition matters when it comes to governing the professional relationship. [16:26] Suzanne shares resources to help you determine whether or not you have an employee, or have hired a freelancer. [21:41] How Sara intends to grow her team moving forward. [27:00] Sara presents Suzanne with the worst thing she feels could happen in her business surrounding non-payment and IP theft..    Learn more about Sara: https://actually.world   Find the resources mentioned in this episode! www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast Suzanne is delighted to be joined by Danusia Malina-Derben  - author, podcast host, mother of 10 (yes 10!), global leadership consultant and trusted advisor, and founder of DMD Global/C-Suite Consultant.   If that's not compelling and fascinating enough, Danusia also brings with her two fascinating stories…   Danusia tells us about the time she came up with a new concept for a television show and pitched it. The pitch went very well, what followed turned into a fascinating legal experience as her show format was essentially stolen from beneath her.    In this gripping episode Danusia chats to Suzanne about how she was able to regain ownership of her show by auditioning for, and winning the expert spot she had been removed from in the first place!   Suzanne and Danusia then go on to discuss the worst that could happen in her business, only in this episode it isn't hypothetical, it actually happened. A major bank, a contract with a CEO who suddenly passed away, and a very interesting resolution… listen in to find out more.   In this episode: [2:01] Danusia shares some of her life and accomplishments, including enjoying a long academic career, building a successful business, writing books, and hosting podcasts. [3:44] Suzanne and Danusia talk about the fact that Danusia did everything listed above while also giving birth to 10 children! [7:01] Danusia talks about the exciting and very unexpected opportunity to pitch a TV show she had written, and how it ultimately led to her show idea being stolen. [12:38] Danusia tells a story about how she attended an audition for a show that sounded alarmingly like the one she pitched, and how that audition presented the legal opportunity to regain ownership of her show.  [22:58] Suzanne asks Danusia about the worst thing that could happen in her business, and it turns out that it had already happened.  [25:16] Suzanne explains how Danusia had left herself legally exposed, and Danusia shares how the issue was resolved surrounding a contract that could no longer be honored because of an unexpected death.   Learn more about Danusia:http://www.danusiamalinaderben.com/   Find the resources mentioned in this episode! www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast we're excited to have Facebook Ads and Launch Strategist Liz Melville as our guest. Liz has an impressive list of carefully selected VIP clients that would make most business owners envious.    Helping her clients achieve excellent launch results through strategy and paid traffic, Liz explains that sometimes paid traffic doesn't always perform as expected, and when that happens the blame occasionally is aimed at Liz instead of the ads themselves.  When you're talking about launches that are worth multiple millions of pounds it's therefore paramount for Liz to get her legals in order.   In this episode Suzanne and Liz discuss what happens when ads don't work out the way they're intended to, and how Liz has protected herself against that. They also share their thoughts on trademarks, and why it's important to trademark not only your business name, but also your courses or programmes. Finally, Liz shares her concerns around defamation and reputational damage, and whether it would spell the end of her business.    In this episode: [1:22] Suzanne asks Liz to share the names of some of the high-profile clients she's worked with, and how she came to win James Wedmore as a client. [6:36] Liz shares how she works with clients one to one, but also the two programmes she runs to help clientele with their overall launch strategy, and then taking it a step deeper to focus on the paid traffic element of the launch. [8:25] Liz talks about how the world of paid traffic, and the unpredictable nature of paid ads, has led her to not only appreciate contracts and agreements, but to see them as a crucial and necessary step in any professional relationship. [10:11] Suzanne relates that most legal issues come from a place of the client and the provider having mismatched expectations, and how to ensure that doesn't create an unpleasant legal scenario in your business.  [13:53] Liz shares a story about a trademark she obtained, and how it really changed the way she viewed and thought about trademarking not only her business name, but also the names of her programmes and courses. [20:50] Liz talks about her fears around defamation, and reputational damage as possibly the worst thing that could happen within her business, and Suzanne gives her insights on protecting yourself against someone who has decided to run a campaign against your brand.   Find the resources mentioned in this episode! www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast we're having a bit of a change … instead of Suzanne interviewing a guest, she shares her personal experience of what happened in the early days of setting up her own business and how, due to being too busy and not thinking that something would happen, she ended up not having the right legal protection in place, which almost ended in financial disaster.  Suzanne trained and practiced at the world's largest law firm, specialising in mergers and acquisitions and private equity - a field that notoriously involves a lot of hard work, massive amounts of adrenaline, long hours and endless late nights.  Knowing she wanted to start a family, Suzanne quickly realised that working 20-hour days was unsustainable and not conducive to her having the work life balance she dreamed of. Having always had an entrepreneurial streak, Suzanne thought long and hard about what she could do which would work hand in hand with looking after a growing family. So, the Small Business Legal Academy was born … and quickly thrived… as she gained a reputation as the small business go-to legal expert with a primarily female focussed audience gained through a powerful network of mumpreneurs. However, an early spanner in the works – a non-payment of a £5,000 invoice - meant make or break for Suzanne's fledgling enterprise and, ultimately, the possibility of returning to the corporate world – one which made her feel sick to the core. In this episode, Suzanne shares exactly what happened… as she recognises herself  -  this was a real wakeup call -  one that she learnt from and, as a result, has never repeated, by putting in place a very simple but watertight clause in her contracts. She also shares some tips and insights on effective ways you can get paid if you're also running into issues with your invoicing, and how, especially today in a time of economic uncertainty, to put in place the tools to help you get paid in full, on time, every time.   In this episode: [1:04] Suzanne shares the story of how she trained in the world's largest law firm, why she left, and how she decided to get into business for herself by starting her own legal consultancy. [3:00] She explains how she went about growing her consultancy with debilitating morning sickness and an ever-growing baby bump, and why she very quickly became successful in doing so. [5:50] Suzanne talks about the one thing she didn't consider when working with a client of hers, and how an invoicing issue ultimately led to her losing £5,000.  [9:28] There were a few things that Suzanne could have done differently in this situation to avoid said loss, and she shares them with us to ensure we don't make the same mistake. [14:00] Suzanne shares insights on how she structured her payment model moving forward to avoid any other issues in the future. [16:15] She also gives tips on how to get your invoices paid with less hassle and chasing after people.   Find the resources mentioned in this episode! www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources   The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today, on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to be speaking with Dan Bradbury, owner of a mentoring business and investor in growing businesses, with an extensive business career spanning over 15 years. Today he helps business owners turning over between £500,000 to £5 million in revenue to scale profitably.  He has founded, built and sold two companies for seven figures, invested in over a dozen other companies as well as purchasing five businesses outright. In this episode, Dan recounts tales of what he describes as "legal carnage" from his early years as an entrepreneur, Cease and Desist letters from a famous person, and a business acquisition that went bad. Dan and Suzanne's conversation brings levity and fun alongside education and experiential wisdom.  Dan says that a fool learns from their own mistakes, while a wise man learns from the errors of fools, so let's take this opportunity to learn from Dan!   In this episode: [2:14] Dan recounts the good, bad and ugly schemes of his youth, and how his entrepreneurial journey led him to buying and selling businesses, and helping larger businesses to scale profitably [4:40] Suzanne asks Dan about his approach to risk, and how it differs from when he started business to now. [11:53] Dan receives a Cease and Desist Letter from someone very famous.  [15:11] Suzanne talks about how to avoid needing to seek out a lawyer at the first sign of trouble, and some great steps to take before you do. [20:07] Dan shares 2 stories: 1 about a copyright infringement claim and how he came out of it relatively unscathed, the other about a massive deal that resulted in being sued for millions in consequential losses! [32:21] Dan and Suzanne discuss insurance, and a specific type that Dan uses to give himself peace of mind were anything to happen to him. [35:57] Dan talks about shareholders agreements and gives insights as to why they are so crucial to have in place. Learn about Dan www.danbradbury.com Find the resources mentioned in this episode: www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)