All the Info.
No Judgments.
I get this question at a lot of conferences, so I thought it was high time we cleared this up!
The answer is a surprisingly simple one. A business license and an LLC filing are very different….
Read MoreA judge once said to my client: “The biggest mistake you made was going into business with a friend, with no written agreement. Friendship clouds the business relationship. You can't have the conversations you need to have when you're friends."
While I disagree that you can't run a business with a friend, I do agree with one thing: entering into any business relationship without a contract is a no good, very bad idea! (Don't take my word for it--Being Boss did a great episode on this very topic, which you can listen to here.)
What type of contract am I even talking about? …..
Read MoreAlternative title: Drafting Statements of Work that don't Suck! (I figured that might be a little aggressive)
Every time you draft a contract, you need to specify exactly what you're doing for that client. Whether it's a package, specific terms drafted into a contract, or a Statement of Work pulled out at the end (my favorite way to do it, FYI), you have to have things NAILED DOWN….
Read MoreWe try to keep things running smoothly around here. But we couldn't do that without a LOT of tools that make things much easier for us. We're not ones to hide the ball, so we thought we'd share some of our favorite tools for automating, tweaking, and keeping things running like buttah, baby….
Read MoreA lot of times, wedding pros plan to "start out small" in their business. This means running lean and on a shoestring budget. And lots of times, these are the folks who skip the corporate formation step and just opt to be a sole proprietor (an "SP").
Let me tell you-- this could be one of the most expensive mistakes you make…
Read MoreStyled shoots, while sometimes getting a lot of flack, can be awesome. They are a great way to showcase your work as a professional, go all-out on a small-scale, make meaningful industry connections, and get exposure for your work.
But it can be a legal headache with all of the liability, rights, and model releases being strewn about.
What MUST you consider before you execute a Styled Shoot?…
Read MoreIt’s a free calculator to help deal with that hefty self employment tax you pay when you work for yourself. Let’s avoid the $4-20k tax bill at the end of the year, shall we?…
Read More"Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $40,654"-- FTC.gov ⬅️
Do I have your attention now?
Yeah, thought so. If you're sending out emails to customer lists, sharing potential customer lists of new couples with like-minded vendors, growing your email list through freebies, or just starting to explore the idea of email marketing, you need to perk your ears up…..
Read MoreNon-awful legal books plus some generally kick-ass reads for small business owners in the creative community.
Read MorePicture it:
In the middle of a wedding, a sexy, dark and handsome man slides up to you. "Hey, are you Polly the Wedding Planner?" he says, staring straight into your eyes.
"Yes," you stammer, your knees weak.
He leans in close…
Read MoreHey wedding pros and creative entrepreneurs! You know that trademarking your business name can be important— but did you know that there are some things that you aren’t allowed to trademark at all? Check this list to make sure your business name is in the clear!
Read MoreNeed to know the BIG 10 for starting your event buiness— and FAST? Check out these “top 10 I Dos” for wedding pros to keep you in line, whether you are just starting your business or are a seasoned pro…
Read MoreWhen small business owners come to me asking about trademarks, they often open with, "I want to reserve my name so no one else can use it." And I totally get that. You're building your brand, which takes a lot of time, energy, and money. You want to protect that!
But what a lot of business owners don't understand is that trademarks really aren't about you. I repeat: it's not about a business owner getting rights.
Say WHAAAT?
Read MoreYou're a creative business owner. Stop for a second and realize how AWESOME that is. You're DOING IT!
Now take a second to realize that your business, while amazing and special and unique, has to play by certain rules. And that you must ensure your business-- and all the hard work that goes along with it-- is protected. The best way to do this? Through tight, niche-focused contracts. These contracts, drafted by lawyers who know the ins- and outs- of the industry, will do three very important things….
A non-compete, also called a "covenant not to compete," is a clause in a contract -- or a separate contract-- that promises an employee will not take another job that is competitive to the employees current employer. For example….
Read MoreHappy September! We're excited because we can SPILL THE BEANS! The Bullish Society and Get Bullish.com has allowed me the privilege of being the Expert-in-Residence this month in their group of AMAZING boss ladies. PLUS they are offering a FREE 14-day trial for new members! From their blog…
Read MoreCheck out Caroline’s feature in Wedding Business Magazine, where we talk….
Read MoreWe are thrilled to announce that Caroline will be facilitating a workshop Catalyst Wedding Co.'s {un}convention at the gorgeous Quirk Hotel in Richmond, Virginia this November 5th! She'll be hitting on getting your(legal)self in order, filing paperwork, working with and enforcing contracts, and handling disputes.
PLUS, Caroline loves working with LGBTQ+ couples to handle legal name changes and legal gender changes. As an advocate for…
Read MoreEvery few weeks, we'll be posting 5 legal words you're too scared to ask someone to define. We'll take the legalease and make it legal-easy! Ok, sorry, that was a bad pun. You'll be able to know what these terms mean for your business AND personal life …
Read MoreNow that you know all about non-competes, let's talk about it's "sister"-- a Non-Solicitation clause. A non-solicitation clause restricts individuals from…
Read MoreArticles about law and wedding planning contracts, wedding photography contracts, and more!
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