Drinking more water, going to the gym, waking up at 6 AM: you’ve seen these resolutions before. While personal resolutions are great, don’t forget to take care of your business! Here are 4 business resolutions to help you meet your goals this year.
Of course, please take this as legal information and not legal advice. If you have any questions regarding legal steps to take to reach your resolutions, send me an email at info@artylaw.ca.
#1 Develop your visual identity
A strong and recognizable visual identity for your business can be a very powerful tool to distinguish yourself from your competitors and develop a relationship with your clients. If you haven’t put a lot of thought into your branding/marketing, now’s the time to get into it. If branding isn’t exactly your thing, do not hesitate to reach out for help (if you plan on hiring someone to help you out, I suggest you read this beginner’s guide to doing business with a graphic designer).
While developing your visual identity is extremely important, you should keep in mind that protecting it is just as essential! In order to protect your investments, you should look into getting your trademarks (logo, company/product/service names, etc) registered. Not sure it’s worth it? Our blog post on this very topic might make your decision process a little easier.
#2 Surround yourself with experts
When you start a business, you often end up wearing all the hats (legal, accounting, marketing, sales, etc). However, as your business grows, you need to realize your time is limited and that it is better spent doing what you do best, especially when the rest of the work can easily be delegated. Surrounding yourself with experts will not only make your business more efficient, but will also allow you to learn from their knowledge and help you avoid potential costly mistakes. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.
#3 Put together a “legal toolbox” for your business
The concept of a “legal toolbox” is something I’ve often addressed on social media and in workshops. So what’s a legal toolbox exactly? It’s a set of legal tools to help you manage the legal side of your business and ensure you are compliant. The contents of this toolbox will of course depend on the nature of your business. Your legal toolbox, as a photographer, will certainly be different from that of a tech startup. The easiest way to figure out what to include in such a toolbox is to think about all of your legal relationships. You offer services to clients? You’ll need a proper service agreement (here’s why). You have a website? You’ll most likely need terms & conditions and a privacy policy. Do you have business partners? An agreement between all of you is essential.
#4 Plan ahead
Finally, one of the most important resolutions you can take is to plan ahead. You know you’ll be reaching 30,000$ soon? Don’t wait until the last minute to sign up to collect sales tax. You know you’ll be hiring your first employee this year? Get that employment agreement drafted. This will make your business run smoother, help you manage growth, and if done correctly, relieve some stress. After all, health is all that really matters.
If you need assistance with certain legal steps required to reach your goals, you can always reach me at info@artylaw.ca or you can click the link below to learn more about our services!
