For a lot of businesses, summer is a little slower than the rest of the year. This means it is the perfect time to start planning for fall, when businesses and the people running them are getting back into their routine. Here are a few steps to take in order to get the legal side of your business ready for fall.
Of course, please take this as legal information and not legal advice. If you have any questions about getting your business ready for fall or potential legal needs, send me an email at info@artylaw.ca.
#1 Assessing your needs
The first thing to think about when getting your business ready for fall is what your needs are. Because summer can be slower, fall might be the time of the year when a lot of changes planned for your business come into effect. Are you hiring new employees? Will you be working with new suppliers? Are you moving into your new office soon? All of these new business relationships are a great place to start when getting your business ready for fall as business relationships should be solidified with a contract.
#2 Organizing your legal paperwork
Once you’ve assessed your new needs and the legal paperwork that will need to be drafted to protect you, it is very important to look into the legal documents you already have. Few people think about paperwork once it is signed, but in many situations, these documents will need to be updated. Are some of the contracts you signed coming to an end soon? Do some of them need to be renewed? Have some modifications to a business deal been made without the accompanying agreement ever being amended? Has your minute book been updated?
In some cases, organizing your legal paperwork will involve getting contracts drafted for business relationships that already exist, but that have never been put into writing.
#3 Keeping up with your industry
The third step to getting your business ready for fall is looking into changes in your industry to ensure your are up to date. Do some digging and find out whether or not there are any news or new regulations you should be consulting about for compliance purposes.
#4 Thinking about the next steps
Now that you’ve assessed your needs, organized your paperwork and have made sure you are up to date with what is happening in your industry, it is time to think about the steps you will be taking during the next few months. You’ve been in business for a few years now and it is flourishing? Make sure your corporate structure still makes sense (it might be time for some of you to incorporate). Your branding still isn’t protected? Think about getting your trademarks registered (if you’re not convinced about why you should be getting your trademarks registered, I suggest you read this blog post as well as this one to debunk some trademark myths out there). Are some new business deals in the works? Make sure you are getting solid agreements drafted.
It might seem like a lot, but getting the legal side of your business ready takes a lot less time than you can imagine!
If you need any advice on how to get your business ready for fall or you need assistance with assessing your legal needs, you can always reach me at info@artylaw.ca or you can click the link below to schedule a consultation.