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How to Keep Your Startup Secure

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How to Keep Your Startup Secure

For any business, nothing is more important than the security of your customers. Protecting their data and ensuring that they have a good online experience is paramount to your reputation. Business verification services can help you ensure that your customers are who they say they are and prevent fraudsters from accessing what should be secure information about them.

What are Business Verification Services?

Business Verification Services are used to confirm the legitimacy of a business. These services help to identify the true owners of a business and confirm its identity, ensuring that all transactions are conducted by legitimate entities.

Business verification services can be performed by an independent third party or through an internal process within your organization. The choice depends on what you need from your business verification program, as well as other factors such as budget constraints or time availability.

The Benefits of Business Verification Services

Business verification services are a great way to protect your business from frauds, help you build trust in your business and make it look more professional. In addition, they can help reach out to more customers by verifying the legitimacy of your company through various methods such as social media profiles or website verification.

When it comes to choosing the right business verification service, the most important thing is that you choose one that works with your business needs. For example, if you sell products online, then a website verification may be more useful than social media verification.

A business verification service is a great way to help build trust in your business and make it look more professional. These services are also useful for companies that want to verify the legitimacy of their company through various methods such as social media profiles or website verification.

How Business Verification Services Work

Business verification services are a great way to get your business verified online. They help you verify your business and get it listed on top directories, which in turn can lead to increased trust and credibility for your brand, as well as new customers.

There are many benefits of using these services:

  • Increased trust from consumers who want to do business with companies that have been verified by trusted third parties like BBB or Google Trusted Stores.
  • Increased traffic from search engines like Google, Bing & Yahoo due to the fact that they rank websites higher if they have been verified by one of these trusted organizations!

There are three main types of business verification services: Identity verification, legal entity verification, and financial information verification. Identity verification involves confirming the identity of a business owner or representative by searching public records and databases. Legal entity verification can be performed by verifying that a business has registered its legal name with local government entities and ensuring that it is legally incorporated in the country where it operates.

A Business Verification Service is Essential for Your Startup

If you’re a startup, it’s important to be aware of the services that can help keep your business secure. A business verification service is essential for any company that doesn’t have the resources or time needed to thoroughly check out every potential customer. Business verification services provide information about businesses and their owners so that clients can make informed decisions about who they choose to do business with; this includes verifying information such as credit scores, criminal records and more.

Business verification services are also useful for helping startups avoid scams, identity theft and fraud when dealing with customers online or over the phone (phishing scams).

Increased sales as a result of being listed on top directories like Google My Business, Yelp, Foursquare or Yahoo Local. This increase in traffic and visibility can lead to more customers for your business.

Conclusion

Business Verification Services are an essential part of a startup. They allow you to verify the legitimacy of your business, which can help protect against fraud and theft. The benefits of business verification services extend beyond just that though, as they also provide peace of mind for both you and your customers when making purchases online. This blog post has covered some key points about how these services work, but if there’s anything else we didn’t mention here then please feel free to contact us!

Is Buying a Franchise a Good Idea for Entrepreneurs?

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article | Is Buying a Franchise a Good Idea for Entrepreneurs?You’re an entrepreneur. You always have been, and you always will be. But you are also interested in starting a business with some built-in brand recognition and stability, and you could benefit from the advice of someone who has been there before. So, should you consider a franchise?

Franchise ownership is unique in that it affords the opportunity to own your own business while benefiting from the franchisor’s history, structure and support. You are on your own – an entrepreneur in every sense of the word – but you also have a solid foundation upon which to build. However, while buying a franchise can afford several benefits, it entails unique risks as well, and if your franchise is unsuccessful, you could lose far more than if you had started a business on your own.

Key Aspects of the Franchise Relationship for Entrepreneurs

If you are an entrepreneur and you are considering a franchise as an alternative to starting a business from scratch, here are three key aspects of the franchise relationship to consider:

  • As a franchisee, you own your own business. You are responsible for hiring your own employees, and you are responsible for your own success.
  • While you own your own business, you must operate within the confines of the franchisor’s model. Although this promotes brand uniformity, it can also have undesirable consequences in some cases.
  • As a franchisee, you can rely on the franchisor’s support – to a point. Your franchisor will only provide so much guidance, and some are much better at supporting their franchisees than others.

5 Risks to Consider Before Buying a Franchise

Along with these key aspects of the franchise relationship, there are some important risks to consider as well. These risks include:

  1. Initial Investment: Since you will need to pay an initial franchise fee in addition to your other startup costs, the initial investment for a franchise can be much greater than that for an independent business.
  2. Royalty Fees: Your royalty fees (and advertising fund contributions) will take a chunk out of your monthly revenue, and if your franchise relationship ends prematurely, you could be on the hook for “lost future royalties.”
  3. Unanticipated Costs: Franchisors regularly make updates and modifications to their system standards. If your franchisor makes any updates or modifications, you will be required to comply at your expense—even if this means taking on more business debt.
  4. Termination: Your franchisor will have the contractual right to terminate your franchise for various reasons. If you lose your franchise, you will lose your investment, and you will likely be subject to a post-termination non-compete and other restrictive covenants.
  5. Non-Renewal: While your franchise agreement should include provisions for renewal, the franchisees’ right to renew is generally subject to the franchisor’s approval. As a result, there is no guarantee that you will be able to renew when your initial term expires.

Ultimately, whether it makes sense for you to pursue a franchise depends on your unique background, skills, risk tolerance and financing opportunities. If you are interested in a franchise, you should consult with an experienced professional who can help you make an informed decision.

About the Author

Jeffrey Goldstein is a franchise lawyer and the founder of Goldstein Law Firm. He has been exclusively representing franchisees and dealers for over 30 years. Mr. Goldstein represents prospective, active and terminated franchisees nationwide.

How to Start a Heavy-Duty Parts Business in 5 Simple Steps

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How to Start a Heavy-Duty Parts Business in 5 Simple Steps

If you know about the manufacturing and the sale of heavy-duty parts, and you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you might want to start selling them. Starting your own business may appeal to you, and if you have the aptitude for it, there’s no reason not to pursue this endeavor.

You might sell international truck parts or other heavy-duty parts for which there is a market. In this article, we’ll detail the steps you’ll need to take to get your new company off the ground.

Come Up with a Viable Business Plan

Coming up with a sensible business plan is the first thing you’ll need to do if you’re serious about starting your own heavy-duty parts company. There are templates online you can use if you’re not sure how to create one of these plans.

Business plans lay out what you propose to do in a simple, step-by-step format. If you’re going to approach a lending entity about getting a business loan, they will expect to see one of these plans.

Make Sure You Have the Cash in Place

Next, you must consider funding. If you already have the cash to get the business going, you won’t need to borrow any money. If you need a loan, though, you’ll need to approach a lending entity like a credit union or bank.

The lender will ask you questions about the company you propose to create, and you can show them your business plan. You should have answers ready to all the questions they’re likely to ask.

Set Up Your Supply Chain

Next, you must set up your supply chain. You’ll need an entity from which you’ll buy the heavy-duty parts. They should be reliable and have an excellent industry reputation.

You’ll want to have ready access to the heavy-duty parts you need. Without that, your business isn’t likely to be successful.

Create a Company Website and Hire Employees

Once you have your funding and supply chain set up, you’ll want to either create a website for your company yourself or else you can hire a professional site designer to do it for you. You can talk to the designer about what you envision for the site and what elements it must feature.

Then, you can hire employees. You will want to hunt for the best and most skilled individuals who can handle each of the positions that will be part of your overall business model.

Open Your Doors to the Public

Finally, when you have hired all of the necessary employees, you can take your website live and open your doors to the public. You’ll have to figure out whether you’re selling heavy-duty parts to private citizens or to larger commercial entities.

In other words, you’ll need to decide whether you’re operating a B2B or B2C company. B2B means business to business, while B2C means business to consumer.

If you follow these steps and don’t neglect any of them, you should set yourself up for success as a company selling heavy-duty parts.

Why Do Startup Businesses Need To Hire a Lawyer?

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Why Do Startup Businesses Need To Hire a Lawyer?If you are planning on starting your own business, you must make sure you hire a lawyer to help you. Even though you are probably focused on the products and services you want to provide for your customers and clients, you also need to work with an attorney who can make sure you do not overlook anything. You must hire experienced business attorneys to help you, such as the team from Tully Rinckey. What are some of the biggest reasons why you need to hire a lawyer who can help you get your business off the ground?

1. Choose the Right Structure for Your Business

One of the first reasons why you need to hire a lawyer is that you have to make sure you choose the right structure for your business. For example, are you interested in a sole proprietorship? Or are you thinking about forming a corporation? There are plenty of options out there, and you must make sure you choose the right one to meet your needs. For example, if you work with some of the Tully Rinckey employees, they can help you choose the right business formation, setting your products and services up to be successful in the future.

2. Prevent Lawsuits From Coming Your Way

The reality is that businesses are always targets because people think they have a lot of money. Lots of people are going to try to find any possible reason they can to file a lawsuit against you, and you want to prevent that from happening. You need to prevent lawsuits from coming your way, and that is where an attorney can help you. For example, a business attorney can make sure that you do not overlook important rules and regulations related to your industry. A business attorney can also help you defend yourself if someone tries to file an injury or neglect lawsuit against your company. You must make sure that you reduce the chances of facing a lawsuit, and a business attorney can help you do that.


3. Ensure Your Intellectual Property Is Protected

You will probably have a lot of intellectual property that you need to protect as well. For example, if you have novel products and services, you might be interested in filing a patent that protects them. Or, you might want to file a copyright protection application for your business name. You might even be interested in trademarking some of your information. You must make sure that there isn’t another company that tries to steal your intellectual property, and a business attorney can help you with that. Make sure your intellectual property is properly protected by working with a trained business lawyer.

4. Help With Real Estate Agreements

Finally, you should also hire a business lawyer because you will probably need some help with some real estate agreements. If you plan on renting commercial property from someone, you must make sure the contract is reviewed before you sign it. You need to make sure you understand what you are responsible for and what the ownership group is responsible for. Or, you might be looking for a property you can own. Purchasing real estate could be a great investment for your business, so you need to make sure you find the right one. This is another area where a business lawyer can help you. You need help with real estate agreements, so make sure you hire a business lawyer who can point you in the right direction.

Hire a Business Lawyer Who Can Help You

In the end, there are a lot of reasons why you should reach out to a lawyer who can help you get your business started. Even though you might be the expert when it comes to the products and services you want to provide, you also need to have a legal professional in your corner who can ensure you do not forget anything as you launch your business. If you work with the right attorney, you can protect your business accordingly, making sure it is not sunk before you even get started. Even though you want to be optimistic, you must make sure you prepare for contingencies, and that is where a business attorney can help you.

How to Make Your Tech Startup Attractive to Venture Capital Investors

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How to Make Your Tech Startup Attractive to Venture Capital Investors

Venture capitalists and tech startups are often inseparable. Venture capital investors provide tech startups with financing to facilitate their growth. Below is a list of proven ways to raise venture capital for your tech startup.

Sell Your Idea

Tech companies produce unique services and products, but it’s not always easy to assess the impact they may have on the world. It would help if you pitched your idea well to capture the attention of venture capital investors. Ensure you develop a plan to have venture capitalists on board to facilitate the growth of your tech startup. Brad Kern says you should explain what you’re offering and why your idea is ground-breaking to improve the chances of securing venture capital. If you aren’t a salesperson, ensure you hire an expert who understands your products and can describe the product’s unique qualities.

Show That Your Tech Startup Is a Money Spinner

The primary goal of a venture capitalist is to invest in businesses that promise an excellent return on investment. Most venture capital investors finance a venture for four to six years. When the grace period expires, most venture capitalists want to leave with extra cash than the one they invested. It’s a considerable risk, so most of them do due diligence on your business before releasing the funding. Ensure you prepare thoroughly by crafting an effective business plan before approaching venture capital investors.

To secure venture capital for your tech startup, you must develop a long-term business plan and reveal it to potential investors. Develop financial predictions, updated accounts, and a comprehensive business model showing how your tech business will grow within a few years. Venture capital investors will assess how you intend to secure your intellectual property rights for the hardware or software you intend to produce.


Reveal That You Are Aware of Your Competition

Whether developing recyclable electric car batteries or boosting the autonomous vehicle market, there are other startups that always solve the same problem in this industry. Ensure you’re upfront regarding your competition to have the upper hand. You must show why you think you should be the first to exist comfortably or the first to market the products to ensure they remain competitive in the market.

Demonstrate the Strength of Your Team

Your service or products may be excellent, but you must show that you have a solid management team that will drive your tech startup to become a market leader. Employ effective and clever marketing techniques to position your products above competitors. Venture capital investors will assess whether you have a winning team knowledgeable on multiple ways to network and create value for your products. Venture capitalists will likely participate in your board of management meetings, and some want control over your startup operations. They will want to work with a solid team that is promising before they invest their money. If you seem too controlling, you may put venture capital investors off.

Identify Venture Capitalists

Review the websites of venture capital firms to establish whether your tech industry will attract prospective investors. Assess the investment criteria and areas of focus of potential investors. Some VC firms have mandates barring them from funding industries outside the target industry. Ensure you seek venture capitalists who have interests in your field.

Venture capital investors tend to invest their money in tech businesses. Follow the listed tips to improve your chances of securing venture capital investors.