The Bosses’ Lawyer

So you’re ready to expand your team and grow your business with independent contractors?

🚩 BUT not so fast . . .

Here’s why you need a solid Independent Contractor Agreement before you hire your first contractor:

Common sense tells us that if we paid for it, we own it, but the law doesn’t agree. 🌚

And when it comes to your business and its ability to build wealth, the law is in control.

☄️ So we use Independent Contractor Agreements to make sure you’re the legal owner of what you’ve paid your independent contractors to produce for your business.

Because if you aren’t the owner, that just means that that particular piece - that collateral - that material can be used elsewhere by someone else.

You might just look up and see pictures you purchased to attract your ideal customers being used to build up someone else’s brand. No sir, no ma’am. 🚫🙅🏽‍♀️

Another reason we rely on Independent Contractor Agreements is constantly overlooked by small business owners, and it’s usually a pretty costly mistake: it’s not about the label.

It doesn’t matter what we call our Independent Contractors.

What matters is the relationship we have with them, as far as the law is concerned. 🤝🏽

Independent Contractor Agreements help prevent your business from being deemed an employer, when all you intended to do was hire an independent contractor.

Why is that such a huge deal?

Well, because the last thing you want for your business is for a judge or one of the local, state, or federal government agencies to determine that your independent contractor is, in fact, an employee.

💣 Determinations like that can be fatal to small businesses because they trigger backpay, interest, violations, fines and penalties that most small businesses simply aren’t prepared to withstand.

SWIPE ➡️➡️to see how hiring independent contractors without an Independent Contractor Agreement can hit small businesses and startups hard right where it hurts most: the POCKETS!

3 main reasons most businesses won’t make it past the 5TH year:

1️⃣ Most small businesses are not properly structured to minimize liability exposure and maximize profitability’;

2️⃣ Most small businesses can’t access the funding they need to survive the ebbs and flows of building and scaling a business; and

3️⃣ Most small businesses face (avoidable) legal disputes too early on that they can’t adequately defend against.

Here are a few more statistics that you should know:

✅40% of small businesses face legal disputes within the first year.

✅ Proper legal structuring reduces the risk of litigation by 50%.

✅ Businesses with solid legal foundations are 30% more likely to secure funding.

If 60% of small businesses aren’t legally structured to protect the owners’ personal assets from business liabilities . . .

That means most small business owners are risking their personal accounts, personal homes, personal credit, personal . . . well, they’re risking their whole personal lives with every business interaction. 😰

And I’m not saying that’s wrong, but it’s just that . . . well . . . it’s scary as hell. And it isn’t necessary.

🚀 By designing a solid business structure that compliments your business model, you help ensure a steady flow of capital to consistently grow and scale, while creating a level of security and predictability that you’ll need to turn your business into an appreciating asset.

Wanna learn what legal steps you need to take to increase the value of your business and turn it into a sellable asset (and not just an expensive job replacement)?

Click the link in bio to get the 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO LEGALLY GROW AND PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS TODAY E-Book straight to your inbox 🆓

5 Contracts every small business owner and startup needs to take ownership of your business’s secret sauce and secure your economic and competitive edge! 💼💡

But first, SAVE this post 📌

🔐 Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs): Keep your secrets safe with NDAs that legally bind parties to confidentiality. Whether it’s sharing your special recipe or revealing your innovative ideas, an NDA is your first line of defense against information leaks!

🤝 Collaboration Agreements: Joining forces with partners or collaborators? Don’t forget to protect the sensitive information that’ll be exposed in the process. Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and ownership to ensure everyone plays by the rules and your secrets stay secure.

👥 Employment Agreements: Hiring employees? Protect your trade secrets with employment agreements that outline confidentiality obligations and prevent your business’s most valuable secrets from being used against you. Keep your team aligned and your secrets under lock and key!

👷🏽‍♀️Independent Contractor Agreements: Bringing in contractors? Don’t skip the protection! Specify project details, payment terms, and confidentiality clauses to ensure your trade secrets are safe in the hands of outsiders. You wouldn’t want to be training your competition would you?! 😳 This agreement also ensures the creations (intellectual property - IP) your contractors make for your business are actually owned by your business.

📦 Vendor/Supplier Agreements: Sourcing materials or outsourcing services? Vendor agreements are a must! Clarify terms, quality standards, and confidentiality provisions to protect your business’s proprietary information and maintain control over your supply chain.

Wanna know what it takes to build a solid legal foundation for your business from day 1, without wasting time and money backtracking and starting over?

Get the 5 Things You Can Do to Legally Secure and Grow Your Business Today 🆓 Guide at the link in bio, or DM me “Asset” and I’ll send it to you.

I saw this quote by and it really hit home for me, particularly in this season of my life.

I’m so locked in on who I’m becoming that I have no interest or desire to engage with anything or anyone that doesn’t align with that version of myself.

It’s amazing to me what you can accomplish when you tune out all the noise, distractions, and negativity and focus solely on what God called you to do.

Obedience is key, and anything that isn’t encouraging your obedience to your assignment is discouraging your obedience to your assignment.

The people you started your journey with are seldom the same people you finish the journey with because the journey itself changes you. Or maybe it doesn’t change you - maybe it just exposes who you always were. The further you go, the more you discover about yourself, your capabilities, and the endless possibilities from which you can choose.

I choose growth.

I choose abundance.

I choose ascension.

Whether we realize it or not, we are consistently choosing our own fate.

You are the creator of your own destiny. Sure, God has a plan for you, but are you walking in it? It’s your choice. 👑

🥳 Surprise! Your customers don’t really care about your products and services. They can get those same products and services 1.7 billion other places.

You know what they care about? HOW you offer your products and services.

In other words, they’re buying access to your trade secrets.

🛎️ Your products and services are the WHAT to your business. Your trade secrets are the HOW.

📦 Your unique method of packaging and delivering those products and services are what your customers are actually paying you for.

And when you take ownership of your business’s trade secrets, what you’re really doing is:

1️⃣ Securing Your Competitive Edge: With your trade secrets safely tucked away under lock and key 🔐, you make sure your competitors can’t replicate what makes your business special. This sets you apart in the market, attracts loyal customers, and gives you a leg up over the competition.

2️⃣ Solidifying Your Economic Edge: By leveraging your trade secrets effectively, you’re maximizing your profitability and potential for growth. Whether it’s through increased sales, higher profit margins, or enhanced brand value, protecting your trade secrets is a strategic investment in your business’s long-term success.

When you say “the price is the price,” what you’re really saying is: “you can’t get what my business is offering anywhere else the way it’s offered here, and the pricing reflects that fact.” 🗣️🗣️🗣️

You leave a lot of money on the table when you overlook the power of trade secrets.

Ready to take your business to the next level by protecting your trade secrets and unlocking your business’s competitive and economic edge? 💪💼

Click the link in our bio to download our FREE guide on securing your business’s most valuable assets and start building a solid legal foundation for a sellable business today! 🛡️🚀

Hear me out now . . .

There are so many levels to this wealth-building thing, and starting a business is just one of those levels.

Buying an existing business, is another.

Have you ever thought about buying a business?

Have you ever considered what it takes to be able to sell yours? (Sooner than later cuz ain’t nobody got 30 years to wait)

Do you know there are people who do nothing but start businesses, build them up to position them to be sold, and then sell them and REPEAT?! My clients make a killing doing this in-and-out game, btw. 🤫

These are conversations we need to get into, and we’re gonna be getting into them on so meet over us there.

No pretty designs. No trending sounds. No fluff.

Just straight business. ♟️

Are trademarks only useful for BIG businesses? I get this question ALL the time, and the answer is absolutely NOT!

Trademarks are a major growth tool and are necessary to go BIG in business. As a matter of fact, lack of trademark ownership (and waiting too long to start the process) is a major reason that most small businesses will never grow BIG.

Trademarks allow your brand to have a certain exclusivity in the market that sets you apart and allows you to create a stronger connection with your target market.

Without taking ownership of your trademarks, you leave your brand exposed and put a ceiling on the growth of your business, and we truly don' t have time for that! 🙄

If you're ready to take control of the future of your brand and take the ceiling off your business's growth . . .

🌀 Schedule your discovery call with us today!

🌀 Did you know you could finance our services?

🌀 What if you could get your trademark on file and protect the future of your business for under $500! Well, now you can!

🌀 Head to our website to learn more about our one-of-a-kind trademark process and secure the future of your brand today!

OK. Now what?! 🥺

Are you registered for tonight’s LIVE workshop: Covering Your ASSets Like A Boss?

There’s so much more to it than starting an LLC . . .

We’re going over the 5 things your business had better get right the first time if you EVER wanna go BIG!

This is a LIVE workshop, so you’ll have the opportunity to get your questions answered as it relates to the legal steps you need to take to secure your business’s longevity and success.

Click the link in bio or SWIPE to scan the QR code and register for the LIVE workshop now!

Putting your business on the path to long-term success and wealth-building starts with properly (and legally) structuring your business, identifying and protecting your business’s intellectual property (IP), and securing your profits with contracts.

I’m hosting a LIVE workshop TOMORROW Thursday, September 22nd at 7:30 pm CT and its all about giving you the legal tools you need to win with your business.

This is a LIVE workshop, so you will have the opportunity to get your questions answered as it relates to the legal steps you need to take to secure your business’s longevity and success.

• If you’ve been wondering about the best business or tax structure for your business? This workshop is for you!

• If you’ve got questions about how your LLC should be set up, or if an LLC is even the best move for you, you need to be at this workshop!

• If you’re not sure your contracts have got your business’s back like they should, I need you to be at this workshop!

• If you’re not sure what to trademark or when, or how, you need to be at this workshop!

• If you’re worried about competitors or contractors getting ahold of your secret sauce and grabbing hold of your business’s profits as a result . . . we don’t have time for that, so I’ll see you at the workshop!

Click the link in bio or SWIPE to scan the QR code and register for the LIVE workshop now!

Share this with a few of your favorite fellow bosses. 🧚🏽‍♀️ 🧚🏿‍♀️ 🧚🏾‍♀️

I see a lot of new boss faces around here so allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Attorney Ryenne Shaw and I help small business owners build businesses that operate as assets instead of liabilities, increase in value over time and build wealth.

Let me tell you how it all started:

One of the most pivotal moments in my legal career (and the moment that birthed the Bosses’ Lawyer) was when I was finally ready to start bringing in my own business to what I thought was my dream law firm job.

I’d been practicing for about 5 years then, and I’d discovered a huge gap between the legal support law firms were providing to larger corporations and what smaller businesses were receiving.

And I knew this major gap was keeping small businesses “small”.

So one day I told my boss and one of the head partners at the firm I had a brilliant idea. I wanted to bring in small business clients. Our firm was competing with other firms for the same big corporate clients, but no one was thinking about small businesses.

I knew the legal guidance and support we were providing to large corporations would be transformational for small businesses.

We could make them “big”.

My boss gave me a big fat “no ma’am” (well, that’s not exactly what he said, but that’s what I heard). It wasn’t profitable enough for him to service small businesses. 😒

But I knew the key was to turn those small businesses into big businesses by legally positioning them for success.

So I quit my dream corporate law firm job to provide that same legal support I’d been providing to help make big corporations BIGGER, to give small businesses an opportunity to go BIG too.

And now I want to help you.

The Bosses’ Lawyer provides the legal resources, guidance and support you need to grow your business and secure its ability to build you wealth.

But first thing's first: are you registered for Thursday's LIVE workshop?

We'll be talking about what you need to do to Cover Your ASSets so you can build wealth as a small business owner and I guarantee you don't want to miss it!

Click the link in bio or SWIPE to scan QR Code and register now!