Avoiding the Online Rip-Off

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There is a level of sophistication to the data collection on the Internet that I think most of us cannot fathom. Incisive conclusions can be drawn by the amount of time between purchases or inquiries or any given number of "inputs" that are recorded. This is why I have to take a deep breath whenever a client or potential client or a friend tells me of an intriguing deal that "might make all the difference." I take that deep breath to imagine all the whys and what-ifs that might justify a great deal falling into a talented person's lap like manna from heaven. And then I think of all the why-nots.

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Good Enough May Be the New Perfect, but This Married Couple Seem to Do It All Effortlessly

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Good Enough May Be the New Perfect, but This Married Couple Seem to Do It All Effortlessly

Warner Brothers scooped up the rights to John's page-turner "American Pain" shortly after the manuscript sold to a publisher. Hollee singlehandedly oversees one of West Virginia's hottest salon/day spas. They are both published authors and university professors. And, with two sons, they are a tight-knit family.

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The Gift of Gratitude, or "In Defense of Facebook Part 2"

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The Gift of Gratitude, or "In Defense of Facebook Part 2"

There's a popular belief in the startup world that a small business would be wise to launch an enterprise that is "narrow and deep" rather than "broad and shallow." In other words, if you are building, let's say, an app that tells you every time a fresh batch of bagels is available in one of New York's gazillion bagel shops (piping hot NY bagels are an art form), you don't want to start off in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx all at once.

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Technical Snafu Destroys Screenplay Site, Loses Scripts Forever, Lawsuits Likely: Another Small Business Cautionary Tale.

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Technical Snafu Destroys Screenplay Site, Loses Scripts Forever, Lawsuits Likely: Another Small Business Cautionary Tale.

As a former indie film producer and screenwriter (and tech geek, too!), I have immersed myself in the software and web sites that cater to filmmakers and content creators. I have been of the belief that entrepreneurs who create platforms for dream-realizing are more likely to make money than the dreamers themselves. Case in point: Indiegogo, Withoutabox, and Scripped. I don't know how much money Scripped made, but it was purchased at some point by another company, one that made business-ending mistakes.

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Do "Terms of Use" on a Web Site Even Matter?

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Do "Terms of Use" on a Web Site Even Matter?

When entrepreneurs in the United States start up a new small business, they often focus on launching a web site first. Inevitably, they find themselves wondering if their web site needs "Terms of Use" because they see that link at the bottom of virtually every web site of their potential competitors. Terms of Use can be an important addition to your site, but only if you understand why you have them in the first place.

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3 Client Cultivation Lessons from Last Night's "The Good Wife" Episode

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3 Client Cultivation Lessons from Last Night's "The Good Wife" Episode

The Good Wife has consistently provided--week after week--high quality entertainment, let alone important business and legal lessons that make it stand apart from standard legal television fare. Its insights on the convergence between technology and law are surprising for a network drama, and its characters' complexities and moral failings are refreshing.

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Should Your Startup Be an S-Corp or an LLC?

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Should Your Startup Be an S-Corp or an LLC?

If you want to start up a small business in New York, one of your first considerations will be the choice of business entities.  If you work on your own, and decide to set up a sole proprietorship, this article is not for you.  For non-professionals (licensed by the State of New York) who don’t want a sole proprietorship or traditional partnership, your practical choices are the limited liability company (LLC) and the S corporation.

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