Business Structure, Compliance + How to File

By the end of this session, every student knows exactly how their business should be structured and has a step-by-step action plan to get there.

What we cover:

• Choosing the right entity: sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, non-profit

• Why an LLC is almost always the right starting point and how to form one

• Step-by-step: how to file your LLC yourself (Secretary of State walkthrough)

• EIN: what it is, why you need it, how to get it (free, takes 10 minutes)

• Business licenses, DBAs, seller's permits, and state-specific requirements

• The S-Corp election: what it is, when to consider it, and the timing window you can't miss

• Protecting your liability shield: how to operate so a court can't pierce it

• Annual compliance: what filings you need, when they're due, and how not to miss them

• How to spot scam compliance notices (and what real ones look like)
  

Takeaway: Students leave with a clear entity decision, and an upkeep guide for their business.

Trademarks, Copyright + IP Strategy

Your brand and your work are assets. This session teaches you to treat them like one.

What we cover:

• What a trademark actually protects and why filing early matters

• How to do a clearance search yourself (USPTO TESS walkthrough, step by step)

• Step-by-step: how to file a trademark application with the USPTO

• Understanding trademark classes and why filing in the wrong ones leaves gaps

• Intent-to-use applications: how to lock in your priority date before you launch

• What happens after you file: office actions, publication, and registration timeline

• Copyright basics: what it protects, why registration matters even though it's automatic

• Step-by-step: how to register a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office

• Work-for-hire: why you may not own content you paid someone to create

• What to do when someone is using your name or your work

Takeaway: Students leave knowing whether to file, how to file, and what to do if someone infringes.

The Agreements You Need, Red Flags to Watch For + Scaling Smart

The most practical session of the course.

What we cover:

• The contracts every founder needs: client agreements, contractor agreements, NDAs, website terms + privacy policies

• What every solid contract must include: scope, payment, IP ownership, termination, limitation of liability, governing law

• Walk-through: what your client agreement should say and what gaps to look for in your current one

• Red flags in contracts others send you: what to push back on and what to walk away from

• Employees vs. independent contractors: why this distinction matters more than most founders realize

• Contractor agreements: what to include and why IP assignment and confidentiality are non-negotiable

• Co-founder and partner agreements: what to lock in before anyone has leverage

• How to sign as your business, not yourself

• Contract hygiene: how to organize, store, and actually use your agreements

Takeaway: Students leave with a contract checklist, a red flag reference guide, and clarity on what they need to fix or put in place.