Discussion:
"Protecting Your Intellectual Property"
• Construct a hypothetical product life cycle of a business you would propose to start. Analyze when you would obtain each of the following: a patent, a trademark, and a copyright based on your product idea. Support your analysis.
• From the e-Activity, create a plan for how to use the resources of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Patent Office in starting your small business. Prepare a schedule of when you would call on those resources during your start-up phase.
"Managing the Foundation"
• From the case study, a family was torn apart by its ownership in a small business. Suggest a method to initially structure a family business that would mitigate the risk of this kind of disruptive future problem. Support your response.
• Evaluate the options to incentivize members of a small-business founding team. Debate the value of stock options, bonuses, and ownership compared to salary.