Steps to Ensure Your Business Idea is Legally Protected

Steps to Ensure Your Business Idea is Legally Protected As a budding entrepreneur, there is absolutely no doubt that you have a great idea or two floating around in your head that you can’t wait to put into motion. After doing all your due diligence, researching the competition and your target audience, and securing financing, you’ve come a long way and want to ensure your business has the very highest chance of success. This is exactly why it’s so important to take things further and ask yourself if you’ve done all you can to ensure your idea, product, service, or design is legally protected. In Australia, as well as basically any other country, its common to read stories from businesses that are going through legal actions pertaining to intellectual property infringement. These can be very difficult cases to prove, they can be drawn out, and they are expensive. Plus, at the end of the day, there is no guarantee youll win your case. Instead, it makes sense to follow all the right steps from the start and protect your idea. So, let’s take a look at the steps necessary to legally protect your business idea as well as some handy general advice. Start with a List of Things You Want to Protect A great place to start the process of protecting your business idea is to go ahead and make a detailed list of all the things that make your company unique and that you want to protect. This can include such things as a product design, your logo, the service you offer, the process you use, and so forth. Youll want to be as specific as noting the colours, shapes, and even the design of your products. Southern Cross University has some advice for taking the steps to protect your business idea. They suggest visiting the IP Australia website to learn about the types of IP. This will provide you with information on what can be protected, which will help you figure out what should go on your list. By putting everything down on paper and storing it, youll also be creating a paper trail of your thought process and the timing. This can come in handy later on should you run into a problem with intellectual property being stolen. Research the Different Categories Ideas and Products Will Fall Into There are a few different areas that your business ideas will fall into in terms of how you can go about protecting them. These are copyrights, designs, trademarks, and patents. While they may sound interchangeable, in reality, each one is unique and needs to be applied correctly. A copyright provides legal rights that are exclusive to you, the creator. These rights are given to original work such as paintings, films, music, or writing. Once you have the copyright, it also gives you the ability to control, sell, and license the work. The design refers to the physical design of the item or product. Then there are trademarks, which are typically used for jingles, logos, product packaging, etc. Finally, there is a patent, which provides you with the exclusive license to make, use, and sell the product. The patent has a time limit on it, which can be up to 20 years in Australia. Don’t Broadcast All Your Plans and Details It’s also wise if you hold back a bit when it comes to talking about your idea/product, advertising it, and sharing information. Until you have taken the steps to legally protect it, your idea could be taken by someone else. Many recommend having your employees sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits them from talking about your product, designs, process, etc. with any other party. Again, it’s just smart business steps to take. Think About Your Business Growth Remember that protecting your business idea isnt just going to help your business to launch and be successful.   Its also about protecting your future growth. If your competitors are able to steal your ideas, its going to make growth incredibly difficult. You need to be thinking about now and the future. Paving the Road to Success with Your Business Idea By using these tips, you’ll be taking all the necessary steps to legally protect your business idea and designs to ensure that they can’t be stolen from you and your livelihood can’t be taken away. As an entrepreneur, it’s up to you to think about all the potential challenges and hurdles that a start-up can face.   And having intellectual property stolen is no exception.

17 finalists and graduates share their ultimate freshers advice - Debut

17 finalists and graduates share their ultimate freshers advice - Debut At some point in our lives, weve wished for a way to turn back the clock. Its human really, the desire to rewind back the days and relive our best, most memorable moments.  Alas, Time Turners do not exist in the Muggle world. So, as we watch this years new batch of freshers prepare for the time of their lives, finalists and graduates share their best pieces of freshers advice. Ah, look at that. Just in time for the new term. 1. Friendships shouldnt be forced We couldnt agree more, Christine! 2.  Take a deep breath, and face your fears Hattie adds, Say hi to that girl you met once in freshers who you thought was cool. Turn up to the class even if youre petrified of failing. Agree to meet up for drinks even if all you want to do is curl up under the blankets youll regret it the next day when you see the pics on Facebook. 3. Put your study blinkers on Youve got it down, really. So just chill out, says YiJiun, a recent graduate. 4. The more choices the better Bridie suggests, Join a crazy society, something you wont get an opportunity to do outside of uni. 5. Elusive firsts are elusive Good advice, we reckon. 6. Remember that youre awesome Keep your self-talk as positive and encouraging as you can, Hiran says. And on a more serious note, however much Jägerbombs seem like a good idea at the union bar, they are  always a mistake. 7. Mindfulness is key Sophie feels self-care is important. Youre bound to get Freshers Flu. Make sure that you spend an evening in watching Netflix and catching up with family and friends at home. 8. Dont succumb to peer pressure They really dont! 9. Embrace your freedom Travel, learn things, get a passion project or something, Anna urges. Because later in life youll only have 20 days of paid holiday a year, and that might not be enough to make your dreams come true. 10. Halls provide the essentials, trust us We can attest to this. Kettles and toaster lie in your suitcases, unloved and unused. 11. Beware of kitchen thieves At some point it will disappear into that dark murky abyss under the sink and be lost forever, according to Annmarie. Yikes. 12. Random anonymous phone numbers will be saved on your phone Pictures will emerge of you with your arms around people like you were destined to have met them you wont even remember what their names are, says Arthur. Well, youll always have, uh, last Friday night. 13. The myth of the everlasting uni friendship is, well, a myth Daisy adds, Youre there for a while, and although it will fly by, you also have lots of time to make really meaningful friendships. 14. Dont overthink it The best things happen when we the take opportunities that come to us. Sage advice from Abi, we think. 15. Escape your comfort zone According to Monique, Youll meet amazing people and learn something new! 16. Embrace your uniqueness Being yourself is a tenet we should always keep in mind. 17. YOUO (You Only Uni Once) Nadine stresses, Dont miss out on opportunities and experiences just because youre afraid of unemployment. You should join societies and do modules  you find interesting no matter how wacky! Feature Image ©  Universal Pictures Download the Debut app and you could totally grab yourself a summer internship  way before anyone else. Follow Brenda on Twitter @brendaisarebel Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter

5 More Resources to Check Your Job Search Social Profile - CareerAlley

5 More Resources to Check Your Job Search Social Profile - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. When it comes to your reputation or social profile, there is an old saying that still holds true Never do anything that you wouldnt want to explain to your Mother. When we are in high school and college, we really dont give much thought to our profile on the Internet and some of us pay a price for that when we start our job search. It's safe to assume that all recruiters and company HR departments will do a deep dive on your online profile when applying for a job. Make sure you get there first. Tweet This Its bad enough when the stuff you actually did winds up on the Internet. But what happens if bad (wrong) information on you has found its way to the Internet (what I like to call impropaganda rather than fake news)? This could be in the form of Facebook or other social networks. But it could also be in any other form that would show up in an Internet search. Now it almost (and I really want to stress ALMOST) doesnt matter if the impropaganda is true or not. Proving that false information is not true and removing that information from the Internet can be almost impossible. What you can be sure of is that, depending on the severity of the information, it will most likely keep you from getting a job unless you live in the foothills of Appalachia and Internet service is not available (not that there is anything wrong with that, but of course you wouldnt be reading this if that were the case).Its safe to assume that all recruiters and company HR departments will do a deep dive on your online profile. Now there are lots of ways this impropaganda could have been distributed. Maybe you really did something that you shouldnt have. Or, maybe someone thought you did something that you did not. Or, the worst insult of all, maybe someone has the same name as you and they are the culprit (and somehow this information has been attributed to you). Let me just say that, unlike a cheating partner, you should not be the last to know (as in- finding out because you were rejected for a job due to your Internet profile). Checking your Internet profile should be a regular part of your job search (actually, you should be on top of this even if youre not looking for a job). So, now we have several things to consider. First, whats the best way to check ourselves out on the Internet and, should we turn up some dirt, how can we improve our profile? Read on. Check Your Internet Profile There are many ways to check your background for free. No sense paying to see if you have any outstanding warrants or previous arrests (hopefully you know the answer to this already. So, here are a few steps you can take to both check out your background and stay on top of whatever may lurk on the Internet. Google Yourself Yeah, I know this is the first thing you thought of. But there is more you can do. In addition to running a search on yourself, set up a Google Alert (http://www.google.com/alerts). This will automatically send alerts to you based on the criteria in the alert (and hopefully they are few and far between unless it is good news). Dont forget to select images so you can see what pictures may be posted of you. The Effects of Social Media on Your Job Search This article covers the positive and negative impacts that social media can have on your career (a CareerAlley post). What you need to be concerned about: Inappropriate photos posted that show drug use or questionable behavior. Any comments that youve posted anywhere that might be viewed as racist. An email address or a screen name that may be embarrassing. Insulting comments posted about friends, coworkers or companies (especially if you worked there). A criminal record. Improve a Troubled Internet Presence Social Media Settings Your Facebook and Twitter settings should be tweaked so that you know who can see what. For Facebook, look at who can see your stuff. For Twitter, consider protecting your tweets. Also, take a look at your Instagram settings. Clean up your Act Delete any comments that can be considered provocative, racist or mean. Repair Control Your Name or Brand Reputation Online This book will help you repair, and control for your personal name, company, brand, product, and any searched phrase that is important to you or your business. Control exactly what displays in the search engines for any name, brand, or entity with a series of secret, battle-tested strategies used by the most elite reputation management experts. How to Fix Internet Embarrassments and Improve Your Online This article is from Lifehacker.com and covers how to get embarrassing information removed from your profile. Manage your online reputation One more on the topic, from Google.com. Google also provides some information on how how to remove unwanted content from Google (see what the experts say). 30 Days to a Better Online Reputation This book (as the title suggests) will help you improve your reputation. With dozens of examples and actionable tips,Reppeddemonstrates how a better online reputation can lead to improved job prospects, happier customers, fewer detractors, and most importantly of all, greater income. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search (and be careful what you post!),Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

Finding the Best Resume Writing Service in Philadelphia

Finding the Best Resume Writing Service in PhiladelphiaI've been researching and using the best resume writing services in Philadelphia for the past year or so. My experience is that, while a free service can be useful, it often comes with a number of limitations.If you've ever run a business people I'd like to know, your resume isn't the only thing they use to determine who you are. In many cases they'll even use some of your information to determine who your competitors are, and this could be the first impression you make with potential customers. This is why using a professional service may help, but it's not enough to guarantee that you won't get rejected.You might ask, why do business development companies charge so much? And more importantly, how can you find a service that's actually cheap? The reality is that any of the top companies offer a great resume writing service. What you need to do is determine which one offers the best value for your money.One of the ways to do this is to read some of the best resume writing services in Philadelphia reviews. These are resources that compare the best resume writing services with each other. This way you know if they actually have a history of success, or if they're just another company trying to get your business. In the past, these services used to be notoriously unreliable, and some are still unable to deliver a great result.In any case, this process helps you figure out which company offers the best services, and what the pros and cons are. The best advice for finding the best resume writing service is to find someone who uses real human resources and actually employs a team of resume writers, not a bunch of automated programs to churn out hundreds of resumes.Thebest resume services in Philadelphia reviews will try to find a way to make their resume writing process as consistent as possible. For example, the process will likely begin with gathering the resume samples and then reading them in order to determi ne what kind of information they have. Once you know that you need specific skills and traits, you can then narrow down your search.The best resume services in Philadelphia reviews will be able to answer these questions for you, and they can make sure your resume is written with absolute precision. It's a process that can provide a successful conclusion to the job interview, and it's the best advice anyone could offer. There are a lot of great services that perform this service, but one of the most reputable is Dice.When you start looking for the best resume writing service, it's important to choose one that specializes in hiring only the best resume writers. Here's hoping you find a service that will give you the best service and meet your needs!

Resume Objectives For Internships

Resume Objectives For InternshipsGood resumes for internships should be focused on your objective for working in the company and how your resume will help your chances of getting hired. Here are some resume objectives for internships to look out for.* The purpose of the internship. What exactly is the purpose of the internship? This is the most important thing that you need to have considered. Your objective should reflect what the purpose of the internship is, what it is trying to accomplish and how it can be effective. If you are not clear on the purpose of the internship, you should prepare a statement of purpose for the job and discuss this with the recruiter or interviewer you will be talking to.* How long have you held the position. How many years have you been working in the same position? Are you in the industry for a long time? Is it because you have experience in the particular field? This can greatly affect the questions asked of you by an employer.* What are the pay and b enefits offered by the company? Are you in the same location as the company? Does the company offer health care and other benefits? Some companies require all their employees to take a certain amount of vacation every year; if you are in the company during this time, would you be willing to work for them?* How long have you been with the company? This will tell an employer whether you are worth the time and effort needed to get hired for their current job. If you have been with the company less than six months, chances are you will be unable to pass the interview.* Do you have any previous interviews with other companies? If you do, how were these interviews? You can offer a statement of why you did not want to work for another company. Keep in mind that you will not be asked to come back for another interview unless you are considered a good match for the position.Resume objectives for internships are the only objective you need for the job. They are the basis for the interview and the final decision on whether you will get hired or not. Be sure to meet all of the objective so that you will get hired. Just remember that there is no magic bullet for making sure that you are successful when it comes to your resume objectives for internships.

The Newly Leaked Secret to Writing about Yourself Resume Disclosed

The Newly Leaked Secret to Writing about Yourself Resume Disclosed Understanding Writing about Yourself Resume Job seekers deserve to come across decent content quickly. To learn more on what it requires to be a Content Writer, take a look at our complete Content Writer Job Description. Resume information that's too broad won't appeal to prospective employers. There are 3 major resume formats utilized for writing the resumes. You may be surprised at how many writing gems you find when you get started searching your files. The most recent tool to utilize for writing a good resume is the template which is readily available online and for free in addition to paid versions. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. The need to generate the resume specific requires that you are in possession of a well-written resume which can be modified to fine tune it for each work application. You have to carry few resume tips, before ap plying for any sort of job. Remember which you are not alone making an application. However much or what type of work experience you've got, there's a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. The MBA grad is predicted to carry excellent communication abilities. Career objective is usually the very first section in the resume. Objective of your resume is among the significant elements to write. The Basic Facts of Writing about Yourself Resume Resume is composed of distinct sections. The info in your resume should paint an image of the kind of employee you are and show employers what you're capable of accomplishing. In case the candidate is young and energetic with some sum of expertise but using a versatile and superior caliber, functional resume is the smartest choice. What to Expect From Writing about Yourself Resume? Resume writing is the main feature of career planni ng. So you need to be attentive and very careful when writing your objective. Your summary should present your career objective and the primary reasons you are a fantastic candidate. Possessing a crystal clear and professional resume is important in the health care field.

10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value - Work It Daily

10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value - Work It Daily 10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value In a culture dominated by short Facebook posts and cryptic tweets, we all face enormous pressure to communicate ever more briefly. When it comes to resumes, recent trends have lowered preferred lengths to 2-3 pages. If your resume is long, how can you possibly condense it without losing value? Related: Is Your Executive Resume Too Wordy? As a certified and award-winning resume writer, I face this dilemma on a daily basis. Most resumes contain a lot of “fat” in the form of run-on sentences, unwieldy skill descriptions, lackluster branding, and unnecessary details. By trimming these problem areas, your resume can become a lean, mean brand communication machine. 10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value But isn’t it better to include more content so you can weave in more keywords throughout your resume? No, actually. When it comes to resume writing less is generally more. Here’s why: Recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring executives are, like most of us, overworked and inundated with information overload. Crisp lean sentences filled with the right details will stand out more in a sea of candidates. Too many keywords in a document can actually be a negative thing, because it may make it appear you are stuffing your document for the sole purpose of ranking high in resume searches. The database systems, or Applicant Tracking Systems, that recruiters, companies, and job boards use to store and analyze incoming resumes are sophisticated enough to identify which documents have the right range of keywords specified in applicant searches â€" enough to meet their needs but not too much to raise eyebrows. In other words, keyword density is important, but too many such words upset the apple cart. Important details stand out more when there is less text, especially if those details have been whittled and shaped wisely. Clogging up your resume with unnecessary information and vague details impairs its ability to communicate your brand in the four to five seconds it is screened by humans. Let’s take a look at a few length targets to give you an idea where your resume is out of balance. While there are few hard and fast resume rules, these are general guidelines that most highly experienced and credentialed writers follow. Resume Content Length Guidelines Resume Length Most recruiters expect resumes to be two to three pages in length, with a strong preference for two pages in North America. While this varies from recruiter to recruiter, most like to see two-page resumes for job seekers with up to 10-15 years of experience. For those with considerably more experience, a three-page resume may be necessary to capture and present all relevant details. One-Page Resume Rule There is (and never has been) a one-page-only resume rule, though. Those with limited experience may find that length most appropriate for their needs. Career Summaries Career summary statements have shortened since the 2008 recession and now trend at three to six lines of text. In mid-career, mid-management, and executive resumes, it is often appropriate to add branding content to this section of the resume, though generally such material is best restricted to up to the first half of the document’s first page. Core Competencies Core competency sections are best limited to nine to twelve skills. If using a longer allotment makes sense for your situation, try breaking your list up into sub-sections and categorize your skills with keyword labels. Position Descriptions Generally, each job listed on a resume should include a brief position overview statement. These are best limited to 2-3 lines of text, except in recent executive roles which may use overviews of up to four to six lines. If these descriptions are longer, they may need to be broken into two paragraphs to boost readability. Bullets Per Role Too many bulleted statements in a resume overwhelm your readers. Limit bullets to six per role if possible; if you have more critical details that must be included, categorize them into sections and label with keyword or action phrases. Bullet Length Ideally, bullets should be limited to two lines of space. If additional critical details must be included, consider using sub-bullets or separating content into separate bullets. Amount Of Work History To Include Recruiters typically are most interested in the last 10-15 years of your experience, so this is the amount of experience you will want to profile on your resume. Older experience can be briefly summarized. In some cases, it can be safely eliminated altogether. Resume Shortening Strategies Say More with Less Cut out words that aren’t needed and delete words that are repeated. When you’re fighting a two-line bullet length, every word counts, when means the foregoing sentence could easily be revamped to read trim repetitious and unnecessary words without losing any meaning. Leverage Action Verbs While all verbs convey action of some sort, some contain more energy and action than others. It may be accurate to say you wrote the company’s five-year plan, for example, but it’s more powerful to say that you strategized, authored, and executed the company’s first-ever five-year plan. Eliminate Passive Language Passive language on a resume masks the true role you played in the task you’re describing. The sentence, “I was exposed to different cultures, people, and challenges” is weaker than, “Gained cross-functional and cross-cultural exposure to 5 ethnicities in 12 countries,” for example. Be Specific Avoid vague descriptors and phrases such as “a variety of,” “many,” “others,” and “successfully.” Replace them with specific details that add value and meaning to the text. Use Numbers Whenever Possible Numbers talk, so it’s imperative to use them in resumes to quantify key achievements and context information. Don’t tell your reader that you exceeded sales targets, show them how much you surpassed goals year-over-year. Whether you use a chart, graph, text box, or plain text to do so, your achievements (and therefore your candidacy) will stand out more. Reformat Many old-style resumes and built-in MS Word templates still use two-inch left margins. Eliminate this practice and other formatting limits to maximize readability and use of space and minimize document length. Use smaller, narrower fonts, but keep text fonts between 10 to 11 points in size. Place your titles and employer names on one line if you held only one role with the company. Eradicate widows and orphans (stray paragraph lines and single words on a line by themselves). Categorize As noted above, some content can be categorized or sub-categorized to convey information in more powerful ways. Subdividing a long series of bullets, say, into 3-4 categories that emphasize the cross-functionality of your skill set will not only make your achievements easier to read, it will also showcase your multi-function brand while adding industry-specific keywords to the resume. Contextualize Give your readers the right quality and type of detail to help them understand the full scope of your impact. For instance, if you turned around an operation, that’s a critical accomplishment to include. But including before and after context details will automatically strengthen the presentation. How much money was the business losing per month or year prior to your tenure? How much profit or revenue was it generating by the time you left? Focus On Results In real estate, it’s location, location, location that is critical; in resumes, it’s achievements, achievements, achievements. Numerically quantified statements communicate volumes of information in fewer words while conveying your accomplishment in specific, measurable terms. Here’s a sentence from a client’s original resume: “Managed multimillion dollars business and IT initiatives from inception to implementation to increase productivity, reduce operational cost, and improve service quality by collaborating with IT staff, c-level executives, business users, and external healthcare service providers.” Here’s a revamp that shortens the sentence from 35 to 25 words while adding content to dramatically improve its results focus: “Ramped productivity 15%, cut operational costs $7M, and strengthened service quality 14%, leading $25M to $50M cross-functional business and IT initiatives from inception to rollout.” Notice that the original bullet spanned three lines while the revamp needs just two. Ditch Extraneous Details Choose carefully which details you include and how you do so. For example, in the original client sentence included in the prior bullet you’ll find a list of folks this person collaborated with in his position. The results he achieved are more central to his brand so I substituted the word “cross-functional” to cover my client’s list of 4 groups that required 11 words to describe. A distinction that underlines many of the above points is to recognize the difference between resume content that is important versus that which is critical to include. There simply isn’t room for all important information on a resume, so sooner or later you have to choose which important details are must-haves â€" these are the data points to not only include but emphasize, as these additional examples of the above content-trimming suggestions make clear. Related Posts 3 Keys To Customizing Your Resume 5 Key Areas To Target When Branding Your Resume How To Match Your Skills To A Job With Your Resume About the author A 15-time, award-winning resume writer, Cheryl Lynch Simpson serves mid-career to senior executives as a credentialed resume writer (ACRW), LinkedIn strategist (COPNS), and Get Clear, Get Found, Get Hired (G3) coach. Like her advice? Check out her website, ExecutiveResumeRescue.com for a complimentary copy of her popular Polish Your Profile LinkedIn presentation, or follow her on Twitter!   Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock ??? Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!