Legal Structure (LLC, Sole Proprietor, S Corp)

The legal structure of your business impacts your taxes, liability, and how you get paid.

• Sole Proprietor: Easiest to start, but no personal liability protection.
• LLC (Limited Liability Company): Protects your personal assets from business debts or lawsuits.
• S Corp: Tax-advantaged structure for businesses with growing income.

Contracts for Every Relationship

Every working relationship needs a contract, clients, subcontractors, consultants. You’ll avoid drama, misunderstandings, and “I thought this was included” conversations. Your contracts should be reviewed regularly and updated as your offers evolve. Ideally, these should all be done by a lawyer to save yourself a headache later, but I do understand that in the beginning a template can be a good start. 

Trademarks and Servicemarks

If you have a unique brand name, product, or signature framework, it’s worth protecting it with a trademark or servicemark.

• Trademark = logos, brand names, product names
• Servicemark = identifiers of services (e.g., coaching program names)

This keeps your intellectual property safe and sets you apart from others in your space.

Boundaries and Vetting

Here’s a big one: Only work with people who respect your boundaries. Your time, creativity, and expertise are valuable. You get to choose who you collaborate with. Vet potential clients, watch for red flags, and be willing to walk away if it doesn’t feel aligned. Trust your gut, and learn how to spot red and green flags. This can be hard in the beginning but the reality is, there is only whining about it or learning and doing better. 

Safeguards aren’t about being paranoid, they’re about being proactive. When you know your business is legally sound and energetically aligned, you show up more confidently. You protect your peace, your income, and your future.