I see more and more clients who have issues with unauthorized use of their photos on the internet. For example, a bed-and-breakfast owner found his photos of the nearby beach were “lifted” and posted as part of a competitor’s website. With the amazing growth of websites such as Pinterest, it has become fairly easy for someone to copy a photo and post it elsewhere. I came across this great blog post at Naturescapes.net regarding registration of photo copyrights. As a lawyer and amateur photographer, I believe the subject is relevant and businesses should protect their photographs as any other intellectual property. I decided to start with my recent black-and-white photo of the Capitol.

I enjoyed a recent article from Dow Jones Newswires about my buddy Taylor Easely and his entrepreneurial ventures. Taylor left the big brokerage firm in the throes of the financial meltdown to create his own firm. His timing could not have been better, as it seems the financial meltdown led many investors to begin looking for that one-on-one advising of days past, when one could drop in and meet face-to-face with their advisor. Taylor tapped into his local contacts, including friends in the surfing community, to build his practice. He did not over-advertise, and he spent a fair amount of time building relationships with local accountants, attorneys, and community groups. In the interview with Dow Jones Wealth Adviser Veronica Dagher, Taylor plays down his accomplishments and (rightfully) describes his focus on his family. Nevertheless, those of us who know Taylor know also that he is also a major contributor through activity on nonprofit boards, church, and community activities. He is a prime example of how to leverage one’s contacts, altruism, and integrity to build a financial planning firm the right way.

I am simply passing along this link to a huffingtonpost.com article about Boomers and startups. Just what I have been preaching – you are not too old to participate in a start-up dream of your own. Let’s start with the stat that the number of 50-something startups is double that of founders under 25. I received an invitation the other day to nominate top “30 under 30″ entrepreneurs for Hawaii. I thought, “C’mon! Why not 50 over 50?”

Essentially, what GIGAOM’s Michael Wolf is predicting is an end to the middlemen in certain artistic arenas, allowing artists to benefit directly via technology. Not a new revelation. We have seen this evolution happening for some time. What I like about Wolf’s article is the introduction he gives us to actual artists and companies that are at the forefront of the technology. These examples will provide templates for artists and other startups. The new tech platforms allowing artists to bypass traditional middlemen – i.e., Soundcloud and Topspin – will win big. In a sense, they will become the middlemen, albeit a kinder, gentler sort that will need to be attuned to the needs of the artists to survive. Here’s the article direct link: http://goo.gl/ZSy4z.

I just lifted a colleague’s blog title (same title as mine, above). I did it because I really could not say it better than his blog says it. He’s a marketing guy and his article is found here: Biz Bits Blog. Choose wisely when you name your business.

I enjoyed this Entrepreneur blog post about Brian Levin who started a caffeine-infused premium jerky company called Perky Jerky. I especially liked that he got his “break” from a small Hawaii-Alaska distributor. I also liked the description of how Brian did his initial guerilla marketing, then expanding to “brand ambassadors” and then to cache events, and finally to box stores. Now I need to figure out where to get my Perky Jerky in Hawaii.

If you haven’t heard of StartupWeekend then you should. Startup Weekend is a national organization, was founded by Andrew Hyde and spawned from the entrepreneurial chops of some of Seattle’s best and brightest, Marc Nager, Clint Nelsen, and Franck Nouyrigat. The Startup Weekend is designed around action — meaning if you come with an idea, you can pitch it, build a team, and launch it, sometimes on the spot.

Continue reading ‘Hawaii To Host “Startup Weekend” for Entrepreneurs (Sometime?? Hope, hope)’

The Wall Street Journal blog WSJ.COMran an article recently titled So You Want To Be A Millionaire in Three Years. That post was based on comments posted on a message board inviting answers to the question on “how to become a Millionaire in three years” posted by a user. Many of the answers were sarcastic and not too helpful, but one quite detailed answer, posted by an entrepreneur stirred a lot of attention. The WSJ.com article listed a few of the tips from that entrepreneur. I thought the tips were well thought-out and inspiring. Below is the initial list (apparently from a contributor called “jasonlbaptiste”). Some additional tips were added as the discussion ensued. The entire message board discussion is found here: message board at Y Combinator. .

Continue reading ‘On Becoming A Millionaire’

This is not a rant. I try to stay away from the negative. But what is going on outside in my office parking lot is difficult to ignore. See these cars? They are owned by the State of Hawaii, and they have been sitting in our lot for over two years now. They run (or they did when they were left to rot). Finally, the landlord is requiring removal. But, the State’s rep tells me that they will not sell these cars, auction them, sell them for scrap, or even donate them to people in need of transportation. Why? Because the red tape to have the State authorize any of these responsible dispositions of its autos is too great. It is easier to have them towed to the dump and smashed and shredded. And that is where they are going. No benefit to anyone. Perfectly good transportation. No money to the State. Money will be paid out by the State to tow these vehicles and have them destroyed.

Continue reading ‘You’re Doing It Wrong!’

Occasionally a client comes to me for assistance in transitioning their business from a sole proprietorship to a corporation or limited liability company. Once the entity is formed and assets are transferred, etc., the conversation with the client will go something like this:

Continue reading ‘Don’t Blow Your Corporation or LLC Protection!’