Start Up Heart Up

In this episode, patent and business lawyer Kae Gruner walks through each type of intellectual property, as well as the top 4 questions that every small business owner should ask themselves about IP as they build their business. From patents and trademarks to copyright and confidential information. Kae details the basic “what why and how” of IP for entrepreneurs to protect their personal and business assets.

Meet Flo, aka the Blended Beauty, an incredibly multifaceted influencer and educator, serving both lifestyle & beauty brands and other small biz owners wanting to thrive as creators on social platforms. Today lawyer Kae Gruner speaks with Flo about her experience pitching brands and negotiating influencer contracts. I came across Flo’s instagram profile through a post on her grid where she shared a carousel of key legal contract terms that she has encountered in her experience as an influencer. As a business lawyer, I was SO impressed with her keen eye and thorough understanding of not just why contracts are important but what specifically inside them will affect your small business the most. This episode is actually a bit longer than normal, since we touched on so many important topics for creators today- from loving yourself, and knowing that what makes you unique is really where your value lies as an influencer, to understanding your business needs, your contracts, and how to negotiate for what your worth! So grab a pen & paper or have your notes app handy, because this episode is so dang informative you may need to listen to it twice! And PS if you have a copy of my guided Business Planning Workbook, called Idea to Launch, jump to pages 14, 15, and 21 to work on your own partnership strategies, pitches, and of course contracts. PS Flo does consulting and you can book her on her website: https://www.blendedbeauty.biz/ Her IG is here: www.Instagram.com/theblendedbeauty

Bonus episode time! Hey, day-dreamer… I see you! I’m totally a dreamer too. I’m also a patent lawyer and pretty much obsessed with new ideas, innovation, & entrepreneurship. If you have a new business idea or side hustle dream that you just can’t shake, or if you have too many ideas to count, then it’s time for you to grab a piece of paper and take notes, sis! I’m here to tell you that, even without knowing what your business idea is, I know that you can be successful as an entrepreneur. Here’s how!

Put on your “product” hat for today’s episode! Product Development is the process of designing & building a new physical, digital, or service-based product. As we build new businesses, we brainstorm product ideas to create a revenue stream for a business. How do we do this? Start by drawing or outlining product ideas, then build your first prototype, beta-test a minimum viable product with potential customers, then collect & incorporate feedback. Ultimately you’ll launch with your first product, but I encourage new entrepreneurs to start thinking of multiple product types and revenue streams from day 1! As you’ll see in this episode, not having multiple streams of revenue could be catastrophic for your small business. Listen in to learn more! Find out more about John Lee Dumas and Entrepreneurs on Fire at https://www.eofire.com/, plus subscribe to his podcast to listen more to his brilliance. Also be sure to check out Kae on Instagram @startupheartup, and any of her resources including the Idea to Launch workbook, the free simple business plan template (fillable .pdf), or free business goal-setting guide (fillable .pdf), check out www.startupheartup.com/products. Thank you so much for listening to and supporting Start Up Heart Up! For inquires or episode topic requests, email hello@startupheartup.com. Ok byeee!

This episode is perfect for anyone with an idea or invention, and the discipline for making it come true. Business lawyer Kae Gruner interviews the Founder, co- creator, and co- inventor, of a patented infant feeding pillow. This story focuses on the importance of community in building a new product and business from scratch. If you’ve been listening to this podcast from the beginning, you know that I like to talk about the practical steps and roadmap around getting an idea out of your head, onto the page, and into the market. This includes mindful ideation, market research, product development, beta-testing a minimum viable product, intellectual property, patent law, and other legal protection, followed by branding and marketing your new business. As a busy mom and independent inventor, inventor Jessie wasn’t afraid to get scrappy. She used crayola clay to DIY model the first prototypes, she asked neighborhood moms to beta-test the product, and she jumped through all the legal hoops to comply with selling a product for babies. It wasn't easy and this is just the tip of the iceberg since they still have a whole lot of marketing to take on moving forward. Go follow @bebeboost on instagram, visit thebebeboost.com, and do all the things to help this dream come true and to get a truly cool product into the arms of people and babies who need it. Also, if you are thinking of starting a new business, whether it’s opening a restaurant, boutique, selling your professional service, or maybe inventing a new product, check out my Idea to Launch workbook, which is a business planning and strategy workbook for everyday entrepreneurs. It includes the whole roadmap I mentioned earlier, and is a great way to strategize and build your business as efficiently as possible. I am a business attorney, so I have carefully filled this workbook with key business and legal information to give you the boost you need to finally pursue your dream business. Grab yours at www.startupheartup.com/workbook ...Good luck, friends! Music, as always, by Lindsay Dunphy!

Have you ever asked, how do I open a boutique? How do I start a fashion blog? How do I start a retail business? If you’ve had any of these questions, then this episode is for you! Business lawyer Kae Gruner interviews Boutique Owner Lyndsey Marie about how she transformed a hobby into a profitable, brick and mortar business. She beta-tested along the way with a fashion blog and personal shopping service, pop-up shops and parties, and ultimately landed in the retail boutique location of her dreams on the beautiful Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Her story is inspiring for all small business owners and day-dreamers. She shows that with a heartfelt dedication to your dream, and a little bit of discipline for making it come true, you can launch that dream business of yours as well. Tune in to hear all about her journey, her experience finding a business partner, and finally holding the keys to her very own shop. Shop her hand-picked gift & clothing items at jeanandlou.com, and follow on social @shopjeanandlou. Feeling inspired? Pick up your free business plan template at startupheartup.com/businessplan. Music by Lindsay Dunphy!

Business & IP lawyer Kae Gruner is talking today about how to perform market research for your new business or side hustle. Market research is one of Kae’s 9 Key Business Launch Milestones to get your dream hustle from bright idea to business launch. (Startupheartup.com/milestones for more info...) ⠀ Are you ready to get that gorgeous little daydream out of your head and onto the page, and then into the marketplace? To give you some context for this episode, here are the 9 milestones: 1. Mindful Ideation 2. Market Research 3. Product Development 4. Pitch Perfection 5. Intellectual Property 6. Legal Protection 7. Brand Creation 8. Marketing Strategy 9. Launch Party! So, on the market research... WHY go to all that effort? Well, sometimes a great idea just feels RIGHT! Some of us are so in tune with our gut feelings, that we feel justified to move in a certain direction without looking into it further. But, a good saying to remember when making big business decisions is this: “trust, but verify”... All to avoid over-investing in the wrong direction, which saves you precious time & money! So first things first: ⠀ Identify the industry that your business is in, and then determine what niche you are within that industry. Put on your Google hat and investigate how that market is growing. There are in depth paid reports, but you can usually find a few good free summaries to give you a basic idea of market trends. ⠀ ⠀ Then, make a list (& update it regularly) of all the major players in that industry and niche, and write down all of their products that are similar or relevant to yours. Make notes on the pricing, promotion, and volume of engagement with customers on social platforms. ⠀ ⠀ Also, compare your products by key features and benefits, and see how you fit in to the market and how you can be differentiated. ⠀ ⠀ Taking basic steps like these can help you feel confident about pursuing new business and product ideas! If you have an exciting idea, and you’re wondering if it’s commercially viable, take out quiz at startupheartup.com/newbizquiz (Will Your New Business Idea Succeed or Fail?) ⠀ ⠀ If you are ready to start your new business, check out our Idea to Launch Business Planning and Strategy Workbook for Entrepreneurs at startupheartup.com/products ⠀

Are you an entrepreneur ready to start a new business or develop a new product idea, either physical, digital, or service-based? If so, how do you know that your potential customers will actually buy your product? This episode is jam-packed with techniques to investigate + validate your product ideas before you over-invest in the wrong direction. Kae walks through 5 steps to test the commercial viability of your new product idea. She also briefly introduces patent law, including how crazy loco it is that only 2.5% of applied-for patent applications ever actually result in licensing or commercializing a real product. Kae explores mindful product design, product development, lean prototyping, beta-testing your product with real customers, collecting customer feedback, and incorporating customer feedback into your products to ensure you are making informed strategic business decisions. Kae also lets you into her own experience with testing her prototypes and minimum viable product for a guided business journal for new entrepreneurs to start a new business from scratch. Listen for all this & more on episode 3 of the Start Up Heart Up Podcast. Music by Lindsay Dunphy! Check out our DIY resources for entrepreneurs on startupheartup.com/products

Do you ever feel like you’re falling behind in your business, life, or career simply because there are not enough hours in the day? Seriously, how frustrating is that?! Well, I hear you loud and clear! I’m a busy parent, working full-time, but I am constantly finding ways to make time (and to make time work) for my side hustle. It’s not easy, but I get it done! Listen in to learn my methods for making more time in the day and managing the time that I have. If you have a side hustle business or passion project, or if you’re a solo entrepreneur wearing every hat in your business, you really don’t want to miss this one. Let’s take back the power from our friend, Father Time. Who’s with me? Let’s do this!

Dreaming of starting your own business but have no idea where to start? Or is your existing small business falling flat? Well, I hear you, and I’m here for you! My name is Kae— I’m a business lawyer, goal-getter, & lover of new ideas. I want to take you on my own side hustle journey and share my business & legal learnings along the way. So are you ready to take a step with me in the direction of our dreams? Did we just become business best friends?! ...YUP!