The Top 3 Legal Basics that Every Small Business Owner Needs with Andrea Sager

Andrea Sager sitting in front of a brick wall at a desk with a silver Macbook in front of her

We get into the business for the passion, right? To make money doing something we love. I totally understand the desire to jump right in. However, the fact of the matter is that if you have a business, there are some pretty important legal actions you need to take to protect your business (and yourself). The good news? It doesn’t have to be as intimidating as we make it out to be.

“Don’t be afraid to use a contract [because] it can protect you and the other party in more ways than one. And it makes you look more professional. If I’m going to be working with somebody today, they better be sending me a contract. If they don’t send me a contract, then I’m going to question their professionalism.” -Andrea Sager

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the strategies and marketing for your business, but the legal foundation is seriously so important. I don’t just want you to take my word for it because truthfully, I’m no expert! But luckily I know someone who is…

Join me on this episode jam-packed with free (and super useful) legal advice from my friend, Andrea Sager. Andrea is a lawyer who specializes in helping small businesses navigate the world world of law as they build and grow their company. Her story is truly inspirational. Follow along as she shares her entrepreneurial journey (it started by selling clothes on Poshmark), explaining how being fired from what she thought was her “dream job” led her to realize her real dream of serving small businesses.

I admire Andrea in more ways than one. She managed to maintain 6-figure months in her business in the midst of a pandemic all while dealing with divorce and the mom guilt that comes with being a successful businesswoman.

Andrea truly has a knack for breaking the complicated world of the law down into easily digestible bits for small business owners. So, for those of you who have been avoiding the legal aspects of building your business (or didn’t know they existed in the first place), there’s no need to worry. She’s upfront and honest about what you can do yourself and when you should get expert advice (she even offers one of her super useful freebies)!

Listen as Andrea dives into legal advice for small businesses, explaining how, with the right mindset (and help), business law doesn’t have to be so scary after all. Her biggest piece of advice? Being proactive. She explains the importance of establishing your entity (and why you should register as an LLC ASAP), using contracts for protection, and securing your intellectual property. I’m telling you, this information has so much useful information that can set you up for (legal) success so you can start (or grow) your business without a worry. Trust me, you’ll want to take notes!

In this episode…

[01:50] Why you need to start giving yourself permission (with “Jane”).

[03:19] Balancing expert advice and your own intuition.

[04:00] The questions you can ask to ensure alignment (and build your business).

[06:23] How I navigated a recent pivot in my own business.

[08:36] There’s always another path to the result you want.

[11:01] Knowing the difference between relief and fear.

[14:08] It’s okay to go in a different direction (as long as it feels right).

[15:01] It gets to feel good and be successful (the ultimate form of self-love).

Quotes:

“The number one thing that I like to tell people is the legal stuff doesn’t have to be scary. And the sooner you take care of it, the less scary it is.” -Andrea Sager

“The legal stuff actually has a lot to do with mindset. And it does provide a lot of blocks in people’s businesses, because if you don’t take care of it in the back of your mind, you’re like, ‘Oh, I really need to do this, but I don’t even want to think about legal. I don’t want to even touch it.’ So it creates a block.” -Andrea Sager

“Don’t be afraid to use a contract [because] it can protect you and the other party in more ways than one. And it makes you look more professional. If I’m going to be working with somebody today, they better be sending me a contract. If they don’t send me a contract, then I’m going to question their professionalism.” -Andrea Sager

“It’s not scary and it’s not as expensive as people think it is. It only gets expensive when you wait for those issues. And that’s really where the scariest stuff happens. The expensive stuff happens. So when you’re proactive and you tackle it head-on, it can save you many headaches can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. It can save you a lot in the long run.” -Andrea Sager