Black creativity is boundless, and thankfully, many of us are turning our innovative ideas into businesses that are helping us generate wealth in our community. So when it comes to the intellectual property connected to our businesses (think: logos, designs, and other assets), attorney Candice Shantell says we can’t afford to just hope for the best – we need legal protection.
“We’ve always been very talented and creative people, but we just were never taught everyday business savvy that we need to survive as business owners,” Shantell said.
Shantell is a Texas attorney who runs Sophisticated Business Owners, an entrepreneur-focused consultancy firm that helps business owners nationwide with critical services and skills like trademarking, contract review, LLC setup, and more.
Her experiences through law school and in life have made her a fierce advocate for her clients and the business owners she coaches. While she calls Texas home today, Shantell was born and raised on Chicago’s south side and dreamed of becoming a lawyer since her teen years. She was a new mother to a baby girl when she was accepted to law school and pushed through — earning a spot on the Dean’s List every semester and graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Shantell has a range of products and services for business owners, but here’s a quick breakdown of how she might be able to help you:
If you are a new business owner who is just getting everything set up for the first time, Shantell recommends setting up a consultation call with her. On the call, you’ll give her information about your business and she can make recommendations about the type of legal protection and legal structure you will need going forward.
If you have been in business for a while already and just never took the time to set up your LLC or trademark your business name and logo, Shantell can help with that too. She offers a “done for you” service as well as informative and affordable courses for those who want to spend a little time and save a little money doing it on their own.
“My biggest goal is to make all the things in my mind accessible to the everyday business person. I want to make it so there are no excuses for business owners not to do things the right way.”
Her Brand Protection Trademark Course is available on-demand and walks you through every step you need to take to secure your brand at your own pace. For those who need help with contracts, Shantell’s Contract Review Masterclass takes place live on Jan 12, 2022 and she offers tiered packages for business owners who want or need extra help and attention during the class.
Shantell says that these types of services are not just “nice to have” items. Without this protection, she says anyone can use your logo, your business name, your designs, or anything else you have created without your permission – then that person could even register your business name as their trademark. So protecting yourself now is better (and cheaper) than trying to sue down the line.
“You wouldn’t go a fix-up and house that you have no ownership rights in. Well, it’s the same thing with your brand. You want to make sure that while you’re building your brand, you actually own it.”
Get started securing your business with Sophisticated Business Owners today!
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