March 20, 2026
Got a USPTO Office Action? Here's What to Do Next
If you just received a letter from the USPTO about your trademark application, take a breath. An office action is not a denial, and it does not mean your brand is unprotectable. I…
Surge Business Law
Business
Browse 158 articles tagged with Business.
March 20, 2026
Trademark Registration Cost: USPTO Fees and Payment Plans
You built something worth protecting. Your brand name, your logo, the identity you have spent months or years developing. Now you are wondering whether a trademark is worth the co…
March 20, 2026
Trademark Strategy for Austin Startups | Surge Business Law
Austin's startup scene moves fast. New companies launch every week, venture money flows in, and a brand that took months to build can become a liability overnight if someone else…
March 20, 2026
Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Patent: Which Does Your Business Need?
You have spent real time building your business. The name, the logo, the product, the process you figured out through trial and error. But when someone asks whether you have prote…
March 13, 2026
Employee Handbook Basics for Texas Small Businesses
No Texas law requires you to have an employee handbook. That’s true and also somewhat beside the point. What a handbook does is answer the questions employees will have, set the e…
March 13, 2026
Texas Wage Claims: What to Do When an Employee Files a…
A notice from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) telling you an employee has filed a wage claim requires an immediate response, not because it’s an emergency, but because Texas…
March 13, 2026
Texas Independent Contractor Compliance Guide for Small…
If your business uses independent contractors, you’re managing legal risk whether you know it or not. The classification question doesn’t resolve itself because you signed a 1099…
March 13, 2026
How to Legally Fire an Employee in Texas
Texas is an at-will employment state. That means you can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason, as long as the reason isn’t an illegal one. What it doesn’t mean is tha…
March 13, 2026
Commission Agreements: What Small Business Owners Need to…
Commission pay is common in small businesses, salespeople, project managers, recruiters, service providers, and roles where tying compensation to results makes sense. It’s also on…
March 13, 2026
Hiring Contractors in a Healthcare Practice: HIPAA BAAs a…
Healthcare practices face an employment question that other businesses do not: every time you bring on a contractor who will touch patient information, you have two separate legal…
March 13, 2026
Employee Handbook Basics for Iowa Small Businesses
No Iowa law requires you to have an employee handbook. That’s true and also somewhat beside the point. What a handbook actually does is answer the questions employees will have, s…
March 13, 2026
Iowa Wage Claims: What to Do When an Employee Files a…
A letter from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) telling you an employee has filed a wage claim requires an immediate response, not because it’s an…
March 13, 2026
Protecting Your Business When an Employee Leaves: Non-Sol…
Most small business owners don’t think about post-employment protections until after someone has left. A key employee joins a competitor, starts their own competing business, or t…
March 13, 2026
What to Do When an Employee Is Stealing or Committing Fra…
Finding out an employee has been stealing from you, money, client data, company photos, or billing for services never rendered, is one of the most disorienting things that happens…
March 13, 2026
Iowa Independent Contractor Compliance Guide for Small…
If your business uses independent contractors, you’re managing legal risk whether you know it or not. The classification question doesn’t resolve itself because you signed a 1099…
March 13, 2026
How to Legally Fire an Employee in Iowa
Iowa is an at-will employment state. That means you can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason, as long as the reason isn’t an illegal one. What it doesn’t mean is that…
March 13, 2026
Hiring Your First Employee: Paperwork, Pay Structures, an…
The decision to hire your first employee is usually exciting and immediately followed by a low-grade panic about what you’re supposed to do next. Federal forms, state registration…
March 13, 2026
1099 vs W2: A Business Owner's Guide to Worker Classifica…
You found someone who can do the work. Now you need to decide how to pay them. Choosing between a 1099 independent contractor and a W2 employee feels like a payroll question, but…
March 11, 2026
What to Do After You Buy a Business: Post-Closing Checklist
Closing day isn't the finish line. It's the starting line. If you're wondering what to do after you buy a business, the first 30-90 days are critical. You need to transfer ownersh…
March 11, 2026
How to Buy Out a Business Partner: A Legal Guide
Buying out a business partner is one of the most common, and most emotionally charged, business transactions. Whether you're parting ways amicably or dealing with a difficult situ…
March 11, 2026
How to Buy a Franchise: Legal Considerations Every Buyer Should Know
Buying a franchise is different from buying an independent business. You're not just acquiring assets and customers. You're entering a legal relationship with a franchisor that go…