Now more than ever, Instagram entrepreneurs are hoping to win big by leveraging a multi-billion user platform. Using Instagram as an online platform is an excellent way to start your own company, build a brand, and gain a loyal following. One massively successful way for you to take advantage of Instagram is hosting contests directly…
Tag: Entrepreneurship
Matal v. Tam: The Future of Disparaging and Scandalous Trademarks
Trademarks are ubiquitous in the everyday lives of countless consumers. Indeed, some consumers have little difficulty drawing big brand logos from memory, down to the precise colors and details.1 That aptitude did not arise by happenstance: brands are designed to create a bond between the consumer and the product by provoking the consumer’s emotions.2 Still,…
Some People Are Calling Airbnb Racist – And The Company Is Responding
Applying Old Laws to New Problems If you’re renting out a room in your apartment or giving someone a ride in your car, are you legally obligated to abide by the same anti-discrimination rules that businesses must observe? The answer isn’t crystal clear for millennial-preferred services such as Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb that have…
Easy Money? The Pitfalls of an Untested Regulation A+
The entrepreneurial community has been abuzz recently over the potential of the new Regulation A+. Finalized by the SEC pursuant to the JOBS Act and effective since June 2015, this update to the existing Regulation A exemption allows companies to seek out liquidity by offering equity to an unprecedented base of investors – the unaccredited.1….
Three Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Consider Detroit
It is not news that in the summer of 2013 Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.1 In spite of the bankruptcy proceedings, which formally concluded when Judge Steven Rhoades confirmed the City’s plan last November, Detroit received a lot of press as a burgeoning hub for entrepreneurial activity. While many may still…
Uber Altering Approach Towards Regulators
Uber, the smartphone-based ridesharing service long known for operating in the face of unknown legal consequences while daring regulators to bring legal action,1 may be adopting a new approach. Instead of facing regulators with defiance, the company has started to push for new laws that would bring its services into a clearer status of legality.2 …
Unsustainable Burn Rates
“No one’s fearful, everyone’s greedy, and it will eventually end.”1 Startup companies are burning through cash at unsustainable levels. Almost all failed startups cease to exist because cash runs out, and nearly all startups get close to running out of cash at some point, regardless of outcome.2 Every startup company is fueled by cash investments.3…
Burger King-Tim Hortons Merger: Another Corporate Desertion or Good Business Strategy?
In late August, Burger King announced that it intended to acquire the Canadian coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons for $11 billion.1 The combined company will be headquartered in Canada.2 By purchasing Tim Hortons, Burger King has faced criticism that it is yet another U.S. corporation deserting its country for tax advantages.3 In the last…
Two Ways to Corner the Market: The Battle of Beer
There is a battle being played out in Ann Arbor and throughout the rest of Michigan. No, it has nothing to do with the Michigan Wolverines lackluster start to the football season. This battle is about beer! To be more specific, this battle is about the rapid growth of the craft beer industry in North…
(Jump)start Our Business Startups: The JOBS Act 500+ Days Later (Part 2)
Two years, one month, and three days have passed since President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act into law. A product of rare bipartisanship, the JOBS Act was praised on both sides of the aisle as improving access to capital for US small business, which would in turn drive economic growth.1 While…