Iowa has never been the hot bed for franchisors but it seems as though some Iowa franchisors are really picking up steam. According to the Des Moines Register this morning Chocolaterie Stam stores have expanded to Ames, Chapel Hill N.C., and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Upcoming stores including Minneapolis and Steamboat Springs (that would be my personal
Guest Blogger: Mike Colwell of BIZ on Business Mentoring – Lessons Learned!
Looking back on the first year of work at the Business Innovation Zone (BIZ), I have met with over 60 potential clients ranging across a wide variety of business areas. I have learned much on this path. First and foremost, I have learned to never prejudge an idea. I must say that some of the
LLCs Are Not Always Better Than S Corps
I have seen many articles on the Internet which state that you absolutely need to form a limited liability company (LLC) if you are a small business owner. The S corporation, once the darling of small business entities, must now feel like the red-headed step child.
But as New York attorney Derek Underwood points out
Mark Cuban: You Only Need to be Right Once
Thought I would share this article from Seeds of Growth following up on Mark Cuban’s talk at Blogworld.
Remember: In business, you only need to be right once to be a success.
Did you know that a certain Central Iowa patent attorney also appeared at Blogworld? Quite a feather in Brett’s cap.
Should You Hire a Franchise Broker?
I ran across this informative article on whether you should hire a franchise broker to purchase a franchise via the Indiana Civil & Business Lawyer Blog.
The article discusses how the Internet has changed the way people find a franchise. With all the information available on the Internet it has produced "information overload" for prospective franchisees.
Sullivan & Ward’s Iowa Law Blog Goes Live
It took us awhile but Sullivan & Ward’s Iowa Law Blog is now live. It was designed with the able assistance of LexBlog. (The same company that designed and maintains this blog).
While Rush on Business tends to focus only on issues impacting Iowa businesses, we are taking a broader approach with the Iowa
Where Should You Incorporate Your Iowa Small Business?
Where should you incorporate your Iowa small business? This question is asked a lot by 
many prospective small business owners. The question used to be surprising but after seeing and hearing numerous advertisements for Delaware and Nevada corporations on the Internet and on satellite radio it is definitely a legitimate question.
Delaware has reputation and
CyberLaw: A Legal Arsenal For Online Business
If you operate an online business or you are thinking of starting one I recommend you pick up a copy of Cyberlaw: A Legal Arsenal For your Online Business. Written by Iowa intellectual property attorney Brett Trout the book is new and updated with lots more content than his previous version. This book still has
Small Business Trends: Blawg Review #126
I encourage you to check out Blawg Review #126 written by Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends. Anita is a lawyer by training but an entrepreneur at heart. Her award winning Web site was the "Best of the Web" according to Forbes Magazine for small business blogs.
The lineup of small business experts on Anita’s
Learn From the Hawkeyes About Hiring a Business Lawyer
I have written about how to hire a business lawyer at times in the past. My first rule is that the lawyer should be experienced and competent in business law rather than choosing a personal injury, family law, criminal law or other lawyer. My analogy used to be that you would not want a plastic