As the year nears a close, do these things to save money, time, hassle and risk.

First off, if you celebrate, let me wish you a Happy Hannukkah!​
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It's getting to be that time of year when we all sort of wrap up our work activities, and things start to slow down. 

That makes this a really good time to think about a few tasks that are best done before 2021 begins. 

The items below will save you money, time, hassles and legal risk, so think them over and let me know if you want some help getting them squared away.

1. Trademark Registration Fees Increase on January 1st.

So, if you've got a distinctive brand or title for your podcast, series, products, services, NOW is the best time to get the registration done. Preparing a trademark application properly does take a little bit of time, so act quickly… get your order in so you don't wind up paying more. More about Trademarks on the website here.​​

2. Register your DMCA Agent to preserve your “Safe Harbor” from copyright claims.If you operate an online service that allows visitors/users to submit content (even just comments and reviews), you'll need to implement a DMCA policy, and designate the person to whom complaints must be sent. If you do this correctly, it can save you from lawsuits. And best of all, you can do it yourself. The cost? A whopping $6. 

​Click here to access the copyright office's DMCA Directory system where you can register. Prefer to have it done for you? As always, I'm glad to help you with this relatively easy and low-cost protection against copyright claims related to your online activities. If you have any questions, feel free to set up a quick call to discuss.

3. Get your (old and new) companies in orderFor some, this will mean closing up and dissolving older, unused 

corporations and LLCs . For others, just starting up, it means getting everything set for a January 2nd start date. I'm delighted to help with either task. Just reach out and let me know.​​

​4. Got a website? Get your customized Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and other site documents up to speed.

2021 will see some new, updated data privacy requirements implemented in California and Europe… so if your website has visitors from the Golden State or the EU, you'll need to make sure your website documents are in compliance. If your website documents weren't previously customized for your operations, it's necessary.  So let's take a look and see what kind of shape they're in.​