You started this year fired up and ready to go.
Your goals? Set.
Your Q1 plan? Mapped out back in quarter three like the overachiever you proudly are.
But meanwhile… the legal side of your business is sitting in the corner with full-on Janet Jackson energy saying,
“I know you used to nice things for me”
Because at some point, you did make legal a priority.
You formed the business.
You grabbed a contract.
Maybe you protected a name or two.
But now?
It’s been one… two… maybe even three years since you seriously checked in on any of it.
And while your business has grown, evolved, and stretched into its next level… your legal foundation is still sitting there like,
“ But what have you done for me lately?”
And the truth is: if this is the year you want your expertise to work harder than you do, it might be time to give your legal foundation the glow-up it deserves.
Hello Genius, welcome back to another episode of the Own Your Genius podcast—the space where we encourage you to use your education and experiences to create dope businesses. I’m your host, Brand Attorney LaConya Murray, owner of Off the Mark IP Solutions and founder of MARKEDlegal.
Before you sprint any further into the year—before you launch the new offer, sign the new clients, or build that new revenue stream—this is the moment to pause, breathe, and ask a different question:
“Is the foundation I’m building on actually strong enough to support where I’m going?”
Because momentum without protection isn’t strategy.
It’s stress. And you deserve better than running a business that looks powerful on the outside but is quietly vulnerable on the inside.
Which brings us to the heart of today’s episode. The Legal Audit Every Business Should Do This Year.
When your legal foundation is aligned with the business you have now—not the one you started with—you create the freedom to grow, scale, and profit without hesitation.
THREE AUDIT AREAS FOR YOUR NEW YEAR LEGAL CHECK‑IN
#1: Review Your Business Structure — Make Sure It Matches the Business You’re Running Today.
Most experts set their structure once and never look at it again.
But your structure isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation.
It needs to grow as your business grows.
Here are the questions to ask yourself during your structure audit:
Business Structure Audit Questions
- Does my current business structure (LLC, PLLC, S‑Corp election, etc.) still support my revenue, risk level, and long‑term goals?
- Have I kept up with all required state filings, annual reports, and renewals?
- Do my formation documents—like my operating agreement—reflect how the business actually runs today (owners, roles, decision‑making, distributions)?
- Has my accountant suggested an S‑Corp election based on revenue, and have I acted on it?
- Have any new lines of business, offers, or partnerships created risks my current structure doesn’t address?
Once you ask these questions, you’ll know whether your structure needs a refresh or simply a clean checkmark for the year.
When your business structure matches your vision and operations, everything else becomes easier—you move with clarity, confidence, and protection.
#2: Review Your Intellectual Property — Protect the Expertise That Drives Your Revenue.
Your intellectual property is the business.
If it’s unprotected, you’re scaling on shaky ground.
Your New Year IP audit should answer one core question:
“What have I created, and have I claimed it?”
Intellectual Property Audit Questions
- Are my business name, program names, and taglines protected—or is someone else free to claim them first?
- Have I documented my signature frameworks, processes, or methodologies so they’re clearly identifiable as mine?
- Have I marked my curriculum, course materials, tools, worksheets, and digital products with proper IP ownership notices?
- Have I added or retired offers this year that should be trademarked, copyrighted, or removed from older materials?
- Is there anyone currently using my work who shouldn’t be—and do I have protection in place to address that?
This part of your audit helps you see exactly where your ideas are vulnerable… and where you have opportunities to turn your IP into assets that work for you this year.
When your IP is protected, you can license it, scale it, package it, and profit from it—without fear of losing control of your genius.
#3: Review Your Contracts — Protect Your Time, Boundaries, and Revenue.
Your contracts should speak for you when you’re not in the room.
They should also reflect the business you currently run—not the version of you from two years ago.
Ask these questions as you review your agreements:
Contract Audit Questions
- Do my contracts match the offers I deliver today—scope, pricing, boundaries, communication, and timelines?
- Do they clearly protect my intellectual property from unauthorized use, copying, or distribution?
- Are my payment terms structured to protect my cash flow (deposits, late fees, cancellation policies, access revocation, etc.)?
- Is the language clear about what’s included, what’s not included, and when my responsibility ends?
- Do I have contracts for every category of work I do—consulting, speaking, licensing, digital products, collaborations, and subcontractors?
This audit doesn’t just protect your business—it protects your peace.
Updated contracts reduce confusion, eliminate scope creep, and set expectations you no longer have to constantly manage.
Once your contracts reflect your current expertise and boundaries, your business relationships become smoother, easier, and far more aligned.
RECAP
Before we wrap up, let’s pull this together—because clarity is power, and your business deserves to step into the year with protection and intention.
Here’s your New Year legal audit, simplified into one clear action plan:
- Review Your Business Structure
Make sure the foundation you started with still supports the business you’re running now.
Check your filings, review your operating agreement, consider tax elections, and confirm your structure aligns with your current revenue and goals.
- Review Your Intellectual Property
Your ideas are assets—treat them like it.
Identify what you’ve created, confirm what’s protected, update your ownership notices, and determine which names, frameworks, or materials need additional protection this year.
- Review Your Contracts
Your contracts should protect your time, your boundaries, and your expertise every single time.
Update your terms, tighten your scope, clarify payment structures, and make sure you have agreements that reflect your current offers.
And here’s the good news—you don’t have to figure this out alone.
If you’re ready to protect your ideas and put them to work for you this year, MARKEDlegal gives you the legal foundation and positioning tools to do exactly that.
Inside, you get attorney‑drafted contracts, practical guidance, and support that helps you protect your business, clarify your value, and leverage your expertise without working overtime.
Join MARKEDlegal today at markedlegal.com. It’s the easiest way to protect your intellectual property, position your expertise, and start profiting from the work you’ve already done.
And if you loved today’s episode, do me a favor:
- Subscribe so you never miss an episode
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- Share this episode with a friend who’s ready to protect their business, safeguard their ideas, and finally get their legal foundation working for them.
Until next time, keep building your business, growing your brand and owning your genius!
