Guests: Brad & Jacob Roche from The Mortgage Planner at Element Home Loans
Each week as co-host, we are asked to bring something to share – an insight, article, or perspective we believe will resonate with the small business community tuning in. To kick off our April co-hosting series on Local Biz Now, we opened with a topic near and dear to our hearts: intellectual property.
With World Intellectual Property Day later this month (4/26), it felt like the right time to bring IP to the forefront and share insights that would hit home for small business owners, startups, and creatives alike.
We referenced a piece from Entrepreneur that remains highly relevant:
👉 “4 Intellectual Property Mistakes Startups Make and How to Avoid Them”
According to the article, these four mistakes show up frequently, whether the business is in its first year or well into scaling. When working with clients, we have encountered all these issues, which were the basis for a related investigation. As touched on during the show, below is a quick look at these missteps and potential ways to avoid them:
1. Making wrong assumptions about IP ownership
Just because a business is formed does not mean it owns everything its founders created, especially if work was done before the company existed. The legal default is that the creator owns the IP unless it is explicitly assigned to the business through proper agreements. This becomes especially murky when dealing with co-founders, freelancers, or friends contributing casually to a new venture. Without clear documentation, companies often scramble later to clean up ownership issues, especially when outside funding or acquisitions come into play.
2. Taking a DIY approach to IP protection
While it is tempting to save money with templates or online legal tools, IP protection is not the place to cut corners. Agreements governing IP need to be precise and enforceable. Using a generic contract from the internet or a filing for a trademark on your own may seem like a shortcut, but it often leaves loopholes or omits critical steps, potentially putting the company’s most valuable assets at risk. An attorney’s involvement on the front end could save you time, money and headaches on the back end.
3. Skipping simple steps that could prevent future problems
In the excitement of bringing a new product or business to life, launching under a business name or product label without checking whether it is already in use can create massive challenges down the road, leading to cease-and-desist letters, forced rebrands, or worse. Trademark searches using the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) online tool are a basic (but essential) first step. Supplementing that with keyword searches in your favorite search engine, state business registry lookups, and tools like Namecheckr can help identify potential conflicts across product and company names, domain URLs and social media handles.
4. Operating without a formal IP strategy
As a business grows, so do its IP needs. That means identifying what qualifies as IP (trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets), securing ownership, creating confidentiality protections, and deciding whether to license or acquire IP from others. This kind of forward planning ensures that the business can protect its innovations, retain control over its identity, and monetize what it builds. Waiting until a dispute or due diligence process forces the issue can result in stress and costly delays.
During our preparation for the show, we located a newer tool from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). For business owners unsure where to start when evaluating what may be considered IP in their business, we recommend the WIPO’s free IP Diagnostic Tool, as a helpful resource that walks through questions to help identify hidden or unprotected assets and guide next steps.
Guest Interview:
For the second half of the show, we welcomed The Mortgage Planner, Brad Roche and his son Jacob Roche, from Element Home Loans. As mortgage vehicles and financial strategies have evolved, there are more ways than ever to secure funding for a new home. Their story is more than just one of shared expertise, it is a true family legacy. Jacob grew up around the mortgage business and always knew it was the field he wanted to pursue.
Today, they work together, and Brad candidly shared that he often turns to Jacob for advice. The respect and camaraderie between them was clear and offered a refreshing look at how mentorship and trust can move in both directions, especially when the next generation is excited to lead.
Check out this episode:
WSIC’s Local Biz Now radio show airs live from 4pm – 5pm every Monday.  It can be heard live on FM 100.7, FM 105.9, AM 1400, or a live stream through their website: WSICNews.com
