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Erin Austin Erin Austin

It's Not That Kind of Non-Compete

There has been a lot of chatter about the imminent demise of non-competes nationwide.

The FTC is concerned with non-competes between an employer and an employee that restricts the worker from competing against the employer after the employment relationship ends.

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

IP is Fuel

The name of my business, Think Beyond IP, is core to my message that there is value in our businesses beyond the assets we immediately think of as IP, such as books, courses, and software (i.e., products).

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

Do You Own What You Think You Own?

Do You Own What You Think You Own? Knowing the answer to this question is fundamental, whether you want to scale now or seed the ground to someday sell your expertise-based business.

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

JUST SAY “NO” TO NON-COMPETES

Do you know my nickname for “non-competes”?

Niche killers.

A non-compete is a provision that restricts your ability to seek and work with similar clients. And what is a group of similar clients? A niche!

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

Creating a Non-Disclosure Agreement

If you serve corporate clients, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also commonly referred to as a confidentiality agreement, is often the first step in your business relationship.

NDAs are used to protect proprietary information, such as financial statements, new products, details of marketing campaigns, and information regarding distinctive operating procedures.

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

CONTRACTS AS A LIFE SKILL

You know how to read a balance sheet, even though you aren’t an accountant.

You post on LinkedIn, even though you aren’t a social media manager.

You’ve perfected the 4-minute egg (which apparently cooks for only 3 minutes), even though you’re no chef.

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

Taking Your Professional Services to the Next Level

Did you know that “professional services” constitutes the second biggest business sector in the US after oil and gas? Earning trillions of dollars annually, the North American industry classification for professional services is 54, so Greg Alexander named his mastermind community for boutique professional services firms, Collective 54.

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Erin Austin Erin Austin

AI Can’t Replace the Noticing that Comes from Experience

If it feels like everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) these days, that’s because everyone is talking about AI these days. 😅

The question I’ve been asked repeatedly: Will I be replaced by AI? If you are a chef instead of a cook, the answer is ‘no’--with some caveats.

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FREE RESOURCE

CAN YOU COPYRIGHT YOUR EXPERTISE?

Use this easy, straightforward assessment to find out if your unique expertise can be copyrighted. You may be surprised to learn the truth!