Statistics from Harvard Business Review show that Black women are twice as likely to start a business than their white male counterparts. With the surging numbers of Black women in entrepreneurship, there is a growing need for legal literacy when it comes to things such as formalizing the business through incorporation, understanding taxes, drafting contracts, and trademarking just to name a few. Well, BAUCE Reonna Green has identified this need and come right to the rescue.
Green is a trial attorney and founder of She Trademarks, a law firm dedicated to helping women business owners when it comes to business formations, trademarking, and general legal advice.
The Journey from Hair Stylist To Attorney
Formerly a hairstylist, now turned attorney, she recaps her journey to this point in time: “I started out doing hair and nails at the age of 15 as a part of a trade school program being offered at my high school. The program was a perfect opportunity because the beauty industry always sparked my interest as a high-maintenance teenage girl. At the age of 16, I was a licensed manicurist and a year later became a cosmetologist. For a brief stint, after being licensed and before graduating from high school, I had a moment where I didn’t want to achieve higher education but instead focus on being a hairstylist. However, it didn’t last long because, deep down, I always envisioned becoming a lawyer. So instead, I used my skills and cosmetology training to get me through undergrad and law school and was allowed to work doing a job I loved while pursuing my studies. Overall, the transition from beauty to the law was seamless and perfectly designed for my bigger goal, She Trademarks. It allowed me to get a perspective of my target clients, women entrepreneurs in the beauty industry, and how I can show up for them in the legal space.”
Becoming an attorney is already an outstanding accomplishment but this wasn’t enough for Green. She states: “I started She Trademarks for personal and professional reasons. On a personal level, I was trying to solve my struggle with feeling confined in a tiny professional box of what a female attorney should be: stuffy, conservative, and dry. With my looks and personality described as bold, outspoken, and sometimes flashy, I was often considered ‘too much’ and had to present a diluted version of myself to ‘fit’ the mold. She Trademarks is a way for me to show up as my authentic self in the workspace and give space for women entrepreneurs to do the same.”
Moreover, this BAUCE is extremely dedicated to teaching women all the essentials they need to know before starting a business. Having the idea is great. Visualizing the dream is fantastic. It is exciting coming up with a business name and already having a list of potential customers. But, there are a handful of things that women need to know when it comes to legalizing a business; Green shares those essentials with us:
The 3 Most Important Things To Consider Before Starting A Business
Protect your IP (Intellectual Property): She states: “As a new business owner, you should run a trademark search on the business name you want to use BEFORE you start spending money on branding, websites, logos, etc. You want to make sure that the name you want is available before you file a trademark on it. If not, you may find out that you’ve wasted your time building a brand you can’t actually own because someone else owns the rights to the name and brand. Lay the foundation and utilize trademarks and copyrights as they protect your brand from potential copycats and imitators.”
Use contracts: She goes on to say: “those handshakes, texts, and agreements in your DM’s are not the way to run and scale a successful business.” Reonna strongly affirms: “When something goes south, and the person on the other end isn’t holding up their end of the bargain, you want to make sure you have a legally enforceable contract to stand on to protect your business and your money.”
Don’t Wait To Get Your LLC: Green strongly affirms: “You should protect your assets early as a business owner. Creating an LLC isn’t ‘fun’ when you start your business, but it is one of the most critical things you can do for asset protection. This way, you can protect yourself in cases of life uncertainties: lawsuits, bankruptcies, etc.“
So, where does trademarking come in, and why is it important? She says: “Trademarking is important because it protects your brand from copycats as well as your hard-earned money. By underestimating the value of the trademarking process, you put your business and brand assets at considerable risk. When you ignore this step in creating the foundation of your business, you are allowing someone to make money off of your creativity, passion, and hard work simply because you didn’t bother to protect yourself. “
What This BAUCE Hopes To Accomplish With She Trademarks
For Green, her goal is to make the legal process more accessible to women entrepreneurs, continue to inspire and provide affordable resources such as DIY courses and monthly legal memberships. She hopes to expand her clientele to influencers, creators, massage therapists, and service providers.
For more details on Green’s work, check out her website and Instagram page.
