What's The Worst That Can Happen? – Details, episodes & analysis

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to have Gemma Went, an online business mentor, with a focus on helping online business owners to create the foundations that allow them to scale. She also trains and certifies online business coaches and consultants in the methods she’s been using for almost a decade and is founder of the Lighthouse Academy.

This episode covers so much … as Suzanne and Gemma go into the various benefits of trademarking, some of the potential drawbacks of waiting, as well as some of the nuances involved with ensuring you’re protected wherever you intend to do business. Gemma also shares how she’s managed to save a small fortune on legal costs where trademarks are concerned.

Finally, Gemma shares her concerns with Suzanne surrounding defamation and how to properly protect herself from that, as well as what could happen if Gemma could no longer work within her business. If you run an online business, plan to trademark anything in the near future, or are the face and main facilitator of your brand, this episode is well worth a listen.

In this episode:

[1:34] What does Gemma help people do as an online business mentor? 

[4:33] What are some of the things Gemma has trademarked within her business?

[7:22] Possible outcomes of waiting too long to trademark something within your business and what happens if someone tries to use something you’ve trademarked already.

[12:07]  Suzanne shares the costs of registering your trademark in various jurisdictions, as well as the benefit of doing so.

[18:33] Is defamation the worst thing that could happen in Gemma’s business? How would she protect herself against that? 

[29:04] What happens if Gemma can no longer work within her business? 

Learn more about Gemma:

https://gemmawent.co.uk

If you would like access to all of the resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit:

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to be joined by Karen Haller founder of the Behavioural Design Consultancy, which works with corporates and design professionals.  She’s also the author of the best selling Penguin published A Little Book of Colour which has been translated into 14 different languages.

Karen’s business journey has not been without legal issues and concerns, especially when it comes to Intellectual Property.  Over the years she’s learned valuable lessons including which party should present the contract first as well as the value of slowing things down during negotiations. She also shares her recent experience of what happens when you  transfer a large sum of money to the wrong business account … and the recipient then goes into liquidation!

Karen and Suzanne then go on to discuss the worst that could happen in her business and what you can do to protect yourself if a client doesn’t like the product or service that you’ve provided. 

In this episode:

[1:45] Who is Karen Haller and what does she do?

[6:10] What is the value in sending your agreement to an organisation first instead of accepting theirs? 

[10:57] Should you have an agreement in place and your first invoice paid before you begin work?

[20:24]  Lessons learned: What happens when you make a payment to a wrong account?

[23:58] Can you get your money back from a mistaken payment? 

[32:30] What's the worst that can happen in Karen’s business, and how can she protect herself if a client decides they’re not happy with the end product?

Learn more about Karen:  

Consulting: https://karenhaller.com/ 

Free design industry e-book:  https://karenhaller.com/free-10-myths-ebook/ 

Colour & Design courses https://karenhaller.com/courses/

If you would like access to all of the resources mentioned in this podcast, please visit:

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Since beginning her business in 2008, Bryony has shifted from marketing consultancy to a licensing and training business, and is now moving on to marketing planning software as a service.

In this episode, Suzanne kicks things off by chatting with Bryony about some of the issues she’s faced surrounding Intellectual Property protection. They then move into a very open discussion in which Bryony describes the termination of a joint venture, the ramifications of this at a particularly challenging time for her personally, and the legal challenges that were involved in the process. 

Finally, they chat about what’s the worst that could possibly happen in Bryony’s most recent venture as she offers software as a service, and how she’s made sure she’s fortifying herself against potential problems from the outset with a watertight contract.

A great episode for anyone with IP to protect, looking at a joint venture or starting a software as a service (SaaS) product  – listen to this episode first – there are real lessons to be learnt…

In this episode:

[3:10] Suzanne and Bryony discuss her time as a marketer, and how her business has evolved and changed since 2008.

[8:20] Bryony describes her experience with a joint venture that went belly up, and how she navigated the legalities of that process.

[15:34] Suzanne shares insights into Joint Venture Agreements and why they are so vital to have in place when you begin to collaborate with others.

[19:35] Bryony discusses her software as a service venture and the interesting approach she’s had to take in getting started that potentially leaves her open to greater risk than normal.

[23:58] They talk about negotiation and how it can be an excellent experience that leaves both sides feeling great about working together - if done right. 

Learn about Bryony

www.watertightmarketing.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne speaks with Richard Woods, former finalist on the hit TV series The Apprentice and founder of the Million Dollar Sprint, a growth accelerator for expert businesses. 

Richard talks about his experience of pursuing debts in the small claims court and why he would always recommend avoiding that process at all costs by having watertight contracts in place that get you paid in full and on time, especially pertinent at the moment in these uncertain times.  If you’re currently having problems getting your invoices paid, or if you're considering that you might take somebody to the small claims court, then this is an episode to listen to. 

Of course, no episode would be complete without talking about the worst-case scenario that could happen in Richards' business which he considers to be non-payers.   Suzanne also gives her opinion on what could be Richard’s worst-case scenario, which is what would happen if something happened to Richard being the face and the main trainer of the accelerator that he's running. So, if you’re also the face of your business and providing most of the delivery, this episode will prove insightful and thought provoking.   

Richard also shares some behind the scenes stories about what it’s really like to be on The Apprentice, facing Alan Sugar across the boardroom table doing your utmost to dodge those immortal words “You’re fired!”…

In this episode:

[4:43] Suzanne asks Richard about his experience in starting a business directly out of university on a graduate loan and what it was like building an import business in his early 20’s.

[8:40] Richard shares his experience of the small claims court, and why having a well thought out and properly worded contract can save a lot of time, money, and avoid court altogether.

[18:33] Richard shares his takeaways from having clients avoid payment, and what his contracts have in place to avoid that in the future.

[23:43] Suzanne spells out the worst that could happen in the Million Dollar Sprint if Richard fell ill and could no longer deliver on a commitment. She also shares how to fortify yourself against any similar situation in your own business.

[34:01] Richard talks about what it was like to be on The Apprentice, and shares some behind the scenes information about sets, scheduling, and how not to stand out at the interviews.

To make sure you have all YOUR business legal protections in place easily and affordably – including watertight contracts as Richard recommends – then join Suzanne’s Savvy Shay Business Club TODAY for just £47 (plus vat) per month instead of £97 (plus vat).  A SAVING OF £50 per month and peace of mind that you won’t need to head to the small claims court!

Click here for more information.  Offer ends midnight Friday, 29th April 2022

Learn about Richard

https://www.milliondollarsprint.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

In This Episode:

[4:43] Suzanne Asks Richard about his experience in starting a business directly out of university on a graduate loan and what it was like building an import business in his early 20’s.

[8:40] Richard shares his experience with small claims court, and why having a well thought out and properly worded contract can save a lot of time, money, and avoid court altogether.

[18:33] Richard shares his takeaways from having clients avoid payment, and what his contracts have in place to avoid that in the future.

[23:43] Suzanne spells out the worst that could happen in the Million Dollar Sprint if Richard fell ill and could no longer deliver on a commitment. She also shares how to fortify yourself against any similar situation in your own business.

[34:01] Richard talks about what it was like to be on The Apprentice, and shares some behind the scenes information about sets, scheduling, and how not to stand out at the interviews.

Check out the Savvy Shay Membership Special Offer:

(Link)

Learn about Richard

https://www.milliondollarsprint.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is joined by Michelle Raymond of The People's Partner. 

Michelle is a leading HR and leadership coach and trainer with a magnificent roster of clients from Deloitte, BT, and Lloyds as well as micro businesses with 10 employees upwards. 

In this episode, Suzanne and Michelle talk about corporates expanding the terms of their licenses regarding her training, and how she now deals with that. This leads into an important discussion around how to monetize the parameters of an Intellectual Property license or assignment. 

Michelle also shares the issues that she's had with freelancers poaching her clients, and Suzanne asks about the harassment, bullying, and racial discrimination cases that a number of her clients on the HR side have had to deal with. 

Of course, no episode would be complete without talking about what's the worst that can happen in Michelle's business including associates delivering training to clients and (if it’s sub-standard) the reputational damage it can cause, as well as clients cancelling overseas training. 

Suzanne gives her version of the worst-case scenarios involving incorrect advice, and what can happen if you haven't got the right limitation of liability clause in your contract. 

It’s a great listen and if any of this sounds relevant to your small business, then this will be an episode that you don't want to miss!

In This Episode:

[4:35] Suzanne and Michelle discuss scope creep and corporates expanding the terms allowed by her licensing agreements.

[6:36] Suzanne shares her insights on why it’s crucial to retain ownership of your Intellectual Property, and what you can do with it.

[13:19] Michelle relates her experiences with freelancers and associates poaching clientele, and how she’s protecting herself against that now.

[18:57] Suzanne and Michelle get into a deep conversation about Michelle’s HR experience, and the various cases she’s seen in that field and how they’ve been settled.

[29:45] Michelle voices her concerns regarding overseas training getting cancelled, and how to protect herself from that happening.

[32:52] Suzanne brings Michelle through the worst-case legal scenario in her business, talks about limited liability clauses, and tells us how to get that in place without breaking the bank.

Learn about Michelle

https://thepeoplespartner.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability

Today on the podcast Suzanne welcomes Deborah Edwards of Raised Up Finance - a chartered accountant for 20 years, working with small businesses and running her own coaching practice for ambitious entrepreneurs who want to advance their businesses and hone their finance skills.  

Deborah talks about the legal challenges she's grappled with over the past 20 years, as well as the common legal issues that she sees with her small business clients and their general approach to dealing with them. 

As always on “What’s the worst that can happen?”  Suzanne explores the worst that can happen to Deborah’s business including how managing your team effectively is vital to ensure that the reputation of your business is protected.

In This Episode:

[1:56] Deborah explains the importance of engagement letters.

[06:19] Deborah discusses the time she discovered her employment contracts might not have been as robust as she thought, and also delves into restrictive covenants.

[11:52] Suzanne and Deborah talk about probationary periods and terms surrounding them.

[13:37] Deborah relates a story about the time she had a dispute with her landlord over her previous office space and how it was resolved.

[17:36] Deborah talks about some of the main legal issues that she sees small business owners struggling with.

[22:48] They also discuss the vulnerability of small businesses in late or non-payments, and the debt collecting process.

[28:50] What’s the worst that can happen to Deborah in her coaching and accountancy business?

Learn more about Deborah Edwards!

www.raised-up-finance-school.teachable.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Today on the podcast, Suzanne is delighted to be talking to Justice Williams MBE, multi-award winning entrepreneur, business coach and trainer, and founder of Dream Plan Launch subscription boxes for female entrepreneurs starting a service based business. 

For the past 10 years, Justice has been supporting women to start and scale their businesses by delivering coaching, training and organising various events, business brunches and workshops.

In this episode, Suzanne chats with Justice about how in her earlier years of business, Justice hadn't really appreciated the importance of the legals and some of the hot water that she got into as a result!

They talk about the one thing that really made her sit up and start to take notice of putting legal foundations in place, and Suzanne also goes over the worst that can happen in terms of looking at her key asset - intellectual property. 

The two talk about VIP days and the kind of things that can go wrong that you wouldn't necessarily think about but that could have a huge negative impact on your business. 

If you are the creator of digital assets, a coach, or if you have a membership or an online course, this is a must listen for you!

In this episode:

[3:10] Justice talks about issues she faced over a customer dispute with PayPal. 

[9:35] Suzanne and Justice discuss an ordeal that Justice had to go through rebranding her company when she discovered someone else had already trademarked the name.

[12:55] Justice and Suzanne talk about trademark searches and the purposes of trademarking in different countries.

[15:50] Suzanne asks Justice what she thinks is the worst that can happen in her business.

[18:46] We learn about who could be liable in varying circumstances if there is an injury at a venue during an event.

[25:16] Suzanne tells Justice her story about the worst that happened to her in the beginning of her consultancy career.  

Learn more about Justice Williams!

www.dreamplanlaunch.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Cara Sayer is the inventor of SnoozeShade, a black out blind for your babies’ pram, sold worldwide and as used by many a celebrity and royalty. Cara has trademarked Snoozeshade in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Cara has experienced major brands copying her product and packaging and losing her trademark in the US and Canada. Thankfully  Cara has faced these issues head on and emerged triumphant! Suzanne is able to relax on the mic a little bit as Cara gives her insight on the development of her business, from presenting the prototype for SnoozeShade at a trade show in 2009, up until now, where Snoozeshade is a multi award winning, best selling product on Amazon. No episode of What’s the Worst That Can Happen would be complete without asking the question: What’s the worst that can happen? - Suzanne takes us through the hypothetical nightmare scenario that Cara “could” face in her business and how she can protect herself from legal repercussions if the worst should happen. 

In This Episode:

[02:12] Cara discusses the origins of her idea for Snoozeshade, and whether or not she would present it at a trade show, or go on Dragon’s Den.

[5:20] Cara shares the importance of trademarks and domain names in the international realm, and that brand names can mean different things in different languages.

[7:50] We learn that other companies have attempted to copy Cara’s product in the past and find out what legal options, if any, can be explored to rectify these situations.

[11:08] Suzanne and Cara chat about patents and design rights and why Cara doesn’t rely on those IP rights.

[14:28] Cara shares a story about the time another company blatantly copied her product, and how she went about turning it into a publicity win.

[19:08] What’s the worst that can happen to Cara and what approach would she take?

[21:57] The importance of getting trademarks set up and how they work in different countries.

[26:42] Suzanne and Cara discuss safety testing on her products and the different rules, regulations and legislation from around the world.

Learn more about Cara Sayer!

www.carasayer.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Clare Josa has been a leadership mentor since 2003. She’s the author of eight books, including Dare To Dream Bigger and Ditching Imposter Syndrome.

As well as helping small business owners to overcome imposter syndrome, Clare does a lot of training in large corporates, and helps them to achieve things like better team performance and closing the gender pay gap. In this episode, Clare shares the legal challenges she’s faced in her business, including corporations using her lead magnets within their training programmes without paying for rights to license them. Suzanne addresses the issue of “Scope Creep”, how it’s impacting Clare’s business in a negative way, and what Clare can do about it. Suzanne also shares her thoughts on how to get a corporate client to stop delaying on signing your contract. Thanks in part to Suzanne and her Legal Academy, Clare has all her legal issues covered. But even so, the show wouldn’t be complete without the terrifying hypothetical: What would be the utmost worst that could happen to Clare in her business surrounding defamation and copyright infringement?

In This Episode:

[2:12] Clare shares a major problem she’s had with corporates using her lead magnets as part of their in-house training programs without having the rights to use them.

[4:36] Suzanne and Clare talk about the clarity of her terms, and which steps Clare can potentially take to rectify the issue of ‘scope creep’.

[8:11] Clare explains what other  “scope creep” she has experienced and addresses the challenges of unauthorized recording of her keynotes.

[13:10] How do you get a corporate client to actually sign your contract?

[17:20] What’s the worst that can happen to Clare surrounding her reputation and defamation? How can she protect her business reputation when the business is based around that?

Learn more about Clare Josa!

www.clarejosa.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)

Welcome back! Today, Suzanne is speaking with digital marketeer extraordinaire Kimba Cooper who has spent a decade successfully managing online marketing channels across an impressive array of channels.  

Kimba is the master of gamification, taking all the fun and exciting aspects of games and applying them to everyday things to make them more enjoyable, enticing and rewarding.  If used well, gamification can be used to help reach business goals, by helping your customers to achieve theirs - working out their motivations and amending your course/challenge/affiliate launch / social media content to help them achieve their objectives in a way that works for them. It’s intriguing!

In this episode Kimba chats to Suzanne about some of the legal issues she’s faced including negotiating freelance contracts and trademarking her brand name. And of course, they discuss the most dreaded subject of all – what would happen if Kimba were to commit to helping a client gamify a major launch and not get the results?  Here, as always on What’s the worst that can happen? Suzanne provides clarity and reassurance by explaining the best possible legal protections to have in place to avoid those sleepless nights…

In this episode:

[02:10] What is gamification and why would you apply it to your business?

[04:45] Kimba gives examples of how gamification could work within different business models (including insurance sales).

[07:08] Kimba shares her top tips for gamifying an upcoming launch.

[11:36] Kimba discusses some of the legal issues she’s faced with working alongside freelancers.

[13:21] Suzanne and Kimba explain the importance of having a well worded contract in place to govern a working relationship, as well as how important negotiations are when it comes to creating a great contract.

[17:53] Kimba talks about her self-directed journey through trademarking her business name, and Suzanne breaks down why a trademark is the best legal protection your brand can have in place.

[22:01] What is the worst that can legally happen to Kimba Cooper if her gamification strategies don’t work, and how could a consequential loss clause help negate the possibility?

[31:06] Kimba discloses that she is a semi-professional hula hooper, and does a little myth-busting on the subject!

Learn more about Kimba Cooper!

https://kimbadigital.com

Find the resources mentioned in this episode!

www.suzannedibble.com/podcastresources

The contents of this podcast are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to amount to advice. You should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast. Suzanne Dibble and Niche Legal Solutions Limited disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast (other than in relation to matters for which is not legally permissible to disclaim liability)