How can I protect my new business?

Z

zerosumgame

Guest
I have just started a new business that I am confident will scale. In the last week I have taken on 2 clients grossing approx. €20k - €35k per client. In short I have developed a Spreadsheet Based Toolkit and I also manage my clients back office. I currently have 3 tools developed and will be installing my Toolkit onto my clients computers next week.

Other people in the industry that I am targeting are eager to get their hands on my Spreadsheet Based Toolkit...but...not all are willing to pay for it!

In addition my competitors have approached me and inquired if they can purchase the toolkit - this is not something that I want to do, as it is my USP.

I am toying with writing date specific macros that will prevent editing of the files. Can anybody think of a better way of protecting my Intellectual Property. Is there a way that I can create a licence type code in the Spreadsheet itself?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

TY.
 
From the brief details you have offered, I think you might be best meeting with an Intellectual Property lawyer to secure your toolkit, before others do a help themselves on what is yours.
 
At a minimum add Copy right to your code.

I think you can also encrypt excel macros.

Also get clients to sign license agreement for the toolkit.
 
All the inbuilt password protection for VBA is easily cracked.

Theres 3rd party tools you can buy to protect your macros.

Any commercial tools for Word/Excel I've seen, put the functionality into components rather than in macros.

I've never done it outside of a company scenario where protection wasn't an issue.
 
if it's software you should have a license agreement. You don't sell your software, you sell someone a license to use it.
 
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