Business plan confidentiality issues 2

[rotw]

Hello,

I do have a question on subject topic, your help is appreciated.

I prepared a business plan to start my own business. Its a ~30 pages document which explains my business idea, the operational/sales aspects etc.

I am required to share this plan with facilitators/incubators because I must clear some paperwork.
It is part of administrative procedure to have the incubator give a positive advice on my plan so I can move on.

The problem is that I worry that my idea would be stolen and that confidentiality is not adhered too.
There is no legal protections in place and asking sponsors to sign NDA agreements would be tricky.

Any suggestions?
What would you do: Would you share your plan with them or would you take calculated risks and how would you do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rotw]

Thanks!! star for you.

 

[GroovyGuy]

Hi rotw,
I would think that the minimum that you should consider at this stage of your business cycle is;
1) Have anyone that gets to see your business plan, or any proprietary information, needs to sign an NDA. [This is never an option, and I wouldn't deal with anyone who balks at signing an NDA.]
2) Copyright everything that can be copyrighted
3) Trademark anything that can be trademarked
4) Get your patents in the queue (if applicable)

GG

ps I have just started up a software company, and I have followed up on items 1 thru 3 above (item 4 is not applicable in my situation).

pps I discovered, that some years after I left an employer, that my bosses (a CEO & VP) have filed for patents (in their names) for stuff that I had developed during my employment with that company. What a bunch of sleez-bags. The moral of this story is 'don't trust anyone'.



"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

 

[rotw]

Hi GroovyGuy,
Thanks for your insight.

Would you request an NDA, if you send your business plan to a government entity as part of an online application process ?
For example this can be for review by the administration before a work authorization can be granted on a particular segment of activity.
In general the government administration will send the business plan to a competent economic agency to ask for advise/recommendation (e.g. chamber of commerce or similar institution).
In an alternative route, its more obvious how to put this in place, because the option involves that you can contact an accredited facilitator upfront who will issue a positive advice before you apply for paperwork to administration. Still the business plan is attached to application to the government - that will happen in any case.

 

[GroovyGuy]

Hi rotw,
I would like to think that a government entity would not have to sign an NDA, after all, "if you can't trust the government then who can you trust?".
I would also suspect that no government employee would be willing to sign an NDA. (ie They tend to shy away from taking responsibility. Who can blame them; what's in it for them?).
Good luck on your endeavor.
Cheers,
GG

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

 

[IRstuff]

A "government entity" is composed of the same sorts of people that populate a commercial company; in some cases, they might actually be worse.

I've had a "government entity" person patent an idea that we presented to them under proprietary data protection, and it was only by chance that I stumbled across the patent.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

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[rotw]

wow.. they really did that