What do Pat Riley and your small business have in common? More than you think.

The legendary NBA coach is set to make over $1 million just because he trademarked the phrase “three-peat”—way back in 1989. Fast forward to today, and if the Kansas City Chiefs win their third straight Super Bowl, Riley gets a cut of every piece of merch that dares to use the phrase.

Lesson? Protecting your intellectual property (IP) is like playing defense for your business—it keeps others from cashing in on your hard work.

Why Should You Care About IP?

As a small business owner, you’re constantly creating—brand names, slogans, product ideas, content, and more. But here’s the cold, hard truth: If you don’t lock it down legally, someone else will. And trust me, there’s nothing worse than seeing another company profit off something you built from scratch.

This isn’t just a problem for massive corporations or celebrities—small...