Unfortunately, many businesses don’t consider the cost of maintaining a website. The cost of maintaining your website over a 12-month period needs to be added to your budget so that your website, and ultimately your business, has the chance to achieve its goals.

For some businesses the maintenance costs are not high, for others they can far exceed the development cost. The cost of maintaining a website will vary due to many factors. They could include:

• The size and complexity of your website

You might also want to trademark your business name or domain name to protect it. You can trademark on a national or statewide level. To register your business as a local trademark, contact the Secretary of State’s office in your area. To register as a national trademark, you will need to contact the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov).

They also have a search engine (Trademark Electronic Search System, or TESS) that can help you determine if the name has already been trademarked.
IP PROTECTION

Setting up an offshore company should be done by someone who specializes in such matters. These are usually incorporation agents. However, here are a few things you need to know about the set up:

• Choose the country for your company
• Determine the type of entity you wish to use for your company
• Choose your company’s name
• Draft the Articles of Association
• Determine the method of funding your company
• What method you will use to issue shares
• Determine the directors of your company