Welcome to the Center for Business & Innovation

Our entrepreneur portal contains over a dozen no-cost programs to help you plan & grow your business.

All the Resources You Need to Start & Grow Your Small Business Under One Roof

The Center for Business & Innovation (CB&I) is committed to business prosperity throughout Washington state. We provide no-cost services and resources for entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers to help them achieve greater success.

CB&I's Upcoming Trainings & Events

the center for business & innovation

Many of our trainings are now available online!

We know entrepreneurs are very busy so we offer many of our training series online on demand. Explore resources to learn more!

16
Oct

2nd Annual Saint Martin's University Business & Leadership Conference

17
Oct

Marketing Tips for a Winning Holiday Season

18
Oct

Sustainability, Business, and Entrepreneurship Series: Tom Strong, The Skokomish Indian Tribe

25
Oct

Sustainability, Business, and Entrepreneurship Series: Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, The Power of Design For Climate Innovation & Sustainable Business

View Full Event Calendar >

Explore All CB&I Program & Resources

Business Question of the Week:

How do I legally protect my business idea?

Legally protecting your business idea isn’t required, but it can be a smart move to ensure that no one else can copy your brand, products, or unique ideas. There are several ways to protect different aspects of your business, depending on what you want to safeguard.

If you're building a brand, you might want to register a trademark. This protects things like your business name, logo, or slogan. By registering a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), you can stop others from using similar branding that might confuse customers.

For those creating original content, like designs, written work, or software, copyrights are an easy way to protect your creations. Copyright protection is automatic once your work is in a tangible form, but registering it with the U.S. Copyright Office gives you extra legal strength if you ever need to take action against someone who copies your work.

If you've invented something truly unique, like a new product or technology, you can apply for a patent. A patent gives you exclusive rights to make, sell, or license your invention for up to 20 years, preventing others from replicating your innovation.

For business information that you need to keep confidential, like a formula or process that gives you a competitive edge, you can rely on trade secrets. To protect trade secrets, use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when sharing sensitive details with employees, partners, or investors. NDAs legally bind them from disclosing or misusing your proprietary information.

Finally, it's essential to think about contracts. Whether you're working with employees, suppliers, or business partners, having clear, written agreements in place protects everyone involved and helps avoid misunderstandings down the road.

Give the Gift of Opportunity

Learn more about how you can help support small businesses during Entrepreneur Month!