by eclewis | Jul 22, 2015 | Business News
Marketing Your Business or Yourself, the Elevator Pitch
Perhaps you’ve heard about this idea before or even told yourself that you would come up with one but haven’t yet. It’s the so-called “Elevator Pitch.” It is all about being able to pitch your business, idea, or yourself to someone in the minute or so that it takes to ride in an elevator with someone. It sounds easy right? It can be harder than you think, but it is time to finally put one together so you are armed with it when the need arises.
The general idea is that you describe yourself or your business in a dynamic way that is succinct but sticks with the listener. Just like with a well-timed pause, less can be more when it comes to making a pitch to someone. When crafting an elevator pitch, you should be thinking about what would be important to the listener. What keeps them up at night? What problems do you solve for people? These are the questions that can prompt you to create a good elevator pitch. However, you want to make sure you include some passion too, to keep it interesting.
So a good elevator pitch would generally cover the following areas:
- What you do and how you do it differently than others
- Explain what problem it is that you solve
- Describe the value that you add
- Close with a call to action (hire me, invest in my business, etc.)
The first part is to try and come up with a catchy way to explain what you do and how it is different from others. However, you should not dwell on the competitors if there are any, remember, this pitch is about you and why you do things differently. This is distinct from just what makes you better than the competition. You can then expand on this by describing a common problem that people face and how you or your business solves it in a way that makes economic sense. Incorporated within the entire pitch is the idea of value. Whether that means that you do what you do more efficiently and affordably than others or if you are adding some new value that others don’t, you just need to make that value clear to your listener.
Once you put together a great elevator pitch, it’s a good idea to think about what you will say next. If you get their attention with your pitch and respond with “tell me more,” you should be prepared for that too. Come up with the “what’s next” part of your pitch. This can include what the next direct steps are in order for them to do what your call to action consisted of (hire you, invest in you, etc.). Another approach is to offer some examples or hypotheticals of how what you do has or can succeed.
All of these concepts can apply whether you already own a business and are trying to get new clients, customers, or investors, if you are seeking out investors or partners to start a new business, or if you are just trying to get hired individually. After all, this type of pitch is a great way to network for a new internship or job too.
If you need legal advice on making a change to your business, or are ready to start a new business of your own, then don’t hesitate to reach out and contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.
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by eclewis | Jul 15, 2015 | Business News
Business Innovation is About More than Looking Forward
When most people think about innovation, they picture headline-grabbing technologies: AI breakthroughs, cutting-edge gadgets, or the newest software platforms. While those advances can be game changers, true innovation is broader. Often, it means looking backward to proven methods and tools, then reimagining how they can solve today’s problems. Older technologies and processes come with a track record of reliability, user familiarity, and lower costs—assets that can be repurposed in surprisingly modern ways.
New Value from “Old” Tools
Consider Google’s phone service launched as Project Fi (now Google Fi Wireless). The idea was simple but powerful: let your smartphone make calls, send texts, and use data over Wi-Fi when available; if not, switch to traditional cellular networks (originally Sprint and T-Mobile). This approach didn’t require inventing a brand-new network. It recombined existing infrastructure—ubiquitous Wi-Fi and established carriers—to improve coverage, speed, and cost. Indoor cell reception can be spotty; Wi-Fi is often stronger. Cell data can be expensive; Wi-Fi is frequently free or included. The innovation wasn’t a futuristic antenna; it was a clever orchestration of what already existed.
Project Fi also reframed pricing: pay a modest base fee for talk and text, then only for the data you actually use, with credits for unused amounts. For years, “innovation” in mobile meant ever-faster networks and ever-bigger unlimited plans. Fi challenged that assumption, encouraging people to lean on a mature, reliable technology—Wi-Fi—to stretch budgets and improve performance.
Why “Retro-Fit” Innovation Works
Looking to the past to build the future works for several reasons:
- Reliability & Trust
Legacy tools have already passed real-world tests. Your customers, staff, and partners know how they behave. That makes adoption quicker and support easier.
- Cost Efficiency
Mature technologies are often cheaper to deploy and maintain. Repurposing them can deliver outsized ROI, especially for small and midsized businesses.
- Speed to Market
You can innovate faster by recombining known components than by inventing from scratch. This “Lego block” mindset reduces development risk.
- Resilience
Diversifying your tech stack with proven tools can improve redundancy and uptime. If one channel fails, the “old” one may keep you running.
Examples Beyond Telecom
- Retail & Restaurants:
QR codes—introduced years ago—surged again as a hygienic menu and payment tool. Combined with modern POS systems, they reduce costs and wait times.
- Email & SMS:
Despite countless “email is dead” headlines, email newsletters and SMS alerts routinely outperform many social channels for direct engagement. Pairing them with updated segmentation and automation revives a classic channel with modern precision.
- Manufacturing:
“Right-sized” automation using durable, older machines retrofitted with sensors can yield real-time insights without a full facility overhaul. Add low-cost IoT gateways instead of replacing entire lines.
- Content & Community:
Long-form blogs and forums—hardly new—are enjoying renewed relevance as brands seek owned channels that aren’t dependent on changing social algorithms.
- Payments:
ACH and bank transfers—older rails—are being re-imagined with modern interfaces to lower fees versus credit cards, improving cash flow for subscription businesses.
- Sustainability:
Refurbishing and re-deploying equipment reduces waste and capital expense. “Remanufacture + software” often beats “discard + buy new.”
A Practical Framework: Innovate by Recombining
You don’t need moonshot R&D to innovate. Use this step-by-step approach:
- Inventory Existing Assets
Catalog the tools, licenses, processes, and vendor contracts you already have. Include “retired” tools that could be revived.
- Map Pain Points
Where do customers wait, complain, or drop off? Where are your costs spiking (fees, uptime, staffing, vendors)?
- Recombine
Ask: What if we used channel X to support process Y? Could Wi-Fi backstop cellular? Could SMS augment app notifications? Could ACH complement card payments?
- Pilot Quickly
Run a narrow test with clear success metrics (conversion rate, cost per order, time to fulfillment). Keep documentation light but precise.
- Secure & Comply
Older systems can raise security or compliance questions. Patch, segment networks, and update policies. Make sure your innovations fit industry regulations.
- Scale with Guardrails
If the pilot works, expand deliberately. Train staff, update SOPs, and formalize vendor SLAs so “old-meets-new” runs smoothly at production levels.
Legal Considerations When You Reuse or Retrofit
Reimagining older tech is smart—but do it with legal foresight:
- Entity & Contracts
If you launch a new product line or service channel, review your operating agreement, bylaws, and customer/vendor contracts to ensure they cover the new model (billing terms, data handling, warranties, SLAs).
- Licenses & Permits
A “simple” channel change can trigger different licensing or permit requirements (e.g., food delivery, remote medical services, or new payment flows).
- Intellectual Property
Combining old tools in a novel way can create protectable IP (copyright, trade secret, sometimes patents). Likewise, confirm you’re not infringing on others’ rights when repurposing software, content, or designs.
- Privacy & Data Security
If you extend legacy systems to handle customer data, ensure your privacy policy, data retention schedule, and security measures meet current standards (encryption, access controls, vendor due diligence).
- Employment & Policies
New workflows (like remote field service with Wi-Fi-first apps) may require updated employee handbooks, device policies, and reimbursement practices.
Pro tip: a brief legal health check before rollout is far cheaper than unwinding a scaled mistake.
Culture: Celebrate Pragmatism, Not Just Novelty
Teams often equate innovation with “brand-new.” Reset that narrative. Celebrate outcomes—better service, lower costs, faster delivery—regardless of whether they came from a fancy new platform or a clever reuse of something you already own. Make “What can we reuse or recombine?” a standard agenda item in product and operations meetings.
Start Small: A 30-Day Innovation Sprint
- Pick one customer friction point.
- Identify two mature tools you already have that could help.
- Stand up a pilot with a single team or location.
- Measure two metrics (e.g., response time and cost per transaction).
- Document what worked, then either expand or sunset quickly.
In many cases, the fastest wins come from smart, humble changes, not massive overhauls.
Innovation isn’t only about chasing the newest technology. It’s about solving problems creatively, often by rethinking the value of tools that have been with us all along. If one of the most innovative companies in the world could lean on Wi-Fi—and pricing simplicity—to rethink mobile service, your business can absolutely find its own “old-meets-new” breakthroughs.
If you need legal advice on making a change to your business, or are ready to start a new venture of your own, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or Contact Us.
by eclewis | Jul 3, 2015 | Business News
CO Ranked #4 State for Business by CNBC
This year’s rankings by CNBC for best states for business are in, and Colorado has taken the #4 spot. This comes as a significant, but not surprising, improvement from last year, where we discussed CO’s position at #8 in the CNBC rankings. Take a look at a complete breakdown of the rankings by state and categories here.
The rankings are conducted by scoring each state on 10 key categories including the following (in order starting with the most valuable to the overall score): Workforce, Cost of Doing Business, Infrastructure, Economy, Quality of Life, Technology & Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Cost of Living, and Access to Capital. Colorado managed to snag top ten rankings in four categories including: Economy (3rd), Quality of Life (9th), Tech & Innovation (5th), and Access to Capital (8th). Colorado was noted for it’s strong economy with a low unemployment rate of 4.3% and its innovation.
I was surprised to see that the Centennial State only got 9th in the quality of life category, especially since it tied with Iowa for this position. There is so much great outdoor recreation to explore here in Colorado, but you can scrutinize the methodology and rankings yourself with the methodological breakdown available here.
Overall, this news comes as yet another of the growing number of reasons and reports demonstrating that Colorado is a great place to live and a great place to do business. Now could be a great time for you to get started and put your entrepreneurial spirit to work.
If you a ready to start doing business in Colorado, then don’t hesitate to contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Small Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.
by eclewis | Jun 10, 2015 | Business News
Knowledge vs. Motive & Employment Discrimination
Here in the 10th Circuit, where Colorado is located, it was previously considered a requirement by the courts that discrimination claims under Title VII based on a religious accommodation required the employer to have actual knowledge of the religious accommodation request from the employee or prospective employee. In practice, this would mean that an employee or applicant would have to ask the employer for such accommodation before they could be liable for discriminating against them for this reason. At first glance, this sounds like it makes sense, but in practice, things are more complex. The Supreme Court recently reversed the 10th Circuit’s approach in an 8-1 opinion in the case of E.E.O.C. v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc.
You may have heard of some of these cases in the news, as there have been a few. The gist of the facts from these different cases is that an applicant wearing a headscarf, as part of their religious beliefs, was not hired by Abercrombie, despite being qualified. The reason for this was because of the “Look Policy” that Abercrombie has for all of its employees, which prohibits “caps” to be worn by employees (there is no definition for caps in the policy but Abercrombie states this covers anything covering up a person’s head). Note however, that Abercrombie has since altered their Look Policy to allow for such religious headwear.
In the recent case, there was no discussion between the applicant and Abercrombie regarding her wearing the headscarf, other than that she was aware that Abercrombie had a “Look Policy” (but no details of the policy were discussed). The applicant never asked if the headscarf was okay and Abercrombie never asked the applicant if they would be wearing the headscarf on the job. Abercrombie simply assumed that the applicant would be wearing it, and did not hire her, since it would violate the Look Policy. The applicant won in district court, but the 10th Circuit ruled in favor of the employer. The 10th Circuit held that an applicant must communicate the need for a religious accommodation to an employer in order for the employer to be liable for discrimination. On review, the Supreme Court held instead that the need (or presumed need) for a religious accommodation only has to be a motivating factor for their decision not to hire the applicant, and that no actual knowledge of the need for such accommodation is necessary.
What does this mean exactly? No actual knowledge is required? Basically speaking, what the court seems to be telling us is that there is a clear distinction between knowledge and motive, and that employment decisions can be motivated by something, despite the employer not knowing with complete certainty as to its truthfulness. Here’s some insight from the Court’s opinion:
“Motive and knowledge are separate concepts. An employer who has actual knowledge of the need for an accommodation does not violate Title VII by refusing to hire an applicant if avoiding that accommodation is not his motive. Conversely, an employer who acts with the motive of avoiding accommodation may violate Title VII even if he has no more than an unsubstantiated suspicion that accommodation would be needed.”
Here’s an example provided by the Court:
“…suppose that an employer thinks (though he does not know for certain) that a job applicant may be an orthodox Jew who will observe the Sabbath, and thus be unable to work on Saturdays. If the…employer’s desire to avoid the prospective accommodation is a motivating factor in his decision, the employer violates Title VII.“
What does this mean for businesses? It is simple, do not discriminate based on an applicant‘s (or employee’s) religious beliefs, or even based on religious beliefs that you think they have (even if you don’t know for sure). If you suspect that an applicant (or employee) will need a religious accommodation, and you make an employment decision motivated by this, then you have discriminated against that person under Title VII.
If you have questions about how to go about making employment decisions for your business in compliance with the law, please contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.
by eclewis | Jun 3, 2015 | Business News
Employee Due Diligence
The next part of our series on Due Diligence will discuss Employee Due Diligence.
Now if the business you are looking to buy does not have any employees then this may be a simple process, but it may not be as simple as you would think. For example, the business that you are looking to buy may not have any employees per se, but they may instead utilize independent contractors, which may in fact be more properly classified as employees. This could bring up some significant liability and operational concerns going forward, so you will want to have these relationships carefully scrutinized by yourself and a knowledgeable attorney. This way you will know what you are getting into with this business purchase.
Some of the documents you should be looking for are:
- Employment contracts
- Independent contractor agreements
- Non-Disclosure, Confidentiality, Intellectual Property and Non-Compete agreements
- Any employment or Human Resources policies or handbooks
- Documents showing any employee benefit plans such as (health insurance, retirement, bonuses, etc.)
All of these documents can bring up a variety of issues. You need to think about whether or not you want to continue using the same contractors and employees going forward. It may be a good idea for business continuity and transition, but it may also be a good time to make a change as well, especially if you have significant changes in mind or want to bring in key new staff of your own. The enforceability and terms of these agreements can have a substantial impact on the value and continuation of the business, and you need to be sure that you are getting a fair deal with the purchase.
Beyond the documents themselves, it may be a good idea to gauge employee feelings regarding an acquisition and possible change in management. If employees are not happy about such a large change, it could be a disaster in the making to take buy the business. Think carefully and don’t let the excitement of being an entrepreneur cloud your judgment. Trust experienced professional advisors to help you with deals of this significance.
If you need assistance with legal help and/or document drafting for your business sale, please contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.
