Securing Your Business

Book summary

Securing Your Business is a practical guide for entrepreneurs, founders, start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs that want to understand how intellectual property can support business growth.

Rather than presenting IP as a purely legal or defensive tool, An Cosaert reframes IP as part of the wider business strategy. The book is built around the metaphor of a “speedboat business” - a small, agile company that needs to move fast, adapt quickly and make smart decisions with limited resources.

The book explains how growing companies can build, secure and scale their business by thinking strategically about IP from the beginning. It covers core IP concepts, business model alignment, collaboration, freedom to operate, patentability, trade secrets, contracts, due diligence, data room management and investor readiness.

Its main strength is that it speaks the language of business first and the language of IP second. That makes it especially useful for entrepreneurs and innovation teams who may not yet see IP as a commercial asset, but need to make better decisions before launching, scaling, raising funds or entering into partnerships.

What you’ll learn

• Why small and growing companies should think about IP as a strategic business asset, not only as legal protection.
• How to identify the key components of a “speedboat business”: people, construction and ecosystem.
• How to decide which IP assets are worth securing when budgets are limited.
• Why timing matters before going public, launching a product, filing a patent or entering a collaboration.
• How freedom to operate, patentability, trade secrets, contracts and IP ownership affect business growth.
• How IP strategy can support funding, due diligence, acquisition readiness and company valuation.

Who is this book best for

Start-up founders
Especially founders building technology, software, product, design-led or innovation-driven businesses.

Scale-up teams
Useful for companies preparing for growth, investment, licensing, partnerships or international expansion.

SMEs
Relevant for smaller companies that need a practical, cost-conscious approach to IP.

Innovation consultants and business advisors
A useful resource for professionals helping entrepreneurs structure their innovation and growth strategy.

TTOs, incubators and accelerators
A strong educational resource for supporting entrepreneurs who need to understand IP before scaling.

IP professionals working with entrepreneurs
Helpful for explaining IP strategy in a more accessible, business-oriented way.

Why we selected this book

At weareip, we selected Securing Your Business because it aligns closely with how we believe IP should be communicated: clearly, commercially and in a way that founders and business leaders can act on.

Many IP resources explain what patents, trade marks, designs and copyright are. This book goes further by asking a more strategic question: how can IP help a business grow, scale, collaborate, attract investment and stay future-ready?

That is a valuable shift. For many start-ups and SMEs, the challenge is not simply whether they should protect something. The real challenge is knowing what matters commercially, what needs to be secured first, what can wait, and how each IP decision connects to the business model.

The “speedboat business” metaphor also makes the book highly accessible. It gives readers a simple way to understand why agile companies need IP strategies that are flexible, targeted and aligned with growth.

Editorial note

This book is not a substitute for legal advice. It is best used as a strategic guide to help entrepreneurs and business teams understand the role of IP in growth, funding, collaboration and business continuity. For specific filings, agreements or legal decisions, professional IP or legal advice should always be sought.

Affiliate disclosure

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