Last Updated on April 25, 2026 by Ryan Roberts

A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed the steps you should take to avoid collection problems when expanding your business across state lines. The article suggested prevention was by far the best defense.

I believe that’s right, but I’ll make a much broader statement: Prevention is the best defense for any potential business problem.

As a former and current entrepreneur, I realize that choosing your logo bug, typeface, and web 2.0 colors are much more exciting than ensuring your office space lease and other contracts reflect the terms and protections you desire. But shouldn’t you spend just as much time, if not more, on your legal rights than fiddling with a pantone color book?

author avatar
Ryan Roberts Startup Lawyer
Ryan Roberts is a startup lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising on venture financings and M&A transactions totaling more than $1 billion. He is the author of the Amazon bestselling startup law book Acceleration.