The year-long YES Company Programme is well underway. Young people from all over Switzerland are forming mini-companies, which they will manage under almost entirely real conditions for the next year.
Tips
The following tips are based on previous YES Company Programmes in Switzerland.
1. Teams need to draw up contracts among themselves. The contract should set out, for example, who purchases which service and at what price. A team from another school was once offered the opportunity to list their product with a retailer after the Company Programme. But because the team hadn’t created any contracts, there was an internal dispute about how to divide up earnings and the team disbanded.
2. Before choosing a trade mark/name, check whether third parties are already using an identical or similar one for similar goods or services. Otherwise, you might run into legal problems and, at worst, be no longer able to use the trade mark. Large companies have effective software. “They will find you,” says Matthias Käch.
3. Be careful if you ask a third party to design your logo. You should conclude a contract to avoid claims later down the line.
4. If you use images, background music for a video or other content, you need to clarify whether you can use them or whether you have to pay a licensing fee. The internet is not a free-for-all. “Take your own photos. Don’t just use photos belonging to others,” advises the IP trainer.
