Guide to Starting and Running

Regulatory Issues.
Health and safety concerns are signifi-
cant in a manufacturing enterprise, particularly in a setting 
where heavy equipment and dangerous chemicals and 
compounds are in use . Don’t allow a lapse of regulatory 
compliance or a lapse of safety-consciousness spell disaster 
for your company . Be certain that you know your regula-
tory obligations and take all steps necessary to protect your 
workers and your customers from danger .
• Comply with the employer’s obligations under OSHA 
(Occupational Health and Safety Administration), and 
keep your workplace safe, 
www .osha .gov
.
• Make sure that you have appropriate workers’ compen-
sation insurance to cover any workplace accidents or 
injuries .
• Be particularly aware of product liability concerns . 
Have adequate insurance coverage to protect you 
from potential liabilities .
Labor Law Issues.
As your manufacturing business takes 
on more employees, the company will be subject to more 
and more labor laws, at both the federal and state level . 
With each added layer of complexity, costs and compli-
ance requirements increase . In some cases, you might want 
to manage growth versus the added burdens, and make 
decisions about expansion accordingly .
Your company will likely have to expand its human resources 
operations to handle the many moving parts of a business 
with a growing workforce . You don’t want to run afoul of 
labor laws, and there are many ways to do so . Instituting and 
affording greater compliance measures for your workers is a 
necessary part of growth and success .
In addition, manufacturing is a heavily unionized industry . If you 
don’t start your enterprise with a unionized staff, a time is likely 
to come when the issue of unionization is raised . Educate 
yourself on your rights as an employer and on the rights that 
your employees have to organize (or to object to organizing) .
A positive relationship with your workers will be one of the 
most essential factors to the success of your enterprise . Do 
everything you can to start off on the right foot with the 
workers you hire . Take care in your hiring practices to 
seek the best possible workers and follow all applicable 
labor laws .
Intellectual Property Laws. 
With respect to both products 
and production processes, be careful to protect your intel-
lectual property with patents and trademarks . Do your best 
to protect your proprietary secrets and processes . Make 
sure your employees do the same, potentially through 
contractual arrangements . Your vendors, suppliers and 
potential partners should be held accountable through 
non-disclosure agreements .
With each new innovation or improvement to your 
product or process, make sure you obtain patent or 
trademark protection for it . Defend your products and 
processes from unauthorized use by another through 
legal action if necessary .
Growing your business with exports
The world has become a much smaller place in recent 
years, and it is as easy to communicate halfway around the 
world as it is to communicate halfway around the block . 
As a result, there are opportunities to open markets and 
expand sales in places you never dreamed of .
One entrepreneur started a manufacturing business in his 
basement a few years ago making specialty pick-ups for 
electric guitars, and overnight became an international 
businessman selling many of his products to Japan and 
other international locations . If you have a web site through 
which you can market, and a product that is recognized 
for its unique value, you can capture an audience and a 
customer base anywhere .
Because of exchange rates, it may even be an advantage for 
buyers in Europe and elsewhere to buy American products, 
as they can get more for their money . So don’t ignore the 
potential of an international market for your products . Talk 
with industry of government representatives about oppor-
tunities for exporting .