Top Ten Steps to Protect Your Business Assets

1. Draft a reasonable but effective restrictive covenant agreement.

2. Have all of your key employees sign a restrictive covenant agreement.

3. Identify what information needs to be kept confidential.

4. Take steps to limit employees' computer access to your confidential information (access should be on a "need to know" basis only).

5. Take steps to reasonably restrict physical access to your confidential information.

6. Monitor company e-mail and websites to make sure confidential information is not being disclosed on line.

7. Ensure that everyone in the company understands what types of information are considered confidential and that this information can not be disclosed to others.

8. Recover all confidential information when employees leave the company.

9. Be diligent. Promptly investigate when a key employee leaves to be sure your confidential information was not removed and your customers are not being diverted.

10. Take affirmative steps to enforce your agreements and protect your information and customer base when a key employee leaves.