Is it legal to offer the same services I do at work through my LLC?

It can be legal, but it may violate a non-compete agreement or raise concerns about conflicts of interest. Always check your employment contract first.

What job experience can I use in my side business?

You can use general skills, industry knowledge, and experience you've gained, as long as you don't copy or repurpose company materials or confidential information.

Can my employer claim ownership of my LLC if I use my job knowledge?

No, not if you build the business independently. However, if you use tools or materials created at your job, your employer could claim IP rights.

What should I avoid using from my job in my LLC?

Avoid using company templates, proprietary software, internal documents, or any intellectual property developed on the job. Stick to your own original work.

Can I Use My Job Experience in My LLC?

Q: Can I use my job experience in my LLC?

Yes. You can use your personal skills and experience in your LLC as long as you do not use proprietary tools, resources, or intellectual property owned by your employer.

Yes, you can use the general skills and experience gained from your job in your LLC, as long as you don’t violate non-compete agreements, misuse proprietary information, or claim ownership of work created for your employer.

Your job experience is part of your professional growth, and using those skills to start a business is not only legal-it’s how most entrepreneurs begin. That said, there are boundaries. If your LLC overlaps with your current job or uses intellectual property from your employer, you could run into legal trouble. Understanding what you can and can’t use helps you launch your LLC safely and ethically.

Contents

1. You Own Your Skills and Knowledge
2. What You Cannot Use
3. Watch for IP and Confidentiality Clauses
4. Can You Offer the Same Services as Your Job?
5. How to Safely Leverage Job Experience
6. What If You Leave Your Job?

1. You Own Your Skills and Knowledge

Your general work experience, education, and skills-such as project management, customer service, design, or coding-are yours. You can absolutely apply those talents to your LLC. This includes:

Industry knowledge gained on the job
Techniques and methods you’ve learned
Certifications or training you completed
Soft skills like communication, leadership, or sales

This kind of transferable experience is the foundation of most service-based businesses and startups. There’s no restriction on using what you know-only how you use it.

2. What You Cannot Use

While you can use your personal knowledge and skills, you cannot take anything that belongs to your employer, such as:

Proprietary systems or internal tools
Company templates, code, or content
Client lists or confidential business strategies
Brand assets or copyrighted material

Using these could lead to claims of intellectual property theft or breach of confidentiality. Even if you helped develop a tool or process, if it was created as part of your job, the rights likely belong to your employer-not you.

3. Watch for IP and Confidentiality Clauses

Many employment contracts include intellectual property and confidentiality clauses. These state that anything you create while employed-especially using company resources-belongs to the employer. They may also prevent you from sharing or repurposing confidential information.

If your LLC involves similar work to your day job, you must be careful not to reuse internal materials, even unintentionally. Review your employment agreement for any of the following:

Non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements (NDAs)
Work-for-hire or intellectual property clauses
Non-compete agreements

If your contract contains these terms, it’s wise to consult an attorney before launching an overlapping business.

4. Can You Offer the Same Services as Your Job?

It depends. If you work as a software developer, can you start an LLC offering app development services? Maybe-but you need to consider:

Is your business directly competing with your employer?
Are you targeting your employer’s clients?
Are you using the same tools, codebase, or frameworks you built on the job?

If the answer is yes to any of these, you may be violating your employment contract. If not, you’re more likely in the clear, especially if your LLC is unrelated or focuses on a different niche or audience.

5. How to Safely Leverage Job Experience

You can use your background and knowledge while avoiding legal risk by following a few best practices:

Use your own tools, devices, and accounts for all LLC activity
Don’t copy files, resources, or proprietary materials from your employer
Build your LLC’s materials from scratch-even if they resemble what you’ve used at work
Target different clients, industries, or market segments
Keep detailed records of your LLC development process

These steps help demonstrate that your business is independent and not derived from your employer’s assets or relationships.

6. What If You Leave Your Job?

If you’re planning to leave your job to run your LLC full-time, be especially cautious during the transition period. Don’t poach clients, coworkers, or vendors. Don’t start working on your LLC during company hours. And make sure your business doesn’t launch using any resources created or used while you were employed.

Leaving on good terms and honoring your agreement gives you a clean break and protects your LLC from legal exposure.

You can absolutely use your job experience in your LLC-as long as you’re relying on your skills and not your employer’s property. Stay away from proprietary systems, avoid conflicts of interest, and follow the terms of your employment agreement. Your knowledge is yours to use-but your company’s assets are not. By keeping your business separate and built on your own merit, you can grow your LLC without risking your job or legal trouble.