Most patent and trademark systems provide that ‘small entities’ can obtain a substantial discount on application and maintenance fees. Small entities are defined by the number of employees the business has, according to quite complex rules that vary both as to employee number and employment conditions (i.e., part-time, full-time) from country to country. Companies claiming small entity status should be careful not to inadvertently continue to do so after they grow over the threshold as this can have adverse effects on patent or trademark enforceability or validity.