According to 2018 data provided by SCORE, the largest provider of volunteer business mentors in the United States, 77% of U.S. small businesses use social media for their sales, marketing, and customer service. If you plan to use social media to promote your business, a social media Continue reading
Category: Business
8 Important Provisions Businesses Should Include in Commercial Leases
Are you considering leasing office or retail space for your business? The terms of your lease can have a huge impact on whether your business succeeds or fails. There are several important provisions that should be considered before you sign on the dotted line.
Leases of a certain Continue reading
Business Insurance: Protecting Your Business from Unexpected Losses
As a small business owner, you have invested large amounts of time and money to make your business a success. Business insurance protects this investment in the event of unexpected damage to property or lawsuits, which could otherwise be devastating to your business. There are many Continue reading
What Counts as “Hours Worked” Under the Fair Labor Standards Act?
If your small business has non-exempt employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you are required to pay those employees in accordance with its minimum wage and overtime requirements for all “hours worked.” This may seem like a simple requirement, but figuring out what Continue reading
7 Key Elements Prospective Funders Look for in a Business Plan
As the economy improves, more and more entrepreneurs are considering starting or expanding their small businesses. However, most small business owners do not have the financial resources to do this without obtaining outside funding. If you are looking for funding for your business, Continue reading
Business License and Permit Requirements
If you are starting a new business, it is important not to overlook federal, state, and local business license and permit requirements. Almost every business, even one that is home-based, is required to obtain some form of license or permit in order to operate legally. Failure to Continue reading
4 Steps to Ensure the Enforceability of E-Signatures
More and more, transactions between small businesses and their customers, vendors, and service providers occur online rather than on paper. Yet some feel uneasy about the enforceability of these electronically-signed documents. Is an electronic signature as valid as a conventional Continue reading
Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Business
Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses, and small businesses are not immune from the threats posed by cybercriminals. Don’t be complacent because your business is small: Almost half of all cyberattacks in the U.S. are directed at small businesses. In recognition of this Continue reading
LLC Operating Agreement: Is a Non-Compete Clause Necessary?
You and several friends start a new business and decide to operate it as a limited liability company (LLC). Now that you’ve completed the first step—choosing a business entity—it is now important to prepare an operating agreement. The operating agreement is a contract which governs Continue reading
Record Keeping for Your Business: What’s Required?
Whether you are just starting up a new company or have a business that has been in operation for a while, good record keeping is an essential part of running your business. You are responsible for establishing an effective system to store and maintain your business records whether Continue reading