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It's so simple …you have a product or service to sell, find an empty table to work from, get a cell phone, print up some business cards and
voila … you're in the SOHO club! If only it were that easy! Ask anyone who has gone the solo route and you'll soon discover that trying to juggle all the hats you have to wear is anything but easy.
Take the legal issues of being a SOHO, for instance. In your previous life, as an employee, you didn't have to worry about all the mumbo jumbo of legalese. That is what attorneys were for and why, if you were in the corporate world, the company paid those big retainers. But now, on your own, having to lay out $150 an hour isn’t such a simple matter. That money comes right off the bottom line and out of your pocket.
The problem is that legal issues are often so scary for the SOHO business owner that we have a way of putting the subject out of our mind and thinking (hoping) nothing will happen. And, for many of us, that is just the case, nothing much ever happens. However, for some SOHO's it does happen. And it only takes one incident or situation to flush months and years of hard work down the drain.
The real problem in dealing with legal issues is that a little knowledge and foresight can actually prevent many of the problems and feeding of the sharks. That's where
Small Business Legal Smarts can be a valuable asset to the SOHO operator. Will it turn you into a Perry Mason? No! While you will not be ready to represent yourself in court after reading
Small Business Legal Smarts … what it might do is keep you out of court in the first place. For any SOHOs, that should be the goal to begin with.
Small Business Legal Smarts is a simple to read and simple to understand book that will give you enough information about legal issues in business and the legal system to raise those little red flags in your mind when something needs closer attention. Actually,
Small Business Legal Smarts is more like a big Q&A book.
Between the 230 pages of this book you'll find basic information dealing with
common questions like:
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Should I incorporate?
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How can I deal with certain zoning restrictions?
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What kind of insurance do I need?
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How do I protect a copyright?
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How do I shop for a lawyer?
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How can I protect the name of my business?
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What's the difference between and employee and an independent contractor?
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When do I need a written contract?
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How can I collect from a small claims court judgment? …
...and the list goes on for over
100 common SOHO legal questions.
Small Business Legal Smarts is a reference tool with a twist. It's organized completely around the needs of small business people. The author, Deborah L. Jacobs (an attorney) filters out the legalese and untangles some of the most frequent questions the SOHO person might encounter. While no book can cover all the questions, or guarantee to keep you out of trouble,
Small Business Legal Smarts is a great starting point to get some basic knowledge and
will probably save you a few dollars by avoiding a call to an attorney for a simple answer to a simple question.
It could also save a few people a lot of money by
teaching them what "not to do" or "when to call an attorney",
preventing them from getting into serious legal trouble!
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