 | Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business |
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Product Description
Start and run your business with this all-in-one book.
Small business owners are regularly confronted by a bewildering array of legal questions and problems. Ignoring them can lead to disaster -- but with lawyers typically charging $200-$300 an hour, calling one to answer routine legal questions can be a fast track to the poorhouse.
Fortunately, you have a better alternative. Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business clearly explains the practical and legal information you need to:
The 11th edition is revised to provide the latest regulations, tax numbers and business realities in a changing economy. It also provides a start-up checklist, an expanded discussion about choosing a business structure, updates to bankruptcy law -- and much more. (20080502)
- Amazon Sales Rank: #209663 in Books
- Published on: 2009-10-07
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .97" h x 8.40" w x 10.86" l, 2.46 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 458 pages
Review
"An unusually helpful approach to the start-up process covers a lot of basics, from negotiating a lease to representing yourself in small claims court." (Inc. Magazine 20080301)
"Get a basic understanding of small business legal issues... [with] this excellent resource...." (The Wall Street Journal )
"Pick up a copy of Nolo's Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business.... It's a great resource." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer )
About the Author
Attorney Fred S. Steingold practices law in Ann Arbor, Michigan. An expert on small business law, he represents and advises many small businesses. He is the author of Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business and The Employer's Legal Handbook. His monthly column, "The Legal Advisor," is carried by trade publications across the country.
Most helpful customer reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
By J. J. Marino
I am slightly disappointed in this book. First off the information presented is fairly helpful if you have absolutely no clue what a LCC or INC is or what it means. Basically each thing is explained in brief detail That info is basically a 3 star rating. Where the product really hits the skids is when they; at the end of the chapter, say "If you would like the forms to file for an LLC please go to NOLO website. Once there you are greeted with a helpful person just looking to remove several hundreds of dollars off of you for the privilege of downloading the forms.
Example of what I am referring to:
Page 77:
Paperwork for setting up an LLC:
"Setting up an LLC is simple. Typically you must complete 2 basic forms..."
(Later on the page)
"Form your LLC online. If you're ready to form your LLC you may be able to do much of your work online- including..." "... to get started go to [Nolo Website]."
So its states how easy it is and you can do it all online (for a fee). Instead of offering a PDF to download or use, they want you to pay. This is not the only example of this sort of thing. At the end of most chapters they offer advice on the same website, instead of putting that advice in this book.
They do have some gems in here so it is not 100% junk, its just that to dangle the pay aspect is what brings this book down from a solid 4 star to a 2 star. Front cover says " Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business: The all-in-one business law book" This is where I disagree. If it were ALL-IN-ONE then it would include basic forms for you to emulate and a guide on where to file these at the local, state and federal level.
This book fails in its basic premise that all information for "starting and running" of a business can be found inside. Instead, it is brief in many areas, offers only a few boilerplate letters to emulate, and points you to other books for more details. It seems that it is more of an index book referring to other more detailed guides or sites.
Pros:
>> Basic information on business models and levels of business formation.
>> Good basics for what to look out for legally
>> Some pretty good tips in later chapters
Cons:
<< Obvious tie-in to the pay NOLO website makes this a must avoid product.
Summary:
You can find out more information on the web that is just as accurate as what is in this book. This tome is nothing more than an ad to sell products on a website. While I admit there are some very good tips and information in this book for the novice or beginner, the obtuse way it figures that you will just jump in and use their services to start your corporation leaves me feeling empty.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Avellanet
I own a business now, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd get this book first, use the first four chapters to figure out what kind of business incorporation I wanted, then go get the Nolo book on just that form (such as an LLC or Sole Proprietorship, etc.), and then use this book for everything else from personnel issues, to contracts and leasing, customer service and warranties, and so on. This is the book you will refer to and use again and again until you're at the point where you can hire your own internal legal counsel and human resources director.
Here's why:
1. No matter the chapter's subject, there is a very good, very understandable discussion of "why" you should put some thought into the subject as a business owner, and how - if you don't tackle XYZ subject - it will come back to bite you since you are the business owner. In my experience, there are four ways to get this kind of knowledge:
* Live through it
* Pay an expert (like an attorney or accountant) to explain it to you
* Attend a business school course on each of these chapters
* Simply read through the chapters and follow the suggestions in the book
Frankly, if you can't choose the "preferred" choice among these four, you might want to reconsider if owning a business is really for you.
2. Following the "why" parts, each chapter then explains, in very straightforward language, "what to do" and "how to go about it."
Here are some additional aspects that really made this book standout for me:
1. Chapter 14's discussion of deducting expenses when you operate your business out of the home is not only very well thought out, but I liked the multiple examples of what worked and what didn't and why, plus the inset box on ways to document the legitimacy of your deductions to protect yourself. That kind of advice can run you $300+ to get from an attorney and/or accountant, and alone justifies the purchase of this book.
2. Chapter 15's discussion of hiring, especially how to avoid inadvertently promising job security and how to keep yourself out of trouble with the IRS when hiring independent contractors and temporary workers. Again, advice that alone is worth 10x what this book costs.
3. Chapters 16-17 are very interesting, and I particularly like the elements of an effective customer satisfaction policy and how to get help to resolve customer disputes. Definitely gave me some ideas to think about.
4. Chapter 20 and 21 had some very good insights on how to write a contract the simple way, how to revise a contract after it's signed, typical defenses you can take in court if you're sued over breach of contract (knowing ahead of time this information can help make sure you have your documentation tight just in case you do get sued), and the inset box on the various clauses of contracts: what they mean, why they are there, and what's important about them.
5. Finally, in Chapter 21, we confront the harsh reality: 75% of businesses fail so planning ahead to protect your family assets is absolutely essential when setting up your business. Before you finalize your internal operating agreement or ownership structure, this chapter is a "must read."
Realistically, if you are thinking about, planning to, or even already own your own business, I cannot imagine why you would not have this resource.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
By T. Shih
I've used Nolo books in the past, in part because we're from the same town (Berkeley) but also because they come highly recommended from my friends and colleagues. So far, I've only utilized the more general coverage Nolo Guides such as [[1413304036:How to Buy a House in California]], and just like the last book, this Small Business guide doesn't try to give an exact step-by-step methodology to accomplishing a particular goal. Instead of giving specific advice, this book tries to explain common pitfalls of Small Business ownership and tries to help you avoid making common mistakes while helping you decide on a direction.
I believe that this book is suitable for a broad spectrum of people considering to start their own small businesses. From initially choosing the best legal form for your business to investigating the required licenses and permits to raising money and dealing with insurance, the book tries to be relevant to most people. At the very least, it will be helpful as a broad overview for the topics that are covered. (There isn't much explicit coverage for internet-based business such as eBay, etc but much of the advice is applicable)
The main value of this book is that it doesn't just say what you should do, rather, it explains the pros and cons of each step in a very approachable manner. It really is a guide for "Starting and Running" a small business! The book gives you what you need to know and empowers you to either get additional information elsewhere or points you in a general direction of where to look.
I don't have my own small business but it was always something I've thought about, so I can't say anything about how effective the book has been for me. However, after reading through the sections that interested me, I feel confident enough to say that I know a lot more than when I started! I will certainly be keeping this book handy for when the time comes!
http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/1413310559
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