Category Books

Entrepreneur Magazine: Small Business Legal Guide »

Authors: Barbara S. Shea, Shea, Jennifer Haupt
ISBN-13: 9780471119517, ISBN-10: 0471119512
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: January 1996
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Barbara S. Shea

ENTREPRENEUR Magazine is the banner publication of the Entrepreneur Magazine Group. It has the largest newsstand circulation of any business monthly, with a total ABC audited circulation of 410,000.

BARBARA S. SHEA is an attorney and the founder of the innovative legal firm Court Coach. Her ideas have been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and on ABC-TV's The Home Show.

JENNIFER HAUPT is a successful business writer based in Bellevue, Washington.

Book Synopsis

Keep legal costs to a minimum by doing it yourself!

" . . . will enable small-business people to save a lot of money by doing simple legal matters (contracts, partnership agreements) on their own."—Charles Fuller Editor of Business Products, Entrepreneur Magazine Group

Don't let crippling legal fees stop you from realizing your dreams of success. Learn how to handle many of your own legal matters with the Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Legal Guide. Barbara S. Shea, founder of the celebrated alternative legal counseling firm Court Coach(r), and Jennifer Haupt help you cut your legal fees significantly by arming you with all the basic legal knowledge and expert guidance you need to act as your own attorney in appropriate situations. A valuable resource for newcomers and established business owners alike, it covers legal issues crucial to every stage of a business's life cycle, including:
* Legal terminology—what it means and how to use it
* Statutes, regulations, and case law
* How to think analytically like a lawyer and apply the law to the facts
* Filing forms of organization and capitalizing your business
* Negotiating leases and contracts
* The ins and outs of taxes, employee rights, and claims litigation
* The legalities of bankruptcy and the protection of personal assets
* How to find a good lawyer and get the most out of legal assistance
* Much more Offering an easy, safe, and affordable way to keep your legal costs to a minimum, the Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Legal Guide just might be the most important capital investment you make this year.

Also available from theEntrepreneur Magazine library:
* The Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Advisor
* Starting an Import/Export Business
* Making Money with Your Home Computer
* Starting a Home-Based Business

SPECIAL OFFERS!

FREE issue of Entrepreneur Magazine
* 50% Discount on Entrepreneur Magazine subscription
* 1/2 price admission to any Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Expo
* Discount on American Entrepreneurs Association membership

See details and coupons in back of book.

	Introduction	1
Ch. 1	Setting Up Your Business to Avoid Legal Pitfalls	11
Ch. 2	Forms of Organization: Creating a Business That Fits Your Style	20
Ch. 3	Setting Up a Sole Proprietorship or Partnership	29
Ch. 4	The ABCs of Becoming an "Inc."	44
Ch. 5	Getting Money: Capitalization of a Small Business	62
Ch. 6	Insurance: Would You Believe You Need All This?	75
Ch. 7	How to Read and Negotiate Leases and Contracts	85
Ch. 8	Franchises, Licenses, and Permits	98
Ch. 9	Protecting Your Investment: Intellectual Property Law Visited	107
Ch. 10	Demystifying the Tax Basics	119
Ch. 11	Hiring and Firing Your Staff	129
Ch. 12	Your Legal Responsibilities to Your Employees	148
Ch. 13	What to Do When Employee Grievances Come to a Head	160
Ch. 14	The Other Side of the Fence: Your Rights as an Employer	171
Ch. 15	Buying and Selling (or Getting Friendly with the Uniform Commercial Code)	186
Ch. 16	Collecting Your Money (Cash, Checks, and Credit Cards)	197
Ch. 17	The Small Claims Court	209
Ch. 18	Having Your Day in Court	227
Ch. 19	How to Close Up Shop Gracefully	247
Ch. 20	Avoiding Bankruptcy in the Case of Sudden Death or Disability	256
Ch. 21	The Bankruptcy Decision: What to Do When You Hear the Fat Lady Practicing Her Scales	269
Ch. 22	The ABCs of Filing for Bankruptcy: What to Do When the Fat Lady Sings	284
Ch. 23	Reclaiming Your Good Financial Name	306
	Appendix A State Bar Associations	317
	Appendix B First-Rate Business Schools That Offer Entrepreneur Programs or Classes	320
	Appendix C State Offices of Corporation Administration	322
	Appendix D State Laws Regarding Damage Limits on Bad Checks	326
	Appendix E Mediation Sources	328
	Appendix F Members of the American Arbitration Associations	333
	Appendix G Unlawful Employment Practices Covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964	334
	Appendix H State Exemptions for Bankruptcy or Federal Exemptions	336
	Appendix I Alternative Legal Services Resource List	338
	Appendix J Selected Publications from the American Bar Association	340
	Appendix K Small Business Association Offices	343
	Appendix L Legal Primer: The Law of the Land and How to Find It	347
	Index	355