Before I became a small business owner, I was a lawyer. This leap from one very different career path was reminiscent of Elle Woods in the movie Legally Blonde going from fashion to law school. Only I started out as a practicing attorney, and later became the CEO of a small business. While, admittedly, there were moments where I ... Read More
Legal
3 Scary Things That Can Happen To Unincorporated Businesses
Halloween is right around the corner, and I’ve been thinking about the scary moments entrepreneurs face when they start their businesses. The most frightening moment isn’t when you take out a loan. It’s not when you’re drafting an in-depth business plan. The scariest thing a small business owner can do for their startup is to put off ... Read More
How to Start a Small Business at Home
Back to school season is in full swing for kids everywhere, which may leave some stay-at-home parents feeling empty nest vibes. Why not become a parentpreneur (parent and entrepreneur) and start a small business from the comfort of your own home? Sure, it can be a little stressful in the beginning to grow the business while helping ... Read More
How One File Can Protect Your Business From Anything
It doesn’t have the most polite name, but a CYA file will cover your you-know-what in case of a problem related to your business venture. You never know what you’ll face — a financial inconsistency, a legal dispute, etc. — so you should keep backup copies of all of your important papers in the same place. And you should definitely ... Read More
DBA, EIN, and SUI: Breaking Down the Tax and Management Must-Haves for Your Business
Gotta love it when a blog post title is more acronym-based than words, right? Some readers might recognize all of these terms while others will pick out only a couple of familiar ones. Still, others might not have a clue what any of these mean, and that’s where we come in to help out. Here’s what work-from-home entrepreneurs need to ... Read More
Are You at Risk?! When to Insure Your Home-Based Business
More than 50 percent of businesses in the U.S. are based out of the owner’s home. If you own or are starting a home-based business, you’re in good company. But do you have insurance for the business? Roughly 60 percent of home-based businesses lack sufficient business insurance. Many people who work out of their homes may simply ... Read More
How and When to Choose the Best Legal Service for Your Business
My neighbor is a very successful restauranteur who owns 14+ restaurants throughout the state of South Carolina. His restaurants run 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. Recently he shared a little secret with me that seemed to emerge from his mouth as more of a humorous fact rather than as a serious warning. His message? “You ... Read More
What Do I Do After Incorporating My Home-Based Business?
We’ve talked about the benefits of incorporating your at-home business before, but what comes next? Incorporating your business is a huge step. Once you’ve made the jump into creating a Corporation or LLC, you want to make sure you’re taking the correct next steps. You’re a legal entity, your assets are protected, your site’s live- ... Read More
Three Possible Employment Problems for Home-Based Businesses
Running a home-based business is different from any other type of company. You don’t have an office or a strict workspace – it’s just whatever you can carve out of your home. And while, traditionally, home-based businesses were solo ventures, more people are hiring people to help them out when the work piles up. While most ... Read More
Four Reasons to Incorporate Your At-Home Business
When you’re working from home, it can be easy to view your business as a side venture. Side ventures don’t need your full attention, and they’re less of a risk. But there’s no reason your at-home business can’t be a full fledge, incorporated business. Small business owners have a couple of different choices when deciding which entity ... Read More
How to Make Your Home-Based Business a Partnership
The vast majority of home-based businesses are sole proprietorships – according to the SBA a mere 4% of firms based out of a private residence operate as partnerships. And while going it alone may fit the standard idea of a home-based business, running yours with a partner can be a real boon for your burgeoning company. Not only is ... Read More
5 Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know
Whether you do it for business reasons or purely pleasure, blogging can be an activity that is extremely empowering, fun and informative. However, it also carries a great deal of responsibility, which is especially true if you are a blogger who has built up a large amount of recognition in your industry or in your topic of ... Read More
Five Ways to Treat Your Blog Like the Small Business It Is
Blogging is a rapid growth industry, and plenty of people have found successful careers as bloggers. Still, few bloggers tend to describe their site as a small business. Only around 14% of bloggers claim a salary earned through blogging, so the vast majority of bloggers are hobbyists. Unfortunately, the makeup of the majority has ... Read More
Fall Business Tasks: What Business Owners Need to Do Before the Year Ends
Autumn’s arrival has signaled that the dog days of summer are officially over and it’s time to get back to the grind, whether that means syncing up to the kids’ class schedules or staying longer hours later at the office. For small business owners, it’s critical to start planning on through the end of the year and into the New Year ... Read More
Does Your Business Need a Trademark?
Do you ever wonder what will prevent another company from using your same name? Or if you’re legally permitted to use the name you picked for your business? If you’re a small business owner, read on to learn about the trademark, and most importantly, if you need one for your business. Trademarking 101 First, some basics. A trademark ... Read More
