Starting Up

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Examining Legal Structures for Your Business

When you start a new business, you must choose a legal structure for it. No business legal structure is inherently better than another legal structure; you just need to decide which one is right for your [more…]

How to Establish Your Advertising Budget

When you open your new business, set an advertising budget at the outset; your business needs enough working capital to afford to tell the world about what your business offers. Most small businesses spend [more…]

How to Establish Your Business's Vision, Mission, and Values

Establish your business's vision, mission, and values to tell the world about your business accomplishes. Even if you have your business's vision, mission, and values in mind, you need to commit those [more…]

Copyrighting Your Business's Creations

A copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and [more…]

Protecting Your Business's Creations with a Patent

Patents allow the patent holder (in this case, your business) an exclusive right to obtain the full financial benefits of your business's patented invention before others are allowed to help themselves [more…]

Dealing with Zoning Laws for Your Home-Based Business

Zoning laws are, among other things, the government’s favorite way of trying to keep residential areas residential and business areas business. Local government's zoning laws make everyone [more…]

Finding Information about Licenses and Permits for Your Business

You can find a business license or permit for most any occasion. Which licenses and permits does your business need? The kind of licenses and permits you need really depends on in which city, county, and [more…]

How to Choose a Lawyer to Work with Your Business

Believe it or not, most lawyers are nice people, and a lawyer can help you start and maintain your small business. Any business — even a home-based business — needs an attorney on its support team. [more…]

How to Create a Strong Business Partnership

A partnership is when two or more people team up in the ownership and operation of a business. When a partnership works, the business will run like a well-played symphony. When it doesn’t, things will [more…]

Buying into a Business Franchise

A franchise is an agreement in which one business buys the right to distribute another business's products or services. The business buying into the franchise wants the right to use that successful and [more…]

Direct-Selling Businesses

A business based on direct selling, well, sells consumer product or services in a face-to-face manner. Direct-selling businesses have taken the world by storm. [more…]

How to Buy a Business Opportunity

Business opportunities that you can buy into come in all shapes and sizes. In general, a business opportunity can be an idea, product, system, or service that someone has developed and offers to sell to [more…]

State Sales and Use Tax Rates for Your LLC

Whenever you sell products through your LLC, you must collect sales tax from clients; and you must pay a use tax whenever you use products that you haven’t paid sales tax on. The sales taxes and use taxes [more…]

Forming an LLC: Preparing to Meet Your Attorney

Before you first meet your attorney when setting up an LLC (limited liability company), do your homework. Gather pertinent LLC information for your attorney to save time. [more…]

Keeping and Maintaining Accurate Records for Your LLC

When it comes to recordkeeping and your LLC (limited liability company), it’s better to be safe than sorry. Keeping your LLC records in good order reduces the amount of risk to your business and helps [more…]

Limited Liability Companies For Dummies Cheat Sheet

If you're considering a limited liability company (LLC) for your business, know what's involved. Forming and managing a limited liability company is just as challenging as setting up any other type of [more…]

Legal and Business Requirements for Your Online Business

Starting an online business requires just as much paperwork as opening up shop in a mall. Your infrastructure may be virtual but your legal and accounting requirements are very real. Issues to consider [more…]

Starting an Online Business For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Starting an online business is an exciting and nerve-wracking enterprise. On top of meeting normal legal requirements and keeping normal business records, you need to make sure that your Web site is designed [more…]

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