Essential Legal Topics for Small Business Owners

“Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom.” – Sandra Day O’Connor

Earlier this week, we discussed the pros and cons of business plans and the basics of business plans. As a follow up to these posts, today we're presenting an overview of essential legal topics to be aware of as a small business owner; for an in depth discussion of each of these topics, please check back next week for future posts on each topic.

Basics of Contract Law

Employment and Labor Law

• Affordable Care Act

• Employee verification

• Equal opportunity

• Laws regarding pay (minimum wage, overtime, etc.)

• OSHA and workplace safety laws

Intellectual Property Law

• Copyright law

• Trademarks

• Patents

Legal Forms of Ownership

• Sole proprietorship

• General partnership

• Limited partnership

• C corporation

• S corporation

• Limited liability company

Licenses and Permits

• At the local and state levels:

Business license

Certifications from licensing agencies (if applicable)

Health department permits

Land use permits

Sales permits

Sales tax license

Zoning permits

• At the federal level, a business owner may need to register with any of the following agencies:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tax Law

• Employee payroll taxes

• Income tax

• Sales tax

Thank you for reading today’s post. For additional information on how to create a customized business plan tailored to your business and industry and/or for information on DIY business plan templates we offer, you may contact Emilee by email at emilee@lawbyemilee.com or phone at 801-829-9135.

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