Why small business owners need an attorney

When we first started our – fill in the blank – we did not hire a lawyer because we didn’t think we needed one.  As our business grew, we finally got a lawyer and wished we had consulted with a lawyer from day one.  Now we are literally “paying” for it.

The home -based business and small business owner will greatly benefit from having quick and easy access to a qualified business attorney.  A lawyer can help with;

• legal consultations
• legal correspondence
• debt collection
• contract review
• document review
• trial defense

Let me ask you, if I came to you and told you that one  one of the top law firms in your state was looking to expand and was willing to take you on as a client and was only going to charge you $3.75 a day for their services.  What type of things would you want done? email steven@stevenwilson.com

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Making It Real, “Equal Justice Under Law”

If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Copyright and Trademark Law for Small Businesses

Copyright and Trademark Law for Small Businesses

Friday, June 5, 2009 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

This will be a webinar on copyright and trademark law for small businesses.  Learn what a trademark is.  Learn what a copyright is.  This is going to be a primer so that you’re familiar with the terms and with the differences between these areas of intellectual property.  Don’t hesitate to protect your trademarks and copyrights!

Registration for the webinar includes registration to the free e-zine about current trademark and copyright law issues by Anthony Verna.

This will be a webinar on copyright and trademark law for small businesses.  Learn what a trademark is.  Learn what a copyright is.  This is going to be a primer so that you’re familiar with the terms and with the differences between these areas of intellectual property.  Don’t hesitate to protect your trademarks and copyrights!

Friday, June 5, 2009 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Registration for the webinar includes registration to the free e-zine about current trademark and copyright law issues by Anthony Verna.

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“Equal Justice Under Law”

If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan. www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Pre-Paid Legal Opens Business Plan in Alberta, Canada

As of May 11, the Business Plan is open in Alberta.  In times when businesses are announcing cutbacks and financial difficulties, Pre-Paid Legal is expanding services offered in Alberta, Canada!

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Small Business Perspective

“When you compare the cost of these services to contracting a law firm or a consulting firm, you realize there’s

no comparison

“What I like about the plan is I don’t need a lawyer all the time, but when I do, I have access to a professional law firm..”

It makes sense for small business owners to have regular access to sound & affordable legal counsel to address OSHA, ADA, taxes, personnel..

When you aren’t sure of a legal procedure you won’t have to worry about the cost of consulting an attorney.

“What we have put together with GoSmallBiz, there’s simply nothing like it in the market for small business.” HS

Entrepreneurs need to have the best business resources if they are going to survive.

What are you doing to protect and grow your business?

Never be alone in growing your business. Let the team of experts at Pre-Paid Legal & GoSmallBiz be your go to resource

More than 48,000 small businesses in North America use GoSmalBiz and have found it very useful.

More than 600,000 businesses went out of business last year. #smallbusiness

There are approximately 25.7 million small businesses in the US – SBA

1. There are approximately 25.7 million small businesses in the US – SBA

2. More than 600,000 businesses went out of business last year.

3. More than 48,000 small businesses in North America use GoSmalBiz and have found it very useful.

4. Never be alone in growing your business. Let the team of experts at Pre-Paid Legal & GoSmallBiz be your go to resource

5. What are you doing to protect and grow your business?

6. Entrepreneurs need to have the best business resources if they are going to survive.

7. “What we have put together with GoSmallBiz, there’s simply nothing like it in the market for small business.” HS

8. When you aren’t sure of a legal procedure you won’t have to worry about the cost of consulting an attorney.

9. It makes sense for small business owners to have regular access to sound & affordable legal counsel to address OSHA, ADA, taxes, personnel..

10. “What I like about the plan is I don’t need a lawyer all the time, but when I do, I have access to a professional law firm..”

11. “When you compare the cost of these services to contracting a law firm or a consulting firm, you realize there’s no comparison

12. The average cost of an attorney $200-$300 an hour vs $111 month-to-month!

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan. www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Disputed invoice. What are my rights?

Q. I have small-scale service provider who sent me a invoice with outrageous billing. His service is incomplete and not up to my satisfaction. I invited him for a discussion, but he has sent me an email threatening court action if I don’t pay within 5 business days. What should I do? I am planning to report to better business bureau and complain to consumer court. Please let me know what are the right things to do? Am I a helpless consumer who has to cough the outrageous amount? Am I a helpless consumer who has to cough the outrageous amount?

A. Unfortunately hundreds of time a day the answer is ‘YES’. Why?  Because in most cases, people would rather ‘give in’ than pay an attorney to plead their case.  So in far too many cases the insurance company, the auto repair shop, the cell phone company, the HMO, etc, etc get their way.

But not anymore, when you become a member of Pre-Paid Legal Services, you call and talk to your attorney and find out what your rights are. You now have an advocate for you, your business and your family.  A lawyer to talk to, a lawyer to defend you.  Because as we like to say, “if you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any rights!”

In the referenced case, we see the business owner is trying to do it all on his own. The businessperson is taking valuable time away from running his business instead of letting the experts handle this issue.

Depending on the size of your business the team of experts from Pre-Paid Legal Services and GoSmallBiz are here to protect your business for a small monthly membership ranging from $59.00 to $111.00 month-to-month only, no long-term  contracts. And for families the monthly membership is only $36.00!

Thinks back, how many times has somebody taken advantage of you, treated you unfairly, and you knew you were in the right?  Don’t let it happen again. Get your Pre-Paid Legal membership with Identity Theft protection today.  “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it”

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

How to hire a new employee?

This is a great question posed by a new business owner. Here are just 10 steps to consider when hiring an employee: Interview process / questions, Questions not to ask in an interview, Permissible reference check questions, Employee paperwork, New employee documentation, Employee personality testing, Employee testing
Employment letter of intent, Employment offer letter and the Pros and cons of contract labor.

At GoSmallbiz.com members will find these questions and many more accompanied by detailed answers and links to supporting information or documents. The GoSmallBiz consultants and the Pre-Paid Legal business attorneys work together to give you proper advice and guidance in HR matters.

In addition, GoSmallBiz has developed specific software to help;  The Employee File Cabinet and The HR Document Builder. As a member you can organize and manage all your employee information with this user-friendly desktop application designed specifically for small to mid-sized businesses.

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“Equal Justice Under Law”

If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Material Breach of Contract? – What are parameters in a Sales Agent Agreement?

Q. Six weeks after signing a 1 year agent/marketing services agreement with exact monthly rate + commission rates, quotas, would a unilateral (for all agents) increase of 200% (2X) in quota + a 50% reduction in effective commissions constitute a “material breach of contract?”. (imho- yes). What would be recourse and reasonable damages/compensation after agent agreement is terminated (not for cause). Would 10 days daily rate seem reasonable to a small claims court judge?

A. It just continues to amaze me that business people sign employment contracts, etc without benefit of an attorney and when a conflict occurs, they still don’t retain an attorney, but instead post questions on message boards!! STOP the madness. You need to hire an attorney to review all pertinent contracts and documents to determine what your rights are.

Btw, in your province of Ontario, the provider law firm for Pre-Paid Legal members is Mills and Mills, LLP

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Cost to Review a 40-Page Employee Handbook?

Q. What is a reasonable price range for the review of a 40-page employee handbook for the State of Illinois? We have received some information already, but the estimates vary by such a large degree, we are hoping to get some impartial information.

A. Your Pre-Paid Legal business plan membership gives you access to the #1 small business resource site on the internet, GoSmallBiz.com. Here you will find employee handbooks that you can modify to your needs with the help of the GoSmallBiz business consultants. When satisfied, now you turn to your business attorney and have the handbook reviewed under the Document Review benefit, no additional charges! Another way, a Pre-Paid Legal memberships saves you both time and money.

Btw for your state of Illinois the Provider Law Firm is Evans, Loewenstein, Shimanovsky and Moscardini, LTD

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Does your business attorney charge for phone consultations?

My lawyer charges me so much money whenever I call him. I try to refrain from calling him but sometimes its important to give him updates. I pay all my bills to him. Are there lawyers that exist that don’t charge you like this for phone time? I feel taken advantage of…

This is a frequently heard comment especially from business owners. As a consequence, many end up seeking advice from others or trying to solve a problem on our own.

Here’s the good news,  with  a Pre-Paid Legal membership you receive unlimited phone consultations for personal and business matters.  You can talk as long as you want and never receive a bill. A member can call the law firm 10 times a day and speak to 10 different expert attorneys on 10 different issues!

If a member has questions on an out-of-state matter, you will be connected to the provider law firm for that state and be able to ask your questions to a qualified attorney, knowledgeable on the pertinent issue for that state.  These benefits extend to all covered family members, again all part of the small monthly membership.

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If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22

Never Be Alone In Growing Your Business

Things to take with you to small claims? I am in the unfortunate position of having to take a client to small claims court for some Web Development work I completed some months back. What do I need to bring with me to ensure a victory in my suit?

Going forward, having an attorney on retainer to get advice and counsel, review contracts; send out collection letters, etc may prove to be of benefit. Many entrepreneurs try and handle so many issues on their own. This is where a team of experts on your side can help, allowing you the business owner to concentrate on what you do best, growing and running your business.

I recommend our business legal plan from Pre-Paid Legal Services and GoSmallbiz.com. For a small month-to-month membership, you gain access to top quality law firms and business consultants who will assist you in every phase of you business including giving advice on your small claim court case. For your state of New York, the provider law firm is Feldman, Kramer and Monaco . If I can be of further assistance, please contact me directly.

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Never Be Alone in Growing Your Business

If you’re ready to grow and protect your business sign up for the Business Owners Legal Plan.  www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/steven22