Common Issues When Starting a Small Business

If you’ve watched any social media about starting a small business in Utah, you’ll notice one trend. Most of them talk about how you can start your own business the same day. This sounds great, but it isn’t entirely true. You can start planning your small business, and even setting up certain aspects of that business, but actually starting and turning a profit takes some time. In that time, you are going to have some common issues. Here are a few of the common issues with starting a small business and how a business law firm can help.

Paperwork

One of the leading issues with starting a new business, according to Walden University, deals with time. Specifically, having the time to file all the necessary business paperwork. For many small business owners, the issue is two-fold. You may not have the time you need to file the paperwork and you also may not know what paperwork is required. For example, business laws in Utah may require paperwork that other states do not.

A business law attorney, can help you understand what business paperwork is required. They can also discuss with you obtaining an EIN number for tax purposes. The EIN will be used on your business paperwork and any tax related issues. You will also find that a lawyer can step you through the correct process for legally starting the business in regards to filing for a business license, name, and any LLC paperwork that may be required.

Employee Issues

Finding the right employees for the job can also be a common problem when starting your small business. The interview process is usually not where the issues occur. Issues tend to occur with employees when work expectations are discussed. A common issue is for an employee to claim they did not know what their job description and responsibilities were. They may also claim they did not know what actions were a fireable offense.

These issues can be avoided with the right contracts and understanding of employment law for startups at the time of hire. These contracts can be drawn up for traditional employees or contract workers. The contracts can state exactly what is expected of them in their job, why they could be fired, and other pertinent information. Your licensed business lawyer in Utah can draw up these contracts to ensure they are legally binding and can be used if a case of unlawful firing occurs.

Web Presence

A top priority is making sure people know about your business and services. This means having the proper social media and web presence. There is more to this step than simply creating a web page, a blog, or even a video blog. It’s the additional steps in this process that can cause problems for your small business. For example, you should have a social media manager. This means you will need someone that agrees to ensure everything is unique. Plagiarism checks should be part of this management position. Also, you should consider having your social media manager and anyone connected with your social media signing a NDA.

A licensed corporate attorney in Utah can draw up a legally binding NDA. This agreement states your social media manager and other employees will not discuss topics that are appearing on your blog, who handles your social media, and other aspects of your business. You can then have your employees sign this as part of their new hire paperwork. If the employee breaks the NDA, you can move forward with legal proceedings through your lawyer.

Disclosures

Depending on the type of small business you have, you may also have common issues with disclosure. For example, if you own a landscaping company you may have a disclosure telling the customer that damages left to items left on the lawn or in garden beds is not the fault of your landscaping company. Your lawyer can create these disclosures.

When you are ready to start your small business, draw up your business plan. As part of the plan, make sure to create a checklist to follow. This will help reduce some of the issues. Also, make sure to visit Weber Law Group. A lawyer can assist you with some of the common issues you may have and with other issues you may not expect.