Entrepreneur's Legal Guide

by D-M Boulay

Overview

"If you are really serious about
starting your own business...
this book should be your bible..."
-Larry Bakken, Professor of Law and Management, Hamline University

It takes more than a good idea...

The Entrepreneur's Legal Guide is designed to give you a major advantage over others who use the cookie-cutter approach to get started. It offers questions to ask about your unique situation and provides the guidance to devise your own answers.

Inside you will find: Networking Tip boxes that identify situations when the help of others may be beneficial. Legal Alert boxes warn when compliance with regulations is necessary.

It provides information to build a framework on which a new business can succeed. It guides you through the steps necessary to plan a new venture, get it financed, find the right location and price your goods to sell. It also takes you past start-up and prepares you for the future with instruction on hiring employees, protecting your assets and planning your time for maximum economic benefit.

If you are starting your own business, The Entrepreneur's Legal Guide provides you with all the legal and practical information you need.

Learn how to create a...
- Plan of Organization
- Marketing Plan
- Budget

Understand the importance of...
- Time Management
- Proper Record Keeping
- Regulatory Issues

Become better at...
- Networking
- Negotiating Contracts
- Collecting Accounts

This easy-to-use resource has the answers to all the questions you have about what equipment you will need, what tax forms you must file, where to get your financing, what regulations you need to follow...plus much, much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402233371
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	08/01/2003
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	340
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

D-M Boulay received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, and both her Master's Degree in Nonprofit Management and her law degree from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. A veteran of the Vietnam War and past critical care nurse, she started her own law practice 25 years ago. Since then, she has helped many other entrepreneurs to start and manage their own businesses.

Ms. Boulay is an arbitrator and mediator of business disputes. She is past president of the Minnesota Association of Mediators and the Hennepin County Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution. She is treasurer of the American Association of Nurse Attorney Foundation, a member of the Board of the National Youth Leadership Council, and a former trustee of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Minnesota.

Ms. Boulay is a nurse attorney, small business owner, and coauthor of several Legal Survival Guides with Sphinx Publishing. She currently practices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Katherine J. Pohlman received her undergraduate degree in Nursing from the University of Iowa, her Masters Degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Illinois, and her law degree from Boston University. She owns KJP Communications, a small business that provides writing and editing services to the health care and legal markets. She also has a law practice with a primary focus on professional liability defense.

Ms. Pohlman has served as General Counsel to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) since 1986 and is also Co-Editor of the Legal and Ethical Section in NASN's Journal of School Nursing. She serves as the Managing Editor of Trial Lawyer, an online publication that focuses on the practical aspects of litigation. She is also the Managing Editor of the Journal of Nursing Law, the professional journal of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys.

Ms. Pohlman's list of publications is extensive and varied and includes monologues, professional journals, and contributions to many textbooks. She is a nurse, attorney, author, and business owner who lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

Using Self-Help Law Books -

Preface
-
Introduction -

SECTION I: SELF-EVALUATION -

Chapter 1: Assess Your Skills -
Management Skills -
Entrepreneurial Mindset -

Chapter 2: Assess Your Personal Goals

Chapter 3: Assess Your Business Goals
Personal Reasons -
Universal Reasons -
A Special Note for Consultants -
A Special Note for Inventors -

Chapter 4: Assess Your Time Management Needs
Schedule Time to Plan -
Control Your Time -

SECTION II: PLANNING -
-
Chapter 5: Determine Your Product or Service -
Your Idea -
Business' Mission -
Determine Marketability -

Chapter 6: Research Your Competition
Develop a Research Plan -
Prioritize Research Data -
Networking: A Vital Tool -

Chapter 7: Develop Your Business Blueprint -
Analyze Research -
Organize Data -
Time Frame -
Business Entity -
Business Name -
Location -
Office Equipment -
Prepare a Budget -

Chapter 8: Work with an Attorney -
Licenses -
Intellectual Property -
Networking and Lawyer Referral -
Paying for Legal Services -
Contracting with an Attorney
-
Chapter 9: Work with an Accountant
Accounting Systems -
Determine Your Tax Year -
Business Deductions -
Compensation Methods -
Tax Requirements -
Your Business' Financial Health -

Chapter 10: Finance Your Business
Personal Savings -
Inheritance or a Gift -
Equity in Your Home -
Venture Capitalists -
SBA Loan Guarantee -
Loan from Financial Institution -
Loan from Family -
Credit Cards -
Debit and ATM Cards -
Buying on Time -
Renting or Leasing Equipment -
Line of Credit -
Day Job -
Retirement Funds -

Section III: IMPLEMENTING YOUR PLAN-Part 1: Legal Start Up -

Chapter 11: Tax Regulations -
Employer Identification Number -
Federal Unemployment Tax -
Sales Tax Permit -
Local Taxes -

Chapter 12: Business Regulations
Purchasing an Existing Business -
Purchasing a Franchise -

Chapter 13: Employment Regulations
Choosing the Correct Employment Category -
Employees -
Temporary Employees -
Independent Contractors -
Subcontractors -
Collaborators and Partners
-
Chapter 14: Negotiating Skills -
Negotiation Guidelines -
Dispute Resolution -
Conflict Management Policy -
Contracts -

SECTION III: IMPLEMENTING YOUR PLAN-Part 2: Financial Start up -
-
Chapter 15: Constructing Your Pricing Policy -
Questions to Consider -
Insurance Needs -
Competitive Pricing -
Legal Considerations -

Chapter 16: Designing Your Record Keeping System
Budget Records -
Accounting Records -
Bookkeeping-

Chapter 17: Dealing with Customer Payments and Refund Policies
Cash -
Bills or Invoices -
Federal Laws and Credit -
Credit Cards -
Checks -
Debit Cards -
Payment Problems -
Refund Policies -

Chapter 18: Negotiating Contracts with Vendors -
Maximize Your Financial Resources -
Research Your Need -
Research Potential Vendors -
Negotiating the Contract -

SECTION III: IMPLEMENTING YOUR PLAN-Part 3: managerial start Up -
-
Chapter 19: Establishing Your Code of Ethics -
Principles of Business Ethics -
Advantages to Ethical Behavior -

Chapter 20: Managing Your Hiring Practices -
Searching for the Right Person -
Creating a Job Description -
Developing a Want Ad -
Interview Process -
Decision Process -

Chapter 21: Marketing Your Business
Promoting Your Business -
Identifying Your Target Market -
Developing Your Marketing Plan -

Chapter 22: Developing Customer Relations -
Customer Service Principles -
Return Policy -
Customer Satisfaction Policy-
Conclusion

Glossary
-
Appendix A: Business Start-Up Checklist -
-
Appendix B: General Resources -

Appendix C: Sample Gantt Chart -

Appendix D: Sample Budget Worksheet

Appendix E: Business Plan Structure

Appendix F: Sample Promissory Note

Appendix G: Software Needs Checklist

Appendix H: Sample Job Description

Appendix I: Secretary of State Contact Information

Index

Author Information