Common Legal Mistakes for Small Businesses

Regardless of the size of your company, the legal aspects of your business are critically important. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to heed this salient fact, leaving them dangerously vulnerable and subject to serious legal exposure.
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Guide to Writing a Contract

The five steps to writing a contract are checking to see if there is an offer, accepting an offer, agreeing to the terms and conditions of the contract, putting it in writing, and printing, copying, and signing the contract.
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Franchisors, Franchisees, and Their Employees

McDonald’s is facing a lawsuit which the franchise industry needs to watch. Workers at McDonald’s are suing the franchisor, not franchisees, for employment issues. In these suits, they argue that McDonald’s corporate and franchisees are joint employers and act as a single unit.
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Supreme Court: Employers Must Pay FICA Tax on Severance Pay

For years, employers and employees alike have been on the hook for FICA taxes on severance payments made to those who have been laid off by a company involuntarily. After some cases in lower courts questioned this requirement, the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the longstanding IRS tax requirements on severance pay.
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4 Helpful Numbers Every Entrepreneur Needs on Speed-Dial

As a business owner, you’ll need to build strong relationships with other professionals who provide essential services and help you run your business. When launching your business, as well as in the first few years of running your business, you’ll run into problems and dilemmas that will require immediate assistance and advice from these professionals.
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The Legal Side of Your Website

Understanding what information your website needs to legally provide for visitors is important for website administrators and business owners. Failing to offer the necessary information to customers and site visitors can put your organization in a legal bind.
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I-9 Forms: Do’s and Don’ts

Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) for all new hires. On March 8, 2013, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of the I-9. Employers must begin using the new version by May 7, 2013. The updated I-9 provides employers with an opportunity to review their employment eligibility verification practices. In this Tip, we provide some do’s and don’ts for completing and retaining the I-9 form.
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What Employment Laws Apply to My Company?

Employers are required to comply with numerous federal, state, and local employment laws. Certain laws affect virtually all employers, including but not limited to, the FLSA, IRCA, the OSH Act, and USERRA. Other laws, such as COBRA or FMLA, only apply to employers of a certain size. In this Tip, we provide a summary of some of the major federal employment laws based on employer size.
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