Blog for Florida Small Business

Breakups are hard.  Even ones that are smooth, well planned and everyone behaves, business partner breakups are emotionally draining.  For those that…

100% of small businesses create some type of intellectual property.  What does your business create? Do you know who owns those creations? …

Do you have a half-formed business entity?  Far too many small business owners are in this position and here are the reasons…

You may be starting a new business – or maybe you’re starting another business – and you’re feeling the overwhelm that is…

Trademarks are designed to protect consumers from being taken advantage of or misled into thinking they are buying products and services from…

There are (or should be) two sides to your “service agreement” – the contract you give your clients to sign when they…

Whether your business already has employees, or you are just starting to hire employees, many small business owners are concerned about having…

As an attorney for service providers, most of whom are professionals, I often get asked about insurance coverage.  I hear this one…

As a business attorney, I’ve had the honor of being on the “inside” of so many businesses over the years. I get…

“Begin with the end in mind.” That’s a quote form Stephen Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People….

We recently finished an interesting project for a client who is a government contractor. For confidentiality purposes, we aren’t going to disclose…

How do I scale my service business? Eventually most service business owners ask themselves if they might be able to make more…

WARNING! I’m on my soapbox! I run across people all the time that act as if the marketplace is a warzone, look…

Occasionally we meet with a business owner who brings us a contract they downloaded online. They ask us, “is this ok to…

In recent news: Jacksonville’s struggle with the Landing spotlights the plight of local businesses and the importance of having a good lease….

This can be a daunting task. Especially for service professionals who have a lot of education under their belts, it may seem…

In January, many of us get out our pencils and start thinking. We begin sketching out a plan for the new year…

As service businesses, we rely heavily on relationships. There are relationships on the “front” side with our clients and customers, but there…

Contracts are a part of every business, but they are especially important for service-based businesses. Most people dread contracts and think of…

As we’re growing our team here at The Legal Department, it reminds me how important it is to keep up with certain…

Here we are at the end of the year, winding down and getting ready to enjoy the holidays. As business owners, this…

5 Reasons Why the Answer is YES Most of our clients are businesses that offer specialized services, so we help them focus…

Do you own the copyright to your website? How about your logo? Do your employees write articles or blog posts for you?…

It’s daunting to think that there are 50 sets of rules to follow in business. Each state in our country has its…

Our office weathered a hurricane last year with absolutely no damage, but a recent severe rainstorm caused a flood and threatened to…

You’ve just bought a business. Your business broker has handled the negotiations of the essential deal terms and has probably also helped…

We recently had a death in our family, and as a business owner, it has made me stop and think.  Being an…

No, it doesn’t “all come from the same place anyway”! The biggest legal implication when it comes to managing business finances is…

A quick check on Sunbiz.org will show you that small business owners are allowing their limited liability shields to disappear.  Are you…

What happens if your business partner comes to you and says he wants out of the business?  What if he demands that…

Buying a business is both exciting and scary. It’s exciting because of all of the potential that you see and you’ve probably…

Here’s the thing about business owners (myself included): we just need to get things done. We will dig in, figure things out…

I was recently asked about a founder’s agreement for a new business before they incorporated so I thought this would be a…

It’s the start of a fresh, brand new year! This is the time to do a general assessment of your business progress…

When a small business owner is considering renting a commercial property (whether it’s an office, retail space or a warehouse), it’s important…

One thing I’ve drafted consistently throughout my years in practice has been Operating Agreements. I love them. They are so important to…

Almost all brick and mortar business owners have had to wrestle with a commercial lease. They are long and confusing and full…

If your business hires independent contractors, you should be aware of recent actions taken by the federal government and state governments.  The…

In the final post in this series, we’re going to discuss some key terms in an ownership agreement – called an “Operating…

With One Spark 2015 just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about what it means to add an owner…

The Florida legislature has decided to take a more aggressive approach to identity theft.  A new law that went into effect on…