Pre-paid legal services for small business
If you are operating your own business, you cannot afford to go it alone when it comes to legal matters. The ever increasing complexities of law, spiralling costs of lawsuits and the proliferation of government red tape can land you in a lot of trouble.
The flip of the coin is hardly attractive either! Hiring a lawyer can constitute a substantial financial investment many cash-strapped small businesses and entrepreneurs cannot sustain. Lawyers charge a minimum of $200 per hour when it comes to "business law" and it can get very costly if you are involved in lengthy legal procedures, complicated contracts or business transactions.
There may just be a glitter of hope in pre-paid legal plans. For a set monthly price, some legal providers are now bundling a whole suite of legal services especially tailored to the needs of small-businesses. Whether you need phone consultation on the legal complexities of a lease contract, or require legal representation during tax audits, a pre-paid plan can help you manage legal costs. An array of services is included as "standard coverage" at no cost to you in the plan, and any legal matters not covered can be provided with a discount on fees.
Before you take the leap, you need to keep some caveats in mind.
You need to know more about the quality of service you are likely to get. While lower fees do not necessarily infer lower quality of work, it is always necessary to bear in mind that legal specialization plays a crucial part and lawyers are not interchangeable. Ask for references from previous clients or ask entrepreneurs who've used the services of the provider about the quality of work they have received from them. Use your state bar association, service organizations in your locale and your local Better Business Bureau to research law firms and the background of the attorneys in the network before selecting them. Things to look for are the number of years they have been operating, complaints from previous customers, the education background of attorneys, professional track record and so forth.
With the increasing amount of small businesses involved in litigation and fee disputes with their legal providers, I iss important to give some thought to alternative courses of actions when dealing with disputes. Ask your prospective provider about the way in which they settle disputes or complaints. Do they have an in-house procedure to deal with complaints, appoint a senior attorney to deal with such things or do you simply have to settle out of court?
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Small Business News Articles:-
- SA needs ministry of small business: Sunter (Independent Online)
Head of Anglo American chairman's fund, Clem Sunter, says small business needs show strong improvement in its service delivery.
- What China Means to the Small Business Owner (MoreBusiness)
Chances are that no matter what type of small business you run, at some point you will run into an opportunity to compete, use the services of, or provide a product (or service) to companies in China.
- Seminar for small business advertising strategies is today in Norwich (The Norwich Bulletin)
Rose City Renaissance ? the Norwich Main Street Program continues its Business Education Initiative today at 5:30 p.m with a seminar on Advertising 101 ? Strategies for Success for the Small Business Owner. While designed for the beginning entrepreneur, the two-hour seminar is valuable for any business owner, regardless of experience.
- How Small Business Owners Can Make Every Dollar Count (Richfield Reaper)
(ARA) - Now more than ever before, it's important for small business owners to get the most return on every dollar they spend. After all, as the backbone of the American economy, the small business owner's success spells good news for everyone.
- Bush to Take Last Crack at Dismantling Programs for Middle Class Firms According to the American Small Business League (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
The Bush Administration is gearing up to take one last shot at dismantling federal programs designed to assist middle class firms. Earlier this year, the Small Business Administration announced that they intend to review size standards for every industry classification within federal contracting programs.
- El Chef restaurant es Small Business winner (The Daily Dispatch)
A family business is a successful business. In July El Chef Restaurant was named the Small Business of the Year by the Douglas Chamber of Commerce. From left, David, Aracely, Nancy, Hilario, Teresa and Alejandra.
- 8x8, Inc.'s Packet8 Virtual Office Small Business Phone System Now Available at Staples.com (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
8x8, Inc. , provider of Packet8 business, mobile and residential communication services, today announced that its Packet8 Virtual Office hosted PBX small business phone system is now available on Staples.com.
- Wells Fargo Announces Next Small Business Webcast: "Sound Credit Practices For Your Business" (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
----Wells Fargo : WHAT: Wells Fargo will premiere its fifth small business webcast, "Sound Credit Practices for Your Business," on Tuesday, July 29th. The webcast will feature a panel discussion with leading financial industry insiders and business owners on how to establish sound credit practices for managing business credit and cash flow.
- Visa, Facebook Target Small-Business Owners With Social Networking (BankTech)
The Visa Business Network offers banks a captive community of small-business owners.
- Applications open for the third Lloyds TSB Small Business Awards (AME Info)
Lloyds TSB Middle East, part of one of the world's largest banking groups, today announced the application phase will open for the third year of the Lloyds TSB small business Awards.
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