Business
Running a business: customers, operations, buying and selling a company.
22 guides
- A client will not pay your invoice
When a client does not pay an invoice, the dispute usually turns on the agreement, whether the work was completed as promised, and whether the amount is due. Common responses include checking the contract, sending a formal payment demand, negotiating, using a small-claims or civil court, or pursuing enforcement after j
- Business licences and permits
A business licence or permit is government permission to carry on a particular activity, operate at a particular location, or meet a health, safety, professional, environmental, or consumer-protection requirement. The requirements depend mainly on the business activity, location, business structure, premises, employees
- Choosing a business structure: sole trader, LLC or corporation
A sole trader is usually the simplest structure, but you personally own the business and are generally responsible for its debts. An LLC or corporation can separate the business from you legally, although it brings extra registration, record-keeping, tax, and filing obligations.
- Commercial leases: key terms and how they work
A commercial lease rents space for business use: an office, a shop, a restaurant, or a warehouse. Commercial leases are governed mostly by their own terms and general contract and property law, with far fewer statutory protections than residential leases.
- Copyright basics for creators and businesses
Copyright usually protects original creative expression, such as writing, photographs, music, software, artwork, video, and designs, once it is recorded in some form. The creator commonly starts as the copyright owner, but contracts, employment rules, assignments, licenses, and local law can change who may use the work
- Customer disputes and bad reviews
Customer disputes can involve unpaid invoices, defective or delayed goods or services, refunds, chargebacks, and public reviews. A review is generally safer for a customer when it expresses an honestly held opinion or accurately describes what happened; a business can face legal risk if it makes unsupported factual cla
- Delaware LLCs: formation, operating agreements, and ongoing requirements
A Delaware limited liability company is formed by filing a certificate of formation with the Delaware Secretary of State. This guide explains what the Delaware LLC Act requires, what the operating agreement does, and the recurring obligations that follow formation.
- Franchise agreements: what to check
A franchise agreement is a long-term business contract that controls how you use another business’s brand, systems, products, and support. Before signing, the main issues usually include total cost, operating restrictions, territory, renewal, termination, personal guarantees, and what information the franchisor provide
- Getting paid as a freelancer: late payment rights
A freelancer’s right to be paid usually comes from the contract with the client, including any agreement about the amount, due date, milestones, and expenses. If payment is late, possible remedies may include interest, compensation, collection costs, a court claim, or a statutory payment remedy, but the available optio
- Hiring your first employee legally
Hiring your first employee usually involves more than signing an agreement. You generally need to decide whether the person is an employee, register for payroll and workplace obligations, provide lawful terms, and keep records.
- Independent contractor or employee: misclassification
Misclassification happens when a business treats someone as an independent contractor even though the person legally functions as an employee. The classification can affect minimum wage, overtime, leave, tax withholding, benefits, workplace rights, and protection against discrimination or retaliation.
- Independent contractor vs. employee under U.S. law
Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor decides who pays payroll taxes, who is owed minimum wage and overtime, and which workplace laws apply. U.S. law answers the question with several different tests, not one.
- Leasing commercial space
Leasing commercial space usually involves negotiating a lease that allocates rent, operating costs, repairs, insurance, permitted use, and risks between you and the landlord. Commercial tenants generally receive fewer protections than residential tenants, so the written lease and local law are especially important.
- Liability under a contract: breach, indemnification, and limitation-of-liability clauses
Whether a party is liable under a contract depends on what the contract promises, whether a promise was broken, and what the contract and the law say about the consequences. This guide explains how breach and damages generally work and how indemnification, limitation-of-liability, and liquidated-damages clauses change the default rules.
- Non-disclosure agreements: how they work
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is most useful when it clearly identifies what information is confidential, why it is being shared, who may receive it, and what happens if it is misused. An NDA cannot protect information that is already public, independently developed, lawfully obtained elsewhere, or disclosed where t
- Noncompete agreements in the United States
A noncompete agreement restricts someone from working for a competitor or starting a competing business after a job or business relationship ends. Whether one is enforceable depends almost entirely on state law, which ranges from outright bans to case-by-case reasonableness review.
- Online terms, privacy policies and cookie banners
Online terms set the rules for using a website, app, or digital service, while a privacy policy explains how personal information is collected and used. Cookie banners may be needed when a business uses cookies or similar technologies that are not strictly necessary for the service.
- Partnership and co-founder disputes
Partnership and co-founder disputes commonly involve ownership, decision-making, money, intellectual property, work responsibilities, or a proposed exit. The legal result usually depends first on the business structure and the written agreements, but courts may also consider conduct, financial records, and the parties’
- Personal guarantees and when you are on the hook
A personal guarantee is a promise that you will pay or perform a business obligation if the business does not. You can therefore become personally responsible even when the business is a separate company or limited-liability entity.
- Protecting your business name and trademark
A business name and a trademark are related but different. Registering a company or business name may identify your business to the government, but it usually does not give you exclusive rights to use that name for particular goods or services.
- Selling or closing a small business
Selling a small business usually involves transferring its assets, shares, or partnership interest to a buyer, while closing a business involves ending operations and dealing with debts, taxes, employees, contracts, and registrations. The legal and financial results can differ substantially depending on the business st
- Trademark basics under U.S. law
A trademark is a word, name, logo, or other sign that identifies the source of goods or services. In the United States, trademark rights come from using a mark in commerce, and federal registration under the Lanham Act adds important nationwide benefits.