The holiday shopping season traditionally begins with Black Friday, and many savings events extend into the next week with Cyber Monday. But right in the middle is Small Business Saturday, geared towards helping the merchants in your hometown. Observed since 2010, the holiday has grown into a nationwide movement that is also celebrated year-round with the “shop small” movement. We show our support on Small Business Saturday, and every day, by providing counsel and expertise in business law to businesses in all stages of development.
Why Small Businesses Need a Lawyer
When starting or growing a small business, cutting costs is always top of mind. But skimping on investing in good legal advice upfront may end up costing more down the line. Services lawyers provide to small businesses include assistance and guidance in these areas:
- Compliance with federal, state and local laws
- Establishing a company name, logo, slogan, etc., to ensure it is not trademarked or being used by someone else already
- Choosing a business entity like limited liability companies (LLCs), corporations and partnerships, limited partnerships and conversions of “C” corporations to “S” status
- Filing patent applications to protect your creative property
- Business continuity planning, which will help you decide the trajectory your business will take
- Succession planning, which can be especially important for long-run family businesses
- Determining employee stock ownership plans
- The purchase, sale and acquisition of assets including real estate or leasing agreements for property or equipment
- Reducing risk and liability by establishing procedures that will limit potential legal issues
- Establishing formal legal documents for agreements between partners, employees, vendors, customers or clients
- Filing taxes and potentially lowering tax liability by identifying valid business deductions and reimbursements
How We Can Help
Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin helps many small businesses achieve success and provides them with the peace of mind they need to focus on their business. Contact us today to learn how we can help you start or grow.