Business Law Issues

Author: Frank Stevens
Monday, October 19, 2009@ 6:44 PM

Business Law Issues

Any business, whether it’s owning a retail store or being an independent building contractor, has certain things in common. Aside from knowing the trade or business involved, the proprietor needs certain other skills that are required to keep the business running.

One of the first and most important things a business owner needs to know is basic accounting and tax law. Operating a business without keeping accounting records in the manner prescribed by state and federal law can end the business more surely than any other mistake a business owner can make. Large businesses may be able to hire an accountant or an accounting firm to handle their book-keeping and tax matters. Small business owners often take care of their own book-keeping as a way to save money. Either way, the owner is ultimately responsible for any errors, omissions, or other faults in the company’s books or tax filings, so it behooves the owner to be both knowledgeable in the area and to keep an eye on any third party or employee who is handling these matters.

In any business, there is the potential for disputes with customers. Customers may have had unrealistic expectations or the business owner may have been unable to fulfill an obligation due to circumstances beyond their control. Whatever the cause of the dispute, ending up in court is often the worst way to settle it. Legal fees and bad publicity for the business can cost more than just giving the customer what they want in some cases. A business owner needs to be aware of the laws governing contracts and dispute resolution in the state or states in which they do business. Many disputes can be avoided altogether through the use of a very specific contract that is signed by the customer before any work commences. Of course, contractual agreements are primarily used in business sectors such as building contracting in which each customer interaction is unique.

Building contractors also need to know building codes appropriate to the trades in which they are doing work. Building codes vary from state to state and even between different municipalities. If operating outside of their usual area, a building contractor must check local building codes before doing any work. Furthermore, due diligence on local codes should be done before the quote is offered since there may be some local ordinance that will affect the cost of the work to be done.

For building contractors, these types of issues are covered in the business law section of the California State Contractor’s License Exam. In other words, if you don’t have a good working knowledge of these issues and the rules surrounding them, you won’t pass the exam and get licensed. Other business owners need to take the initiative on their own to learn these things before they open their doors.

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