The Legal Aspects of Managing a Business

If you have your own business chances are you have looked onto the laws for your type of business. There are many legal aspects of managing a business. These legal aspects are there to protect you and your business. There are different laws for every business but there are many that are common to all businesses. These would include health and safety, employment and age, buildings and property, fair trading practices and licensing and insurance.

Health and Safety is a big part of managing a business. This would help insure that your employees are working in a safe and healthy environment. You will need to register your business with OSHA (occupational safety health administration) if you have any buildings that are part of your business. If your employees are working with hazardous materials or with building materials you will also have to register with OSHA. Not abiding by the legalities of health and safety is a sure way to be sued by an employee or the state. These laws are there to protect you the business owner.

Employment and age are another legal aspect of managing a business. You need to abide the rules set by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). These would include who you can and need to employ according to age, race, and background. It will also help you stay with in all legal hiring limits set by the law. Not abiding by these rules will open the chances of you being sued by someone you may not have hired for any reason.

Buildings and property can become a legal aspect of managing a business also. You will need to know building codes for your business especially if you are running a business from your home. If you have a separate structure for your business checking on building and property codes will also help insure that there are no structural problems with the building that could cause fines later on.

If your business is selling some type of item then you will need to look into the legal aspects of fair trading. This would include any laws or regulations that mandate unfair competition, false advertising, and copyright infringement. Look into the better business bureau guidelines for selling and register your business with them. Whether you are selling wholesale or retail you will need to look into these laws to protect you from other businesses or business owners.

Licensing and insurance for your business is a legal aspect that is there to help you. It is very important that you apply to all licenses that your business is going to need. Get in touch with your state's business license department and they will be able to tell you what licenses you will need to apply for. Insurance is often required no matter what type of business you are managing. Insurance will protect your buildings, the goods you are selling, and other business items. Insurance will also help you against employees that may get hurt on the job. You can get more information on the government regulations from other businesses like yours or from trade associations.

Hiring an attorney to help with these licenses, insurance policies and other business related issues can help you get through them faster. An attorney will help you to understand the codes and regulations pertaining to your business that you are managing. Attorney's can help speed up the process of getting the licenses. The attorney will be able to better serve you and the legal aspects of managing your business.

The legal aspects of managing a business will depend on your particular type of business but many things can be the same. You will need to get the proper licenses and register with the correct agencies. Make sure to get insurance and hire employees to work in safe and healthy environments. All these things will help you manage your business in the long run.