Stop The Fires In Your Business: How To Keep Your Business Litigation-Free
Does your business have the potential to catch fire? The articles on this website are designed to help you pinpoint and fix potential flashpoints in your business. Rather than put out fires, why not stop them happening in the first place? These articles will help to guide you through the minefield of operating a business and help you see the potential problems before they happen.
There are a number of reasons why you should spend some time going through them.
- They are free and always will be. For some, you need to subscribe to this website but the subscription means that you get new articles delivered to your inbox as they are written.
- You will enjoy reading them. No joke. Not all lawyers write boring copy. I don't use legalese or complicated jargon, just easy to understand explanations and examples.
- The articles are not sales pitches nor do they skirt around an issue without giving an answer. They offer advice and solutions. Sure, you can get the same advice from a lawyer but it will cost you an arm and a leg.
The articles are divided into six topics which you will see in the menu to the right of your screen. Click on a topic which interests you or read the latest articles below.
Latest Articles...
How to negotiate a Guarantee Agreement
“Never sign a guarantee agreement” is the mantra of most lawyers. However, in most situations that is simply not practical. Banks and larger lending institutions can be pretty reluctant to waive the requirement for a guarantee entirely. For some lenders, however, it may be possible to negotiate individual terms which reduce your liability. If that’s possible, here is a list of some of the things which you should focus on. ... - read moreDo you have a toxic employee in your workplace?
Does your business (or a department within your business) suffer from any of the following symptoms: (a) High absenteeism; (b) High staff turnover rates; (c) Complaints about management? If so, then these symptoms are a sign of low levels of engagement. However, contrary to common belief, the problem may not lie with your disengaged employee. It could lie with an even bigger problem. ... - read moreWorkplace Survey – How Prevalent is Bullying in Your Workplace?
This is a pre course survey run from the Approachable Lawyer website in readiness for a ‘bullying’ workshop. We wanted to know if all the bullying we were reading about in schools and the workplace were for real or just media hype. Check out some of the questions and some of the results: ... - read moreHow to structure your business to protect your intellectual property
It was only after Dean signed one half of the shares over to his General Manager that he realised what he had done. The intention when he sold those shares was to give away half of his Auckland business. However, what Dean had inadvertently done was give away half of his dreams and aspirations for the brand which he had spent five years building up from scratch. A simple step taken before the share sale could have avoided this problem, but Dean was now looking at buying back the shares from someone who didn’t want to sell. ... - read moreWhy Bullying could be costing you sales and eroding your profit
A report released by Massey University in late 2009 revealed that 18% of persons surveyed in four industries reported that they had been the victims of bullying in the workplace. Yet anecdotal evidence tends to suggest that employers turn a blind eye, either because they are in denial that it is actually occurring (preferring instead to believe that the bully is a firm manager) or they lack the training to respond adequately to the problem. ... - read more
"I was far less stressed because of the constant support"
I didn't think I'd need a lawyer just because I was hiring an employee. Then things went wrong. Quite wrong, I must add. And boy, was I glad I had a water-tight employment agreement. What also helped was that I was able to let go of the employee at 2 days notice, simply because of the constant advice, and the solid paperwork I had in place. And it was all thanks to the Approachable Lawyer. I did have to spend a few anxious days while dismissing my employee, but I was far less stressed, because of the constant support and the fact that I could get in touch with Mike at a moment's notice and have my worries resolved. I'd say any business owner would be foolish to not have access to a hotline such as this.
Sean D'Souza, Psychotactics.com
I didn't think I'd need a lawyer just because I was hiring an employee. Then things went wrong. Quite wrong, I must add. And boy, was I glad I had a water-tight employment agreement. What also helped was that I was able to let go of the employee at 2 days notice, simply because of the constant advice, and the solid paperwork I had in place. And it was all thanks to the Approachable Lawyer. I did have to spend a few anxious days while dismissing my employee, but I was far less stressed, because of the constant support and the fact that I could get in touch with Mike at a moment's notice and have my worries resolved. I'd say any business owner would be foolish to not have access to a hotline such as this.
Sean D'Souza, Psychotactics.com
