How Franchisees Can Avoid Personal Liability in Contracts

 

A common thing I see from franchisees is that they include only the name of their franchise in an agreement as opposed to including their corporate or limited liability company name. Most of the time the names are different. For example, if my franchise is "Tops Franchise" but my corporate name is "Rush Nigut Enterprises, Inc.", I need to make sure the corporate name is included in the contract. 

I had this exact thing happen to a franchisee client. He failed to include the name of his corporation in a contract and used only the name of his franchise. The court ruled that he was personally liable for the debt because he had not disclosed to the other side that he was signing in a corporate capacity.

So be careful to always include your corporate or LLC name and sign with your title, (i.e. President, Vice-President, member, etc.).

Iowa Biz Post: Iowa Smoke Free Air Act Impacts Even YOUR Business

Many Iowa business owners think the new Iowa SmokeFree Air Act only applies to bars and restaurants.  Not so!

Check out my post today on the Des Moines Business Record's IowaBiz site for more details.

 

Don't Lose That Deduction for Business Expenses

On IowaBIz.com, West Des Moines accountant Joe Kristan shares a story about what happens when you try to take personal deductions for corporate expenses.

The moral of Joe's story:

If you incorporate your business, run it like a business. The corporation pays the corporation's bills, or your deduction vanishes.

Great advice indeed!