Former general counsel and small business owner, Anita Campbell, offers sage advice in her post on the Build a Solo Practice Blog about how to write a better contract .  What is the better contract in Anita’s view?

  1. First and foremost, the better contract protects the client.
  2. The better contract is written in plain

The Small Business Administration (SBA) and FranNet have teamed up to offer an online training course for those interested in franchising.

The free online course on franchise basics provides three key sections that examine more than 10 essential areas relating to franchising, including Whether Franchising Right for You and How to Choose the Right

One of my franchisee clients offered a very simple question that every prospective franchisee should ask of other franchisees when conducting due diligence:

What doesn’t the franchisor do well?

He says this evoked the best responses from franchisees when he conducted his due diligence.  If you are considering a franchise be sure to talk to

A new program from the non-profit Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Vitality (IFMCV), will provide a statewide mechanism for Iowa’s microentrepreneurs to connect with community development agencies for assistance. Among the groups spearheading the effort are the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation and the Community Vitality Center (CVC), a policy analysis center based at

It’s no April Fool’s joke, the Iowa Secretary of State corporate biennial reports are due today, April 1, 2008.  If you have not filed your report be sure to do so today.  In Iowa, limited liability companies are also required to file the report.  If you file online the cost is $30.00 for the filing

A cautionary tale about partnership from Richard Fox on the Kauffman eVenturing site is an absolute must read.  Fox shares how he thought his legal background would protect him well as he created shareholder agreements, buy/sell agreements, voting trusts, special bylaws and articles of incorporation when he entered into a business partnership.  But even he was surprised