A recent study by professor James Chrisman of Mississippi State University shows that Iowa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) clients grow 24% faster than Iowa businesses that have no assistance from the SBDC.

The independent study also shows that the SBDC has a significant impact on Iowa’s tax revenues, job creation and retention, and capital

In December’s issue of Inc. Magazine, Norm Brodsky describes a paradox of successful negotiation.  The less interest you have in doing a deal, the more likely you are to get one you’ll find difficult to refuse.

Brodsky is considering selling his businesses (records storage, secure document-shredding and delivery).  He turned down an offer from

As New York Small Business Law blog says, "Articles on choice of business entity are a dime a dozen."  But I agree this article concerning Choice of Entity from the worldwide law firm of O’Melveney & Myers is an excellent guide. 

The article contains the answers to many of the frequently asked questions concerning using

The time to hire a business attorney is before you get into legal trouble.  It is much easier and more cost-effective to prevent problems rather than solve them.  Further, if you do get into legal trouble it will be much easier to deal with the issues if you already have a solid relationship with

Business.gov is the "Official Link to the U.S Government".  This Web site is an excellent resource for the start-up business. 

The site has many helpful areas including:

1.  Business Resource Library – contains information on a variety of regulatory topics including taxes, managing and hiring employees and intellectual property;

2.  Government forms search – by

Buying a franchise does not automatically provide you with limited liability.  The franchisor may be a corporation or LLC but that does not make your own franchise business a corporation or LLC.  You must still form your own corporation or LLC in order to obtain the benefits of limited liability.  Otherwise, you will have a

Here is an interesting tidbit presented by the California Estate and Business Law Blog.

According to Turbotax the S Corporation has the lowest risk of audit for the various business entities.  Those audit risk percentages are:

S corporations   .19%

Partnerships     .26%

C Corporations    .71%

Sole Proprietorships     2.13%

But if you play

As evidenced by a recent study from Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Iowa companies are concerned about the legal climate in Iowa. 

Here are five ways to avoid lawsuits against your business:

1.  Use written agreements.  Unfortunately the day is over when you could rely on a handshake.  Make sure that your agreements

New York Small Business lawyer Imke Ratschko presents a helpful e-book on her blog "Small Business Guide to Risk Management – A complete guide for business decision-makers" published by the Association of Small Business Development Centers.

This easy to read guide discusses the many risks that businesses face and provides checklists to assess those risks

Perhaps often overlooked, the Iowa Secretary of State Web site is an excellent resource for the Iowa start-up entrepreneur.  In the Iowa business services section of the site a business person can find information about a wide variety of topics including:

1.  A guide to the most commonly formed business organization options.  The guide