Sandra Kell Ontario, Canada Baby Products Profit This Year: $10,400
“I started with $1,000 and began importing baby products from China. I sell them
on eBay, Facebook and in my local stores. After 8 months, I am earning $400 a week.
I finally quit my day job!”
Learn How
Small Business Laws Getting It Right The First Time
Here are some of the basic Small Business Laws that you should be aware of as a small
business owner to keep you out of your lawyer’s office:
Copyright - legal protection given to authors of written, photographed, music composition
materials. It is usually identified by the letter "C" with a circle around it.
Trademark - legal protection provided for names, logos, word phases, Internet names
which describes a company's name, product or service. It is identified by a TM mark.
A registered trademark is flagged by an “R” with a circle around it.
Patent - legal protection given to the inventor of a product or process.
Business License - you will need to apply for a business license at your city's Business
License Bureau or the county clerk's office to legalize your business venture. You
will need this license to legally open a small business.
DBA's (Doing Business As) - is a fictitious business name that does not contain your
own name as part of it. You will need this name for all your legal applications and
bank requests. To file for your DBA requires that you first publish the name in
the local paper before you go to the City Clerk office.
Seller's Permit - anyone who buys goods for resale will require a seller's permit.
So if you decide to import those cute dolls from China to sell in your Imported
Dolls gift shop, you will need to obtain a seller's permit. The Seller's Permit
is the government's way of getting sales taxes from you after you collected them
from your customers.
Get a Lawyer - many small businesses will skip the "get a lawyer" step at the beginning
due to lack of funding. It is the one step that you should not skip. Doing so may
jeopardize your business future if you have not done things properly. Find lawyer
recommendations from friends, family and associates. Make sure the lawyer understands
the legalities of small businesses.
I Like To See My Lawyer
As a small business owner, there are a number of Small Business Laws that you must
follow owner to protect yourself legally. Not doing so, you may end up wasting hours
trying to fight the legal system.