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Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) Ruled Unconstitutional

National Small Bus. United v. Yellen, No. 5:22-cv-1448-LCB (N.D. Ala. Mar. 1, 2024) On Friday, March 1, 2024, in National Small Bus. United v. Yellen, Judge Liles C. Burke of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled via memorandum...

Economic and Legal Considerations for Short-Term Rental Businesses

Platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO have disrupted an industry once dominated by hotels and resorts, allowing individuals to open their homes and residential properties to travelers. The boom in short-term rentals has created new opportunities for investors who want to...

Business Licenses and Permits to Start Your Business

Small business owners are no strangers to government regulations. There are many requirements that businesses must be aware of and comply with, including business license and permit rules. Most businesses must obtain licenses or permits, so it is important for each...

Changing Your Business’ Legal Structure

Over time, your business can undergo significant changes. What may have started as a humble, one-person operation can grow into a more complex company, with multiple owners, employees, an evolving mission statement, and increasing risks. As the scope and goals of your...

What Is Due Diligence When Buying a Business?

Due diligence is the process of obtaining and verifying information about a company or person in preparation for a business transaction, such as an acquisition, merger, or potential new business partner. Generally, due diligence provides information about the company...

The Annual Meeting: What Every Corporation (and Many Limited Liability Companies) Should Know

All registered corporations are required by law to hold an annual meeting. Limited liability companies (LLCs), although not subject to the same statutory requirement, may hold regular meetings in accordance with their governing documents. What Is the Purpose of a...

Managing Business Relationships

Americans have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality that speaks to our individualism and enterprising spirit. This mindset is especially pronounced among business owners, who have chosen to forego the typical employment route in favor of creating their...

How to Prepare Your Business for Recession

Financial winter is coming. Or is it? Despite renewed optimism that the US economy can avoid a deep downturn, economists say the chances of a recession in 2024 are still about even. Small businesses are feeling the pain from high inflation, declining consumer...

Fed Judge Enjoins Unconstitutional CA Concealed Carry Place Restrictions

How does all of this make you feel about relying on politics and the courts to protect your family? How can the government be so fickle with your right to life? Maybe it’s time your family takes control, with a F.I.R.S.T. Family Trust? [GOOD NEWS 01/06/2024: On...

Advisors Panic over Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)’s Orwellian Reporting Requirements

Did you ever put off studying for a final, until the night before the final? That’s pretty much how the planning community is feeling about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which will go into effect January 1, 2024. Congress passed the devilish law several...

Noisome Signs SB2, Establishing Opportunity Zones for BLM, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda

After failure to pass a similar bill last year, Gov. Noisome recently signed into law SB2, which makes a concealed carry license more difficult and expensive to get, and basically worthless once you get it. But there is an upside for some: new opportunity zones for...

How to Dissolve a Partnership on Good Terms

Many business partnerships eventually come to an end. Like other types of relationships, when business partners decide to split up, the process can be amicable or contentious. For personal and professional reasons, dissolving the partnership on good terms is in the...

Common Pitfalls in Family-Owned Businesses

Your family and your business are two of your top priorities. You would not do anything to compromise either of them. But working with family members in a family-owned business presents unique challenges that can cause lasting damage to both if not properly managed....

How to Handle Conflicts in Family-Owned Businesses

Conflicts are inevitable within businesses and families. Personal rivalries, differences of opinion, competition for resources, and questions of prestige can set individuals at odds and lead to warring factions with competing loyalties. Resolving conflicts in both...

How to Protect Your Business from Lawsuits

Small business owners are no strangers to risk management. Owning and operating a small business entails a certain level of unpredictability. Despite your best efforts to stay on top of supply chains, marketing, sales, competitors, employees, and cash flow, unexpected...

Business Trusts 101: What Entrepreneurs Should Know about Using a Business Trust

Trusts are usually associated with estate planning, but trusts can also apply to business operations. As a small business owner, you can hold the business in a trust instead of using a business entity such as a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. Business...

How to Talk to Your Family About Business Succession

Benjamin Franklin famously quipped, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” From the very beginning, you had a plan for your business to succeed. You set goals and developed methods to achieve those goals. Your business has stood the test of time because you...