Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Legal Requirements 5

Chapter 1: Starting Your Legal Journey: Business Structures and Initial Research 7

Chapter 2: Setting up and Running Your Business Structure: Legal Formalities 23

Chapter 3: Choosing Your Funding Partner 43

Chapter 4: Closing the Funding Agreement 59

Part II: Launching Your Business – Legal Essentials 81

Chapter 5: Contracting Consultants and Employees 83

Chapter 6: Dealing with Your Online Responsibilities 107

Chapter 7: Staying Onside in the Workplace 123

Chapter 8: Protecting What You Own: Intellectual Property 147

Chapter 9: Acquiring and Using Your Own Software 173

Part III: Growing the Business – The Legal Blueprint 191

Chapter 10: Cooking Up a Tasty Contract with Your Suppliers 193

Chapter 11: Contracting with Suppliers for Services 213

Chapter 12: Creating Legal Contracts with Consumers 227

Chapter 13: Saying Bonjour, Ciao, Hola, Ni Hao to Trading Abroad 245

Part IV: Staying in Business – Legal Pitfalls 263

Chapter 14: Managing Your Legal Risks 265

Chapter 15: Winning Disputes (When You Can’t Avoid Them) 279

Chapter 16: Coping with Liquidation and Insolvency 299

Part V: Exiting Successfully – Legal Secrets 323

Chapter 17: Lifting‐Off to Further Business Goals 325

Chapter 18: Cashing In: Selling Your Business 341

Part VI: The Part of Tens 359

Chapter 19: Top Ten Legal Bear Pits to Avoid 361

Chapter 20: Ten Documents You Need to Get Signed 367

Chapter 21: Shush! Ten Secrets of Negotiation 375

Chapter 22: Ten Ways You Can Expect Your Lawyer to Behave 385

Index 395

About the Author

Clive Rich is a lawyer, mediator, arbitrator and negotiator. He is Chairman of LawBite, an online legal service providing 'Simple Law for Small Companies' (www.lawbite.co.uk).