November 21, 2024

The Legal Matters Of Starting An Internet Business

As with any type of business you intend on jumping into, there are several legal matters that are involved with running a home based internet business. The safest route is to hire a lawyer prior to making any rash decisions. Hiring an accountant and/or lawyer can certainly be expensive, but it is worth the price to make sure everything goes smoothly when beginning your internet business.

You still have to realize though, that a majority of the decisions you make regarding your internet business will have to come solely from your gut instinct. And perhaps the biggest decision you will have to make is whether or not to incorporate your home based internet business. There are a number of benefits you can get from incorporating your business including tax implications and various legal issues. You will also find that many businesses, banks and investors will take you more seriously.

After coming to terms with the decision of incorporating your internet business or not, it’s time to consider patents and trademarks. If there are specific products that you have invented or have the rights to, it may be wise to patent them. Even more common when it comes to home based internet businesses is putting a trademark on your web pages and articles. The sole purpose of this is to protect you, your company and your work from being stolen on the internet.

Remember prior to signing any contract agreements for your business to take the time to read them carefully. By reading each section of a contract carefully you will better understand what you are getting yourself into and what limitations you may have. It becomes especially relevant to have a lawyer or accountant during this phase of the process to ensure that everything checks out ok. If you are confused or unsure of something, having a lawyer to explain terms to you is very beneficial.

Lastly, it is vital that you take the time to learn the various internet laws and prohibitions that exist. This can save you from doing something to your internet business that is illegal and getting your account canceled. After all, you don’t want to invest a lot of time and money into something that is illegal.

A lot of the legal issues to a home based internet business are basic and straightforward, but you still have to devote time to them. You can never be too careful when it comes to your life and the source of income you have coming in. So long as you are careful and willing to ask for help whe

Zoning Laws

The recent downturn in the economy has even more people than before working from the safe haven from their homes. The types of home-based businesses vary from internet marketing to programming. Regardless of what your home business is, it is still a business. From a legal point of view a home-based business is not much different than any other. You have to select a name for your business; form the legal structure (eg. Sole Proprietor, Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company, etc.); pay taxes; procure insurance; execute contracts; and receive/collect payments from customers.

One key issue particular to a home-based business is restriction on property use.

Let’s take a look at zoning laws. Can you legally run a business from your home? The answer to this question can differ considerably from location to location. Condominium and planned developments generally have a detailed set of rules and regulations pertaining to home-based businesses that are even more stringent than most local zoning ordinances. If you live in one of these types of communities, it is a good idea to review these rules and regulations prior to investing substantial time and money into a home based business. If your home is not in this category, it will be covered by ordinances stemming from city, county, village or township governments.

Zoning Ordinances vary widely but all have the same basic intent: they separate the land into districts wherein particular activities are permitted or prohibited. Some areas may well prohibit home-based businesses all together, however, it is more common that the ordinances will merely restrict the home-based business activities. Common restrictions include but are not limited to the following:

-number of employees

-visible signage

-percent of home devoted to business

-on-street parking

-traffic/visitor count and frequency

It is not always easy to determine whether or not your home-based business will conflict with the zoning ordinances in your area, so as mentioned earlier, be sure to check into the specific requirements prior to investing significant time or capital into your home-based business.