Podcast

What do you do when you’ve done the right thing by providing a service agreement to your client and now the project is changing or the client wants to add on extras?

Outsourcing in your business is brilliant. There is so much that can be gained from hiring the right people with the right skills, to help you move your business forward. However, if the right agreements aren’t in place, it can cause more problems than it is worth sometimes.

Entering into a commercial lease is such an exciting time for a business owner. With your vision finally coming to fruition and the fit-out to manage, it’s not uncommon for business owners to get caught up in the fun part and not set aside the time to fully understand their legal obligations.

In this episode, I discuss why Ts & Cs matter and provide some context for the practical applications in which they relate to the daily operations of your business. I talk about why having crystal clear Ts & Cs helps you navigate dispute resolution with ease, build lasting and positive client relationships and gives you peace of mind moving forward in your business.

If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ll have heard me speak of how vital it is to tailor your business legals to suit your individual business. This includes your Website Terms & Conditions and in this episode I share 4 reasons why you should never copy them from another website.

In this episode, I talk about the all-important Terms and Conditions and what can happen if you don’t have them in place. I discuss how having carefully prepared Ts & Cs makes it easy to navigate through payment disputes, refund and cancellation policies and what your obligations are under the Australian Consumer Law.

Having spent the first 12 years of my career in litigation and dispute resolution, I’ve seen it go wrong time and time again and a failure to have a rock solid partnership agreement in place is one of the all too common scenarios that lead people to court. If only they had understood that prevention is better than cure.

In this episode, I discuss the all information topic of business structure and what can happen when you’re not operating under the best business structure for you. I discuss the recent government stimulus packages during covid and how a lot of sole traders, unfortunately, missed out on the benefits that corporate entities were entitled to.

Selling a business isn’t a quick operation and in this episode, I talk about the importance of long term planning and surrounding yourself with a team of trusted advisers. I go through some of the vital things you need to think about and list the necessary documentation you should have in place in order to maximise the value of your business.

I share my top 5 tips to help your business stay well, including the all-important business legals, licences and insurances and making sure you review these on a regular basis. I also discuss cash flow, which is the cornerstone of every business, and why it’s so important to have debt management policies, procedures and strategies in place.

Today I talk about the difference between employees and contractors. I discuss why it’s so important to understand the difference and how doing the work upfront to choose the best fit for your business will prevent you from entering into legal battles in the future.

Having spent the first 12 years of my career in litigation and dispute resolution, I know all too well the loss and heartache that can follow these situations getting out of hand. Sadly, many of the situations my clients found themselves in could have been avoided if they had known how to handle things differently.

Going into business with a friend can sound like a really great idea and many people do it successfully. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it time and time again where misunderstandings, life changes and frustrations lead to the breakdown of the business and also the friendship. The good news is, these breakdowns are often avoidable with the right preparation and a rock-solid iron-clad agreement.

Things are constantly changing in life and in business and for business owners, it’s imperative that these changes are reflected in your legal documents. The start of a new year is a great time to have a look at which things may have changed in your business and to make sure your important documents are up to date.

Happy new year! It’s often a very exciting time of the year for people deciding to launch a brand new business. Off the back of a refreshing break with time to focus on what’s ahead, business owners can be tempted to dive in head first with excitement.