The Business Start-Up Kit_Steven D. Strauss

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12 Law, Taxes, and Insurance

By setting up your business properly from the outset, you are putting in place a foundation that will help ensure your success. Finding a good lawyer and accountant whose opinions you can trust, learning how to hire and fire employees, and getting properly insured are all part of that solid foundation.

Finding Attorneys and Accountants Lawyers and accountants are critical business advisors for your new business. They can help steer you away from trouble, and get you out of trouble if need be. Lawyers can help with contracts, leases, hiring and firing employees, and a host of other issues. Accountants will help prepare your taxes and can give other helpful financial advice. Combined, these two professionals can become vital advisors. But this begs the question: Where do you find a good accountant who knows his or her stuff, or a lawyer you can trust? The best way is through a satisfied customer. A referral will tell you far more about a professional than a dozen television ads. So, if you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who has a business similar to yours, find out how they like their lawyer or CPA. You need to ask the following questions: • Did the professional get good results? Did the case settle successfully, was the contract beneficial, were taxes reduced? Results are what count.

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