Recently in Starting a Business Category

It's no secret that starting a food truck business is all the rage these days. Food trucks have found that sweet spot by tapping into the current popularity of foodie culture, the powers of social media, and, in many cases, cheaper prices.

Unfortunately, serving innovative food at fair prices isn't the only thing food truck owners have to think about. Foodie entrepreneurs must also do their legal research before hitting the road -- or risk getting shut down.

Here are five legal issues that food truck owners commonly face:

Registering your business with a fictitious name may sound like you're going to open your own magical candy factory or even a furniture company that produces suspiciously deep wardrobes. But it can be vital to your small business' success.

A fictitious business name, or DBA name, is required in many states if your business does not take the legal name of its owner. What are the benefits to registering a DBA name?

Here are three reasons for you to step into the non-fantasy realm of registering your business with a fictitious name:

The last four years have seen a marked decrease in public opinion of large and faceless corporations, turning more and more consumers away from the big chains and toward smaller "mom and pop" businesses. Family businesses may be better equipped to weather a turbulent economy because they are supported by loyal relatives with a shared interest in the company's legacy, reports The New York Times.

On the other hand, conflicts within family can hit your hard work and investments where they hurt most. If you're planning to build a company that will stay in the family, here are some legal safeguards you should consider.

When you're planning out the future of your business, it's important to know what kind of structure you will have. If you want to become a corporation, you'll need to understand how to incorporate the business.

The details of the process can get pretty nitty-gritty, but there are general steps that can help you get familiar with the process. Here are the steps you can take to begin the incorporation process.

Buying a franchise may be a great way to start your own business. You have the advantages of starting a business with a recognizable name and built-in customer base.

However, there may also be a lot of downside and risk with purchasing a franchise. This can start with the franchise fee and all the restrictions stated in the franchise agreement.

Before rushing out and buying a franchise, you may want to keep these five legal tips handy:

Last year's election shed some light on women in the workforce. One area where women are grossly underrepresented is in entrepreneurship.

There are several lists out, detailing the top cities for female entrepreneurs. The finance website NerdWallet has its own list, while Forbes has a different list, calling into question some of the methodology used by NerdWallet -- for example, New York City didn't make the NerdWallet list.

What are some factors to consider when talking about the right climate for building women-owned businesses?

Here's an interesting question for small start-up companies:

If you're the sole founder in a company, do you have to write up a stock purchase agreement?

It's a good question for many reasons. For one, it's not one that every entrepreneur would think of asking. Many don't realize the importance of having stock purchase agreements drafted at the early stages.

If your New Year's resolution was to finally get around to starting your own business, we'd like to support you in your efforts. And even if your motivation isn't New Year's-related, we still want to give you a heads up on what legal risks to watch out for.

After all, when you create a company, you create an entirely new legal entity. That means it has responsiblities to the government and to other legal entities, both people and corporations.

For your company to survive and grow, it helps to stay out of legal trouble. Here are five of the most common legal risks that new businesses often face:

There are so many do-it-yourself kits and guides for how to incorporate that a lot of small business owners assume that they don't need a lawyer to do it.

Unfortunately, this is one of those times when assuming makes an... well, it makes you look bad.

It's true that some people will be able to navigate the incorporation process without a lawyer, but most of those DIY kits make the process look like an easy cut-and-paste job. If you fall into that mindset, you may just be begging for problems in managing your business down the road.

Here's why:

When it comes to starting a small business, figuring out which state you should incorporate in is something that often comes up.

Even if you aren't worried about which state to choose, chances are good that at least one business person you know will ask which state you're filing your incorporation documents in. There are a lot of choose from, but most business owners just pick from three.

Aside from your home state, Nevada and Delaware are the most popular states in which to incorporate a new business. But do those states give your business any advantages?