The Library Means Business: Businesses must run an obstacle course of rules, regulations

Mike DePue is the business librarian at Library Center.

What you don't know really can hurt you.

In terms of running a business and complying with numerous laws, the more informed you are, the better. To prevent making costly mistakes, check out these resources at any of the eight branches of the Springfield-Greene County Library District.

Books @ The Library

A business owner who doesn't understand the fundamental effects that the law can have on his business can end up as road kill on the commercial highway. "Business and the Legal System," by Scott Minter and Sherry Moore Humphrey, follows six business owners as they work to conform to local, state and federal laws. The four main challenges identified are personnel law, taxation requirements, contract validity and collections strategy.

It is far more harrowing and messy to fix a legal problem than it is to prevent one. "Stay Out of Court and in Business," by Steven C. Brandt and Stafford Frey Cooper, emphasizes problem avoidance and focuses on the top 10 areas in which businesses have legal downfalls. A variety of cases and practical examples help illustrate the advice. This book definitely will make "risk exposure" part of the business owner's vocabulary.

Legal costs can eat up 10 percent of a large company's earnings, and a major lawsuit can spell bankruptcy for a small firm. "Protect Yourself from Business Lawsuits" by Thomas Schweich demonstrates the "Eight Big Mistakes" made by everyone from the receptionist to the CEO that can topple a company into litigation. The book discusses four shields that can protect a company from potentially devastating claims and can be constructed using internal resources.

Pertinent Web sites

www.nolo.com/lawcenter/ency/index.cfm

Nolo has been putting the law into plain English for more than 30 years. Check their online legal encyclopedia under such topics as small business, lawsuits and mediation and independent contractors for pithy answers to common questions.

www.businesslaw.gov/

Content for this site is being built by Small Business Administration field lawyers, with input from the IRS, INS and state agencies. Its primary focus is small businesses in critical development stages. An extremely useful (and usable) part of this vast site are the plain-English guides, which use wizards and mini-tutorials to provide basic understanding of the laws that affect each phase of a small enterprise's life.

biz.findlaw.com/index.html

Once you put in your ZIP code, you will have access to articles, guides and forms in various categories such as taxes, dissolution, workers' compensation and debt collection. You can also see frequently asked questions, an online legal dictionary, message boards and much more. Under "research tools," Litigation Watch lets you track significant developments by company or industry.