Run a UCC Lien Search Before You Buy a Business
A UCC lien search shows which lenders hold security interests in a seller's assets. Search the state of organization, then run a bring-down before closing.
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Legal
Legal considerations for business finance and accounting compliance
Your Customer List Is Worthless in Court Unless You Protected It: Trade Secrets 101 for Small Employers
Your client list is only a trade secret if you protected it first — inventory secrets, sign NDAs with the DTSA notice, and lock down access.
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Jury Duty? State Rules, the FLSA Trap, and PTO Limits
Federal law requires jury-duty time off but no pay; 8 states plus DC mandate employer pay, and the FLSA bars docking exempt salaries.
Title-Holding Land Trusts for Rental Investors: Privacy, the Due-on-Sale Exemption, and When an LLC Still Wins
A land trust keeps your name off the deed and fits the federal Garn-St. Germain due-on-sale exemption — but it is no liability shield, so pair it with an LLC.
Does Lemon Law Cover Your Work Truck? State Coverage, Fleet Exclusions, and the Federal Backstop
Lemon laws cover work trucks in some US states but not others; use, weight, and fleet tests decide, and a Section 179 buyback triggers depreciation recapture.
OFCCP's Section 503 Final Rule Takes Effect September 21, 2026: What Federal Contractors Must Strip From Their AAPs
OFCCP's Section 503 final rule takes effect September 21, 2026: Form CC-305, the 7% utilization goal and disability data collection end — the written AAP stays.
Pet Deposits vs. Pet Rent vs. Pet Fees: What You Can Actually Charge
Pet deposits are refundable and often capped; pet fees and pet rent are Schedule E income when received — IRS Pub 527 rules, state caps, and how to book each.
Your Trademark Registration Expires If You Ignore It: The Section 8, Section 9, and Section 15 Filings Every Owner Must Calendar
Your trademark needs a Section 8 filing between years 5–6 and a combined Section 8/9 renewal every decade — miss the grace period and the USPTO cancels it.
California Prop 65 Warnings: What Online Sellers Must Put on Labels and Websites
California Prop 65 reaches any seller shipping into the state with 10+ employees — warn before checkout, name the chemical, and relabel short forms by 2028.
Pre-Ticked Add-Ons Just Cost a Travel App $35 Million: A Small-Business Guide to Fee Consent and Total-Price Disclosure
A pre-ticked "optional" fee is not consent — the FTC's $35M order makes opt-in defaults, total-price disclosure, and traceable fee accounts the standard.
Illinois AI Hiring Compliance: Notice, Bias Testing, and Vendor Records Under HB 3773
Illinois HB 3773 took effect January 1, 2026 and covers employers with one employee — give AI notice, drop zip-code proxies, run four-fifths bias tests.
Mutual NDAs for Small Businesses: Define It, Mark It, and Sign Before You Share
A mutual NDA binds both sides — and the residuals clause, the marking rules, and two separate clocks decide whether yours survives a dispute.