The below checklist is designed to be used in conjunction with “The Ultimate Guide to Business Partnership Agreements“. Print a PDF of this Checklist Decide if you need a lawyer or start with a Business name(s) and purpose Learn More Partner areas of responsibilities Learn More How much time each partner will commit Learn More…
About the Author
Edward Daciuk
Edward Daciuk is a contributor to Fit Small Business and has helped start and build three different technology companies. This includes a fintech startup that raised $20 million in venture capital, went from a PowerPoint to 400 bank and hedge fund customers, and then sold to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He helped launch Inc.com, the internet arm of Inc. magazine, where he served as CFO and COO. Prior to that, he co-founded Periscope Systems with startup capital from KPMG and sold it to a boutique investment bank.
Trademark Costs: DIY Registration vs. Online Service vs. Lawyer
Registering a U.S. federal trademark will likely cost between $225 and $2,000. The trademark cost if you file yourself will cost at a minimum of $225. The trademark cost using an online service will cost around $500. The trademark cost using a trademark attorney will likely cost around $1,500 to $2,000. If you want to…
How to Start a Vending Machine Business in 5 Steps
The keys to building a vending machine business are finding and selling the right locations, having many locations, keeping machines clean and stocked, and maximizing net margins on your inventory. In general, you can expect to earn a few hundred dollars a month per machine with startup costs running a few thousand dollars per machine….
The Ultimate Guide to Cash Wraps, Cash Wells, & Checkout Counters
Cash wraps, also known as cash wells and checkout counters, are the locations in retail stores where customers pay for merchandise. They are also key areas to maximize sales, increase or decrease customer satisfaction, build your brand, and create an efficient workspace for employees. On top of every cash wrap sits a cash register or POS…
Zoning Laws for Small Business: What You Need to Know
Zoning laws, also known as zoning ordinances, define 1) what types of land use is allowed for a given area and 2) building regulations such as maximum building size or the need for fire escapes. If you’re starting a business, you need to be familiar with the zoning laws that cover your building and area….
5 Steps to Reduce Retail Theft & Shoplifting In Your Business
U.S. businesses lose around $60 billion annually to retail shrinkage. The vast majority of the losses are attributable to retail theft. Before your business can stop shoplifting and reduce shrinkage, you need to implement careful inventory management. Once that’s in place, there are a number of affordable ways to reduce retail theft at your business….
Best Paper Shredding Services: Shred-it vs Iron Mountain vs ProShred
Shredding services will destroy sensitive docs using mobile shredding at your site, pick up boxes from your location, or will shred at their local location if you drop paper off. These three national paper shredding services–, , and –specialize in heavy duty shredding. Here we compare their pricing, services offered and customer satisfaction. * Pricing…
Geek Squad Prices, Rates, Services & Alternatives
Geek Squad pricing ranges between $39.99 to $329.99 per individual service and $24.99 to $49.99 per user per month for a service plan. Each user can have multiple devices. If your small business doesn’t have IT support on staff, you can use Geek Squad (a service run by Best Buy) for help with software installation,…
How to Hire Remote Workers: The Ultimate Guide
Hiring remote workers has become increasingly popular for many positions, especially computer-based work such as programming or graphic design where it’s not necessary for the employee to be on site to fulfill their job responsibilities. In fact, some candidates now expect that they will allowed to work from home or another location of their choice….
Top 5 Salary Comparison Tools
Before you can set or negotiate an employee’s pay level, you’ll need to do a salary comparison using salary data you’ve gathered for similar roles at other companies. There are a number of tools that can help you with this. We list the top 5 salary comparison tools and explain what makes them unique and…
Compa Ratio: Definition, Formula, & Examples
Compa Ratio, short for comparison ratio, is a comparison of the salary you are paying your employees versus the market midpoint for similar positions at other companies. Compa ratio is a useful metric to have when setting salary levels or negotiating raises, and it helps you avoid losing talent to other companies. How To Calculate…
Should You Hire an HR Manager or Recruiter?
When you need to hire someone, you have two choices. You can use an internal HR manager, someone who is on your payroll and focuses some or all of their time sourcing candidates and hiring. Alternatively, you can hire an external recruiter, a third-party firm or individual who helps companies find qualified job candidates. Both…