All posts by David Walker

Confidentiality agreement NDA non-disclosure agreement

The DNA of NDA’s – Are confidentiality agreements worth the paper they are written on?

By | Confidentiality agreement, Contract law, Small Business | No Comments

There’s always a great deal of debate about the value of confidentiality agreements (or NDA’s / non-disclosure agreements as they’re sometimes known). Some people (usually the owner of the idea or information) will insist on a confidentiality agreement being signed before discussing anything. Others (usually the one receiving the information) will point blank refuse to sign anything.

So who’s right? Read More

Shareholders agreement working in partnership

Do I need a shareholders or partnership agreement?

By | Contract law, Shareholders agreement, Small Business, Start Up | No Comments

Why do I need a shareholders or partnership agreement?

If you own and control 100% of your business, you can run it (subject to complying with the law!) pretty much however you choose. You don’t have to consult with anyone before making decisions and you can change your mind at the drop of a hat.

If you don’t own and control 100% of your business, you can’t do this. You have to consult and agree with your business partners about how you will run your business.

How these decisions are made and what happens if you can’t reach an agreement will have a huge impact on the success of your business so this is what we are going to look at in this blog. Read More

Standard terms and conditions of business

Why use standard terms and conditions of business?

By | Contract law, Small Business, Terms of business | No Comments

Hands up if you read all the small print on the back of an order form?

Who scrolls through and actually reads the terms and conditions on a website before clicking to accept?

I’m not seeing many hands!

OK, I admit it. When I’m in a hurry (which is most of the time) I don’t read them either.

So, this begs the question, if nobody reads the terms and conditions why use them? Read More

5 essential contracts every business should have

The 5 Essential Contracts Every Business Must Have (And What Happens If They Don’t)

By | Contract law, Small Business, Start Up | No Comments

When a client comes to see me about starting a business, we always talk about the essential contracts their business needs.

Initially, they can be reluctance to spend money on them and often ask “Can’t I just download them from the net?

I fully understand that money is tight and clients are keen to keep costs to a minimum wherever possible, but this is an area where cutting corners usually proves to be a false economy. Legally binding contracts are the foundations of your business and as I’ll explain, having solid foundations in place is one of the best investments you can make for the future. Read More

Can I use an image I found on the internet

Can I use an image I found on the internet?

By | Copyright, Intellectual Property, Small Business | No Comments
We’ve all been there. We’re writing a blog or preparing a presentation and we need a picture to really get our message across. After all, a picture paints a thousand words.

So where do we look?

The first place most of us turn to is Google and after a quick search you find exactly what you’re looking for. But, can you use this image? Read on to find out. Read More

Legal issues to consider when starting an online business

Legal issues to consider when starting an online business

By | eCommerce, Small Business, Start Up | No Comments
More and more people are becoming self-employed these days and running their own businesses.

Many of these are online businesses, but even if you set up a retail business or something that operates predominantly offline, the chances are, it’s going to have an online presence.

In this blog we’re going to look at are the specific legal issues you need to consider when setting up an online business. Read More