Fred S. Steingold

Nolo Press in general is a great source of books that present legal concerns in layman's terms. This book is an invaluable entry point for anyone (like me, who doesn't know anything about this kind of shenanigans), looking into what it takes to buy a business in the U.S. It provides a general overview of the steps to take in terms of investigating the business, what kind of sale to consider, how to write up various documents along the way, and where readers should look for outside expertise show more to help. It took a situation that looked like a scary maze of business terms and legality and provided arrows to safely lead toward the end point.

I did not finish it, because the individual who was looking to sell changed their mind. If they change it back again, or if another such opportunity presents itself, I'll come back to this book again to reread and follow through to the end. show less

I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program and every time I get a NOLA book I feel like I've won a prize - they are that good.

My husband and I are both working on setting up our own businesses and the legalities of it are some of the scarier parts of what we need to do.

We're not lawyers, we're just regular people, so we are afraid we won't do everything we should or that we will waste money doing things that are unnecessary.

Fred S. Steingold, an attorney and the author of show more the book, covers everything from registering a name to having to go to court and all the stuff in between. The language is clear and easy to understand and definitely will be a good reference to use in addition to speaking with your own business lawyer.

My favorite thing in this book are the sections called "Law in the Real World." These side-bars take the information presented and show you in various ways how it applies to a normal business situation. Very helpful for driving home complicated ideas.

If you have a business, want to have a business or just want to learn more about how businesses work - give the Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business a try. You'll be glad you did. show less

This is one of Nolo Press' flagship titles, now in its 12th edition (this review). Originally published in 1992, this mature work has been continually updated and revised and is probably the definitive legal guide for those wanting to set up their own small business or franchise. This is a comprehensive legal guide, reference work, and "how to" book covering about every relevant issue from choosing a name for the business, to representing yourself in small claims court.

The book's biggest show more deficit is with the specific laws, rules, and regulations of individual states. Some topics are covered state by state (e.g., Drug and Alcohol Testing Laws), but comprehensive state coverage of all issues is probably impractical for any work of this type. I would recommend also purchasing works that are specific to your own state (e.g., "Starting and Operating a Business in Tennessee") which are likely to reference your individual state's laws and regulations, as well as have copies of business forms pertinent to your locale.

Additionally, Nolo (and other publishers) will have titles which cover specific issues in greater depth for the small business. Should you decide to set up a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), Nolo itself publishes at least three books on that topic alone (Form Your Own Limited Liability Company; Your Limited Liability Company: an Operating Manual; Nolo's Quick LLC). Consider purchasing these, or other publishers' works, to supplement the coverage of this Legal Guide.

The single appendix, "Checklist for Starting a Small Business," is a concise and extremely useful outline for all issues relevant to actually setting up a business. The index was serviceable, but could be better. The back cover states that the book "provides information on new tax credits ... under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act". The index was no help at all in locating where that information resides in the book - it's a "tip" on page 134 entitled "Your business may qualify for a health care tax credit." This is a small, but I think relevant, quibble. I admit to being a bit of an "index snob."

In addition to individual purchases by those who have a small business, or are interested in setting one up, this is almost a mandatory purchase for public libraries. In today's economy, an increasing number of individuals are by choice and necessity, finding themselves needing guidance in setting up their own business. This is one of the best resources for those considering, or beginning, that process. show less

While a lot of this book doesn't apply to me and my business (a VERY small handmade craft business, Peasblossom Creations) since I don't have employees and am not interested in buy a franchise, this book provides a great overview of how to start and run a typical small business. Well-written and easy to understand, Mr. Steingold has created a good guide that I will definitely be keeping as a reference. Nolo, the publisher, also has some nifty features such as their online "Plain English show more Legal Dictionary" (helpful for the layperson) and forms that you might need. If you are interested in starting up a small business, buying someone else's, or getting involved with a franchise, I would definitely recommend Steinberg's guide. show less