ArcaMax

There are at least 1,000 books in print telling people how to write a business plan. The problem with most of them is: They're wrong. Or at least they're not practical for the vast majority of business startups.

Unless you are a hi-tech startup looking for venture capital, you do not need a 50-page book with dividers and index tabs to start a...Read more

"My partner and I own a service business we've been trying to sell for some time. We finally found a buyer, but the process just seems to be taking forever. The buyer's attorney seems to be taking a long time to review our attorney's draft documents, and our attorney doesn't seem to want to push things as fast as we want him to. We've ...Read more

These days, we live in a world of infotainment, marketainment and edutainment.

It isn't enough anymore to just give out information. Your listeners need to have their emotions manipulated -- to laugh, cry or get angry -- even though you're talking about recent developments in sales taxation.

It isn't enough anymore to just sell something. ...Read more

"I had the privilege of hearing you speak recently at a SCORE presentation in southern Connecticut, and I've become a big fan of your small business lecture series on YouTube.

"You seem like a pretty smart lawyer, and you've got lots of good information, but the best thing about you is your ability to make the audience laugh. Seriously, until...Read more

"We have a client with a legal question that I was hoping you might be able to answer. He owns a high-end electronics business doing home theaters, security, sound systems and the like. For his website, he wants to Photoshop an image taken from a famous movie scene and place it on the black screen he photographed in a room he designed. Would ...Read more

As my readers know, I travel the country talking to people who make a living selling stuff on eBay, Amazon and the other online e-commerce platforms.

As a lawyer and business consultant, I'm not always able to answer the more technical questions people have about starting and maintaining their online accounts. But as we used to say in the ...Read more

"I formed a business with two partners a couple of years ago. We set up a corporation and divided the stock three ways. Me and my brother each had 40% of the company, and a good friend of ours had the remaining 20%.

"Things went well for a while, but then our friend with the 20% developed other interests and began withdrawing from the ...Read more

"I am a podiatrist with a fairly large practice in a large Midwestern city. My wife and I have decided to move south to Florida to be closer to our grandchildren. I have found a younger podiatrist who wants to take over my practice, but I'm not sure exactly how to put the deal together with him. Any suggestions?"

You have obviously worked ...Read more

"I've been a struggling actor in New York for several years, but right now I've got the chance of a lifetime. I have written, directed and produced a satirical off-Broadway play based on the life of a famous former politician. I have a couple of investors -- really all the money I need -- but I'm not sure what, if anything, I need to do ...Read more

"Two weeks ago, I signed a contract to buy a business. I didn't use a lawyer because the contract seemed fair, and I felt I understood what it said. I put up a $25,000 deposit to buy this business, and the closing is in two weeks.

"The seller's attorney has been calling me every day asking me questions about the documents that I am ...Read more

I had the privilege of addressing a group of about 50 law school graduates last week as part of the New York State Bar Association's semiannual Bridging the Gap program -- a two-day orientation course for newly minted lawyers on the "real-world" life and practice of law.

Here is an abridged version of my remarks:

There is an ancient Chinese ...Read more

"My wife and I are thinking about a franchise. We've met with the franchise executives at their 'Discovery Day,' and they seem like nice people.

"They're encouraging us to talk to some of their franchisees to understand exactly what goes on in the franchised business, but I confess I don't know what sorts of questions to ask. We've never ...Read more

"I started a solo law practice last year. As part of my marketing efforts, I encourage my clients to post positive reviews on their websites and social media pages.

"Well, I just found out that a client posted a highly negative review of me on Avvo.com." (Author's note: Avvo is an online review site -- similar to Yelp -- where people can ...Read more