A federal law barring plastic and ceramic guns is set to lapse in less than a week, and its absence may create a law enforcement nightmare. On December 9, Congress will vote on extending the Undetectable Firearms Act, a law that has been on the books for more than 25 years. It prohibits guns that can pass unnoticed through a metal detector, reports The New York Times. What might keep this law from being renewed?...
One of the biggest costs in hiring new employees is the amount of time dedicated to combing through resumes and conducting interviews. This is especially true for small businesses that don’t have enough manpower to pick up the slack. What if there were an easier, more cost-effective way of orchestrating the hiring process? If your business is tech-savvy, this solution may actually exist. Hiring new employees is a multi-step process that begins with resumes, then moves on to phone interviews, and eventually to in-person interviews that may cost you a pretty penny if a candidate does not live near by....
Have you prepared holiday decoration guidelines for your workplace? Celebrating the holidays shouldn’t necessarily be put on hold just because your employees are in the office. However, there are legal considerations that may affect what, if any, holiday decor decks your office halls. When it comes to the holiday decorations at your workplace this season, here are five guidelines you should follow: The bottom line is – private employers are given a much wider berth when it comes to decorating for the holidays, but every employer should strive to be as inclusive as possible....
Guest post by Jennifer K. Halford, Esq. Every time I meet with a client to discuss an estate plan I am reminded that no one likes to think about what will happen after they have passed away. It is unpleasant to think about those difficult questions: What will happen to your family? What will happen to your home and assets? Who will take care of your business? Because it is so difficult, I find that many people choose to avoid the tough questions....
Following Target’s massive data breach, everyone wanted to know how it happened. We may now have an answer. It seems the Target hackers breached the chain’s security systems by first using electronic credentials stolen from a vendor, The Wall Street Journal reports. It’s a cautionary tale for small business owners: Create a robust security system that extends to vendors and other interconnected business relations, or else your business could be vulnerable to a similar attack....
Those bright bluish-looking headlights in your rearview mirror may be from a high-end luxury car that came equipped with such lights. But they may also be a sign of an aftermarket modification that’s technically illegal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says. Federal customs agents have seized millions of dollars’ worth of shipments of high-intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits since 2009 because the kits fail to meet federal standards, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association, a trade group that represents motor-vehicle aftermarket companies....
Baby boomers are retiring, and that means their small businesses are being acquired at an increasing rate. Boomer business owners are starting to throw in the towel, and a recent Pepperdine University study pinned the sales of businesses from the end of 2012 and into 2013 on retirement, the Associated Press reports. What does this new trend mean for your small business? Many baby boomers who have steered their businesses through the last several years of economic downturn are tired of weathering the storm....
You know times are tough when even maids have to get naked for business. But start-ups can learn some valuable lessons from this nude maid service in Lubbock, Texas. Sometimes to make a successful business, all that’s required is adding a twist to a common service. But you have to be careful how far you take that twist. Case in point. The nude maid is making good money, but now she’s also facing heightened scrutiny from the police and possible fines....
Movie theaters are no stranger to dramatic falls, earth-shaking explosions, and even bloody assaults. But we generally expect those dangerous events to take place on the screen and not in the aisle. But with the floors lined with imitation butter, and lighting less than adequate, it requires no spoiler alert to say that anyone can suffer a slip-and-fall accident at the movies. So can you sue if you do slip and fall at a movie theater?...
You don’t get to be worth $11 billion without making a few enemies. Facebook has faced down not a few lawsuits recently (does Beacon ring a bell with anyone) but there is a new one to contend with, filed on August 26, in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to the suit, of course seeking class action status, the company’s use of the “Like” button uses pictures of minors to market products without the permission of their parents....
Here’s the good news: you’ve got a million- or billion-dollar idea. Here’s the bad news: not all those dollars will be yours. No matter the idea, every startup has a team. And how those team members allocate ownership shares in the company could have profound legal and economic impacts on the startup. So how do you get founder equity splits right? It can be your startup’s first major decision, and therefore it can be your first big mistake....
The Federal Trade Commission has released new guidelines about e-commerce and online advertising disclosures. Small business owners will want to pay close attention. The new guidelines take the FTC’s “Dot Com Disclosures” pamphlet, originally issued in 2000, and kicks it up a notch. The revamped and renamed “.com Disclosures” guide accounts for changes in technology, including the increasing use of smartphones in the online marketplace. The guidelines aim to push consumer awareness and protection....
You earned a Master of Business Administration, but are you really ready to master a business? If you do not have to urgently earn a living and have capital to invest, searching for a small business to head up is a good idea for graduates, according to the Harvard Business Review. An article by two Harvard Business School professors analyzes student post-graduate decisions and long-term work stability, suggesting that taking a job may pay off short-term but in the long run buying a business may be a better choice....
Does your landlord have a say in whether you have kids? Or your kids’ sleeping arrangements? Or whether kids can live in your apartment? Happily for families, the answers to all these questions are no. That may not stop some landlords from sticking their noses where they don’t belong, but it’s nice to know that when push comes to shove, the law is on your side. But what law exactly is that?...
How do you join a class action suit? Do you have to formally opt in, and what happens if you don’t? Class action suits occur fairly often. They’re typically used when a group of people suffers similar injuries or by the same source. Common examples of class action suits involve defective products or employment discrimination, to name just a few. So if you get a notice to join a class action suit, how do you opt-in?...
How do you feel when you hear sexual innuendo at work? At the very least, Utah resident Trudy Nycole Anderson didn’t enjoy its presence, filing a federal lawsuit against her employer after her former boss provided a schedule of dress that suggested such events as “Tube-top Tuesday” and “Wet T-shirt Wednesday.” Are you laughing? Or are you cringing? As an employer, it better be the latter. However, it can create a serious problem for you as a business owner....
A South Carolina Sheriff reports that local mom Shaquan Duley has confessed to killing kids, her own children, Ja’Van and Devean Duley, after her original story did not add up. The 29 year-old mother confessed to authorities that she suffocated her two children and then drove her car into the river with the children secured in their seats, reports CBS. Inconsistent stories and a wide-range of emotions caused investigators to question whether this tragedy was intentional....
Have you ever been atop a tall building and been tempted to jump? If so, you are not alone. Now, you can give something a little like that a try and survive if you’re visiting Southern California. But you might still get hurt. A skyscraper in Los Angeles boasting the Skyslide – an attraction made of glass and attached to the outside of the 70th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest American building west of Chicago – is facing its first injury lawsuit....
As hoped for, it looks like authorities have moved quickly in the so-called “Craigslist Killer” case. An arguably unlikely suspect has been charged in the murder of Julissa Brisman, the aspiring model/actress who was killed at an upscale Boston hotel in an apparent botched burglary possibly set up via Craigslist. CNN reports that Philip Markoff, a 22-year-old pre-med student at Boston University, has been charged with Brisman’s murder. Further, Markoff may have been going on some kind of Craigslist robbery spree, as police charged him with armed robbery and kidnapping in relation to another victim at a different Boston hotel....
Did America fall victim to the runaway Prius hoax? Last week, we all heard the story about the unintended acceleration of the runaway Prius in San Diego. The man claimed that he lost the power to brake his Prius and began zooming at speeds over 90 miles per hour, while the California Highway Patrol chased him, guiding him over the loudspeaker. After the unintended acceleration incident, the Toyota Prius was taken under investigation while the driver, 61 year-old online porn entrepreneur James Sikes, held a press conference to discuss his ordeal....
