Quick Bites



Quick Bites is a new feature for No Funny Lawyers. Short and sweet, maybe not all to your taste, but relevant to my concerns for human-owned business and the communities that support them. This first sampling concerns business succession (so often overlooked), free education and Facebook marketing support for small business, and a question of whether society needs a new form of business that blends for-profit and charitable models.

Apple Was Prepared: What About You? By Jamillah Warner, Small Business Trends

The loss of Steve Jobs impacted the world, but the business of Apple was ready. How would your business survive losing you? Will your family depend more or less on the value of your business when you are gone?

If you intend for your business to survive long after you are gone, then you need to address a few core things today. In the small business community we don’t run large corporations; we run small companies, and when the owner dies he or she often leaves behind a grieving a family that must also figure out what to do with the business, its debts and everything else that goes with death.

Facebook 'Likes' Small Business By Sarah Needleman, Wall Street Journal Small Business

Human-owned businesses are using social media (like I use this blog, Facebook and Twitter). My typical message is be aware of the significant legal traps in it, but be more aware that you can waste a lot of time--if you don’t have a plan. This could be part of the plan.

The initiative is being launched in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business group. It is intended to educate small businesses on how to promote themselves on the social-networking site, like buying display ads targeted to specific markets, but also through cost-free measures to engage more with customers.

 A Quest for Hybrid Companies That Profit, but Can Tap Charity By Stephanie Strom, New York Times
 
California just approved a new form of business similar to one rejected in Colorado. As this article points out, there is little to stop current for-profit companies from taking steps toward social good, but there are limits on non-profits looking to add earned income to their budgets.

A new type of company intended to put social goals ahead of making profits is taking root around the country, as more states adopt laws to bridge the divide between nonprofits and businesses.