Running a business

Legal & compliance

If you are engaged in commercial activity of any kind, you will be well aware of the speed at which change can occur, whether through economic, technological, legal or other means.

In business, there is a constant need to identify and resolve business risks and minimise the chance of disputes and costly litigation occurring that might hinder your business and commercial strategies.

Many areas of the law apply to small businesses. These include the following, linked to the SmallBiz website for more details:

• credit and debt recovery
• employment and workplace relations
• fair trading, business registration and business licensing
• insolvency
• insurance
• intellectual property and technology
• leases 
• tax
• trade practices.

If you need legal advice on a business issue, the online Small business legal issues guide may help to get you started. This guide will provide you with an overview of legal issues and links to other organisations for more information and legal assistance. However, you should always consult a legal professional for your own protection. Find a solicitor at the Law Society of NSW

The Small Business Tool Kit’s run module contains further information about some of the legal and compliance issues you need to think about. For a detailed explanation of the legal issues you may encounter as part of operating your business, check out the legal module in the Tool Kit.