How to Sell a Company

Article by David Hughes

If you are a business owner you will know that building your company is hard work. Selling your business often seems like a distant dream, many years in the future - if only you could get there.

However, the years pass and the sale of the company seems to get no closer. Does that sound familiar? For many company owners it is an uncomfortable reality. If building the company is hard, selling it can feel like the ultimate goal that is forever out of reach.

It is a good idea to do a legal health check on your company each year, which will look at whether all your client contracts and compliance paperwork is in place. It will review your employee contracts and staff handbook and it will look at your online presence and whether your activities online are fully compliant with relevant laws. The aim is to make sure that your business is continually ready to be sold as it grows, because you never know when the right time to sell will come along.

The truth is that no company ever reaches a ‘perfect moment’ at which point it is sold. Selling a company, as with most things in life, is a compromise. It also takes hard work and serious planning. How do you value a company? What if your co-owners don’t want to sell? Who would want to buy your company? Is the company value too reliant on your employees?

The good news is that you can increase both the value of your company and the likelihood that it will be sold by understanding the key factors that a buyer will look for.

Garden House Solicitors offer their clients the legal advice to ensure a successful business sale. To book your free consultation contact our business law advisor, David Hughes at David@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk or by telephone on 01992 422128

www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

---

Tel: 01992 422 128

---

Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.

Top 3 Pitfalls in Franchise Agreements

More than 1 in 2 potential franchisees sign up to the standard franchise agreement of the brand they decide to go into business with without taking legal advice.

Article by David Hughes

The most common question of those that do take advice is to know what the pitfalls of the agreement are.

The top 3 pitfalls of franchise agreements, (which are a surprise for those who don’t take legal advice!), are:

1. It’s your full time job. Most franchise agreements contain a clause stating that you will have to devote your ‘full time and attention’ to the franchise and are not allowed to be involved in any other business while you are part of the franchise. This means that you will be in breach of the agreement if you are continuing to work part-time in another business (even a non-competing one) while you build up your franchise business.

2. You can’t choose your suppliers. A franchise agreement will state that you have to get your supplies from the franchisor at their list prices – so even if you can find the same equipment or products at a cheaper price elsewhere you do not have the discretion to buy from them.

3. No right to walk away. Almost all reputed franchises are for a fixed 5 year term with the option to renew at the end. This means you are tied in for 5 years! Usually the only way out is to sell the franchise. If you stop trading and walk away early, then you will likely be liable to the franchisor for lost royalty fees for the unexpired part of your franchise term.

Garden House Solicitors offers a franchise agreement review. Taking advice on the contents of a franchise agreement starts from £450 + VAT. It is a relatively quick process and can give you the peace of mind that you are not signing up to years of headaches later on.  

If you are considering entering into a franchise agreement or you are already involved in a franchise and need assistance you can telephone me on 01992 422128 or email David@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

---

Tel: 01992 422 128

---

Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.

999



Article by
Chris Lucas



It is important that nurses and other hospital workers are aware of the occupational hazards of working in hospitals and the duties owed to them by their employers. We have received many enquiries from nurses who have been involved in different kinds of accidents ranging from slips, trips and falls to unsecured equipment falling from walls in hospitals and x-ray machines being rolled over nurses’ feet.

Needle stick injuries are also an occupational hazard for nurses and other healthcare workers. According to the Health Protection Agency’s fourth Eye of the Needle report, there were 541 reports of needle stick injuries which exposed healthcare workers to patients carrying blood-borne viruses in 2011 alone.

Other hazards facing nurses include:

-          Exposure to x-rays

-          Handling of cytotoxic drugs

-          Exposure to infections

-          Splashes of chemical or bodily fluids into eyes

-          Back injury as a result of moving and handling patients

-          Assaults on nursing staff by violent patients

Both the NHS and private hospitals have duties to maintain safe systems of work and ensure that workplaces are safe for their employees. Of course, accidents do happen. If you are a nurse or healthcare worker who has suffered an injury at work, please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice.

You can call me on 01992 422 128 or email me at chris@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk.

Follow me on Twitter

Connect with me on LinkedIn

www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

---

Tel: 01992 422 128

---

Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.