The EB5 visa, a pilot program that was started 1992, allows you to literally buy your way into a US green card by investing $1,000,000.00 into a new business enterprise. The business must also create or maintain 10 full-time jobs. The investment does not have to be in an EB5 regional center.

Miami originally planned to submit its application in December 2012, but it had several hold ups including the $700 million Panorama Tower project and expanding the city are to include all of Miami-Dade County. Once approved, Miami would be the owner and manager of the City of Miami Regional Center.

For more information about the EB5 visa and other investment visas, contact Boyer Law Firm’s immigration attorneys today.

Source: South Florida Business Journal

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He says that he plans on doing this by building public spaces, trails, and bike paths, including on the St. John’s River to make the area livelier and attract people to the local retailers.

Before he can do this however, the plan must be approved by the City Counsel. Wallace originally said that he’d like to see Downtown Jacksonville’s redevelopment plan completed in his first 90 days on the job, but said that it would more likely be completed by the end of the year.

If you are interested in investing in Downtown Jacksonville by purchasing real estate or starting a business, contact Boyer Law Firm today.

Source: Florida Times-Union

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We have also recently succeeded in obtaining Fiancé petitions, temporary “B” visas, and Citizenship for our clients.

An E2 visa allows for foreign nationals to obtain a US visa if they invest a substantial amount of capital in a new enterprise in the United States. Although we cannot guarantee that your will get an E2 visa, we can offer your our expertise, which will reduce errors that could cause your visa application to be delayed or denied.

Our immigration attorneys can not only help you through every step of the visa process, but can also help you run and maintain your business after you obtain a visa through our registered agent services, business planning sessions, and more.

The post E2 Visa Success appeared first on boyerlawfirmblog.com.

Here are the Florida State symbols according to StateOfFlorida.com:

• State Animal: Florida Panther
• State Beverage: Orange Juice
• State Bird: Mockingbird
• State Butterfly: Zebra Longwing
• State Day: April 2
• State Flag: Florida Flag
• State Flower: Orange Blossom
• State Wildflower: Coreopsis
• State Freshwater Fish: Largemouth Bass
• State Saltwater Fish: Sailfish
• State Gem: Moonstone
• State Marine Mammal: Manatee
• State Saltwater Mammal: Porpoise
• State Play: “Cross and Sword”
• State Reptile: Alligator
• State Seal: State Seal
• State Shell: Horse Conch
• State Soil: Myakka Fine Sand
• State Song: “The Swanee River” (Old Folks at Home)
• State Stone: Agatized Coral
• State Tree: Sabal Palm

These Florida State symbols may give you an idea of the attitude and experience of living in Florida. If you are interested in living and doing business in Florida, check out our legal guides or contact Boyer Law Firm, PL today.

Source: State of Florida

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The city rankings were based on average annual revenue, average number of employees, average age of business, highest average credit score, and local sales tax rates. Large numbers of immigrant investors were named as a driver for small business growth.

Things that listed negative on the survey were high cost of living and high-tax rates, which is why New York did not do so well in the listings. The survey analyzed 15,000 businesses across the country that employed less than 250 employees and had an annual revenue of less than $10 million dollars.

If you need help incorporating your small business, need a registered agent for your business, or need help with business litigation or preventative planning, contact Boyer Law Firm’s business law attorneys today. We have offices in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami, all of which are among the fastest growing cities for small businesses.

Source: Jacksonville Business Journal

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1. Candy: The candy business is almost recession-proof. In fact, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, and 3 Musketeers all launched during the Great Depression.
2. iPhone Apps: To date, companies have produces more than 30,000 applications ranging from games to practical tools.
3. Health-Care Technology: This industry is helping to streamline patient care through digitized medical records, e-prescription programs, online hospital communication and much more.
4. Beer, Wine, and Liquor: Another recession-proof business. If you need help with beer, wine, or liquor licensing, Boyer Law Firm can help.
5. Software as a Service: Software and data being hosted through a cloud service is expected to grow 20 percent this year.
6. Home Health Care: This is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to nursing homes for the baby boomer generation.
7. Yoga Products and Services: Nearly 14 million Americans say a doctor or therapist has recommended yoga to them.
8. Technical and Trade Schools: Many young Americans and Floridians are foregoing the typical college experience and entering trade schools instead in order to get a better job faster.
9. Fast-Casual Dining: This new segment of the food service industry falls between fast food and full-service dining.
10. Green Construction: Consumers have an increased focus on sustainable homes and government environmental initiatives
11. Niche Consulting: If you are an expert on a specific area. The areas that are particularly in demand are saving money, minimizing financial losses and public relations damage control.
12. Education Technology: A government stimulus bill is the big motivator behind this industry that is bringing technology into the classroom.
13. Temporary Staffing Firms: Although many companies are reducing the number of people they employ, some agencies, especially those who specialize in part-time staffing, are doing particularly well.
14. Government Services: Two-thirds of $23 billion the government has allocated to individual states will be invested into projects including transportation, broadband technologies, clean water, and more.
15. Accounting Services: Small and Independent firms are increasingly in demand, and profit margins can be high in this industry.
16. Repair Services: From homes to cars, more people are choosing to repair their possessions rather than buy new ones.
17. Self-improvement: Americans spend over $11 billion each year on self-improvement products and services.
18. Energy: Companies that specialize in solar energy and alternative fuels are becoming increasingly in demand, as well as those that install efficient lighting systems or cut down heating costs with solar panels.

If you want to start a business in any of these industries, or one that is not listed here, contact Boyer Law Firm today. We can help you with everything from the initial planning stages to running, maintaining and growing your business.

If you are a foreign investor, starting a business in one of these industries could lead to a E2 or EB5 visa.

The post Best Industries to Start a Business in the US and Florida appeared first on boyerlawfirmblog.com.

According to Florida law, there are two different types of defamation: libel and slander. Libel refers to written or printed defamation, and slander usually refers to spoken defamation. However, today most Courts will treat defamatory statements on television, radio, or the internet as libel.

The law treats libel and slander differently because libel is more permanent by its very nature. Traditionally, plaintiffs have been able to recover for libel without proof of special damages (harm to reputation or actual harm).

In order for a statement to be defamatory, it must:

-          Be false: Truth is always a complete defense against libel
-          Be “Of and Concerning” the Plaintiff: This issue usually arises in fictional and satirical accounts.
-          Be “published.” The defendant’s communication of the defamatory statement to a person other than the person being defamed is considered publication in a defamation suit.

Defamation law can be very complicated. There are many defenses to defamation and many instances when it does not apply, such as litigation privilege. Be careful what you say, especially in print. If you feel that someone is defaming you or you are being sued for defamation, contact Boyer Law Firm’s civil litigation attorneys today.

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Meetings: Meetings can help you more efficiently communicate with your staff and help them to stay motivated. However, it is important that you have a specific agenda for the meeting; if you have nothing to say, then you are wasting everyone’s time.

Deadlines: It is important to create internal deadlines so that you don’t miss critical external deadlines.

Invoices: It is important to bill clients immediately after the work is done or the product is delivered. Delayed invoices can cause delayed payments and additional problems.

Planning: An annual planning session is crucial for long-term success. It is important to have these meeting with your employees as well as with a business professional, such as one of Boyer Law Firm’s business planning sessions.

Backing Up Data: What happens if your computer crashes? It is important to have a backup plan so that you do not lose all of your company’s work. It is suggested that you use a cloud-based service.

Customer Problems:  Abrams says that customer problems are good because most unhappy customers just walk away. If you do encounter negative comments on an opinion site, do not give into the “trolls” and reply; just let them rant.

Source: Florida Today

The post Six Necessities Small Business Owners Procrastinate appeared first on boyerlawfirmblog.com.

In the case of an acquisition, when the two companies combine, the stronger corporation takes over the second corporation completely. By definition, a merger is when two companies of about the same size combine and agree to move forward as a single company. In reality, however, a “merger of equals” does not happen very often.

The differences between mergers and acquisitions mostly have to do with whether the “smaller” company is friendly or hostile towards the combination. Mergers are considered to be friendly, while acquisitions carry a hostile connotation to them.

Most mergers are actually acquisitions, but the companies will call them mergers as part of the business purchase agreement. When both CEOs agree that joining together is in the best interest of their companies, then it is called a merger. However, if the deal becomes unfriendly and the smaller company does not want to be purchased, it becomes an acquisition.

Our Florida business attorneys and international law attorneys can assist you with both domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, so contact us today.

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The purpose of the law is to better help Florida compete with other states for new LLCs.

The new act changes a lot of rules regarding LLCs. These include:

-          More definitions
-          Expands the list of rules which cannot be overridden by the operating agreement
-          Changes the rules for the authority of members and managers
-          Modifies the management structure, voting rules, member dissociation and company  dissolution
-          Modifies provisions governing organic transactions, such as mergers
-          Adds express provisions regarding special litigation committees
-          And much more

If you want to setup a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Boyer Law Firm’s business attorneys can help. In addition to ensuring that you comply with the new Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act, they can help you with everything from the Articles of Organization to creating a bank account to business planning in the future. Contact us today for more information.

Source: Mondaq

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