Giles Dixon, MD of ContractStore.com explains: “Our research shows that businesses are not taking the necessary steps with regard to undertaking appropriate due diligence.

“In today’s climate it is vital to leave no stone unturned when protecting your business – whether this is guarding against bad debtors or making sure you are limiting your risk of claims.”

“A decent contract will protect your business just as a decent umbrella will protect your clothes, and this special pack has been devised to give builders the helping hand they need”, he adds.

The Builder’s Business Pack contains a collection of useful advice and contract templates. The contractual documents, all in legally effective but easy-to-read style include:

- A Quotation Form with Standard Conditions of Contract for Construction Work.

- A Confirmation of Order Form designed for use when your client agrees to go ahead.

- A short Form of Subcontract, written as a letter, for use when you take on other firms to provide services to you.

- A form of Collateral Warranty Agreement which, on larger projects, might be required by a bank providing a loan to the client or by purchaser of the completed building.

Also included are some useful advisory notes, especially for anyone setting up a new business, and these include a Guide to Starting A Business; Advice on Preparing a Business Plan; a Cashflow Forecast and Explanatory Notes on Employment Contracts.

Click here to get full details of the Builders Business Pack

The possibilities for new addresses will be almost endless. Examples include city domains such as .berlin, .paris, .london and .nyc, and themed domains such as .music, .legal or .shop.

I’ve always thought that .om domains would be great for relaxation sites, and I’ve mentally renamed several site “.con”.

This new development will also open up a field day for domain squatters, or looked at another way, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to sell valuable new domains – or more troubling for some, new variations on existing domains.

It’s potentially an additional cost for trademark owners, although with so many possibilities name owners will have to draw the line somewhere. There are rules in existence to protect copyrighted names, so there would be some protection against domain name takeover, but its also likely that users will need to pay more attention to the extensions and this adds to the information burden.

A recent survey of consumers (carried out by The Future Laboratory on behalf of domain name registrar Gandi.net) revealed that many did not yet know of the impending changes, and their reactions were not very positive. It was generally felt that this will add to confusion and difficulty in using the internet.

Business owners need to draw up a plan to acquire the extensions that will be most important, and aim to get them quickly before enterprising gold-rushers grab the names and hold them to ransom.

The officer had argued that what he wrote on his blog was in the public interest with its critique of police activity, and continued anonymity was necessary for this type of blogging.  However, the Judge said that blogging is “essentially a public rather than a private activity” and so confidentiality of his identity was not protected.

The officer had brought the action to stop The Times from publishing his name after an investigative journalist had found out who he was.

This is an important decision concerning privacy rights on the internet – so, before you slag off the boss on your anonymous blog at the weekend, make sure that it cannot be traced back to you!

Apparently, this was interpreted as “a clear indication that the public do not feel they have a body to which they can turn in relation to legal services”.

Many thought it was the Law Society, and most who made a guess said it was the government. Are you one of the few people who knows its in fact the Solicitors Regulation Authority? The SRA commissioned the poll and are likely to be planning some marketing and brand awareness workshops as we write.

With thanks to Sue Cameron at the Financial Times - which also has the best coverage of the Budget details.

In a recent case involving the Ford Motor Company, a question arose concerning VAT on goods that were not paid for.  Ford supplied cars to a dealer and issued an invoice for the cars and the VAT.  Under Ford’s contract with the dealer, Ford had the right to re-possess the cars if they weren’t paid for and so, when the dealer got into financial difficulty and had an administrative  receiver appointed, Ford took back the cars.  Ford also issued a credit note to the dealer for the VAT and then claimed a refund of the VAT from HMRC. 

The administrative receivers of the dealer also got involved on the VAT issue and the case went to the Court of Appeal.  The Court said that it was not up to Ford to unilaterally issue a credit note:  a supply (of the cars) had taken place and the liability to pay the VAT would only be cancelled if the terms agreed between Ford and the dealer provided for the contract to be cancelled if Ford repossessed the cars.

Lawyers are now advising companies to have a suitable cancellation clause in their contracts, otherwise they might still have to pay VAT on goods in circumstances similar to that in the Ford case.

ContractStore is pleased to say that our Conditions of Sale already  have a cancellation clause of the type recommended by the Court of Appeal.

The moral is: protect your business – use a ContractStore contract.

So the enterprising Ms Bastien designed a unique company, employing professional, flexible nannies to care for children of airline staff. The company will also serve high-flying career professionals whose work demands ‘out of the norm’ or long hours. Clients use the service on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, as and when needed. The considerable press coverage on the business has been very positive and has generated many enquiries.

Sharon got in touch to share her story about how ContractStore has helped her get the business off the ground:

“I found ContractStore’s website in 2008 and I used it to prepare two contracts, one for the clients who required a nanny, and one for the nannies I employ.  I did not anticipate that these contracts would require so many clauses and details, of which I was not even aware. However,  I was able to obtain two excellent contracts, perfect for the job that meets all the legal obligations and were great value.

“I am very passionate about excellent customer service inside and outside my business.  I felt I was always receiving  undivided attention – excellent customer service in fact. Our business relationship has grown and I can recommend anyone to use ContractStore .”
 
“The specialist services we provide are for working parents, whose job requires them to work a shift pattern. These are parents are experiencing great difficulty with finding childcare when having to attend work, for long periods at a time. Flying Tots, now with the introduction of our service to high career workers and business professionals ‘takes off’ to a flying start.”

Visit the Flying Tots website:www.flyingtots.co.uk

“I commend you on the quality of your legal forms. I have written many business contracts over the years, and the forms I purchased from you really worked well for me, in a small emergency situation where I needed a contract immediately and my usual corporate lawyer was unavailable (out of the country).

“I must have searched twenty other websites before I chose yours. Well laid out, easily accessible, the right information available before I buy. Excellent. Well Done. I will visit again and recommend you to my business friends in the USA and Europe.”

This was especially generous as Francis initially had problems paying for the document he wanted as his purchase coincided with a site outage at Worldpay. He nonetheless was kind enough to find time to compliment us.

Fourth Corner Exchange is a very interesting site where people can exchange goods and services using ‘life dollars’ instead of money – they can instead trade work for work or swap things.

Thanks Francis and best of luck with your enterprise – and stay in touch!

Workers should not “facilitate” they should “help” and instead of “fast-tracking” something they should just “speed it up”

Certain words are so meaningless they can be discarded altogether according to the LGA. The culprits include; contestability, synergies and cascading.

Chairman of the Local Government Association, Councillor Margaret Eaton, said: “The public sector must not hide behind impenetrable jargon and phrases. Why do we have to have ‘coterminous, stakeholder engagement’ when we could just ‘talk to people’ instead?

“Councils have a duty, not only to provide value for money to local people, but also to tell people what they get for the tax they pay. People would be furious if they have no idea of what services their cash is paying for and how they should get to use them.”

Unfortunately, the list shows that when local authorities talk of ‘meaningful consultation’, it does not meant consultation, but ‘talking to people’.   That may be  honest, but I would prefer it if  ‘consultation’ meant ‘talking to people and taking account of their views’!

For the full list of unacceptable words and how they should be replaced go to: http://www.24dash.com/news/Local_Government/2009-03-18-Councils-told-to-cut-out-meaningless-jargon

Meaningful consultation- talking to people