How to take your SMME to the next level

Working with the right firm of attorneys can save you time and money in the long run.

“I do not pay my lawyers to tell me what I cannot do, but to tell me how to do what I want to do.” J. P. Morgan.

Attorneys don’t always stand in front of their clients but rather behind them, in the role of advisors and if necessary enforcers.

We at Barnard Inc are focussed on long term client relationships and we pay specific attention to SMMEs and Entrepreneurs because we know how to take your business or start-up enterprise to the next level. We assist entrepreneurs and SMMEs to make legally sound and informed decisions and in this blog we will be focussing on the pros and cons of having legal support when making important decisions.

Working with a team like Barnard Inc could possibly be the tipping point which your business needs for successful take-off.

Why do you need a firm like Barnard Inc if you are a small to medium business or entrepreneur?

There are two kinds of professionals that every business will need to rely on at some point in time, being accountants and attorneys. The need for an accountant is self-explanatory.
Working with Barnard Inc in Centurion during start-up will mean that you will experience less hassle in almost every aspect of your business which include amongst others:

• Compliance
• Debt collection
• Copyright
• Trademarks
• Personal and corporate liability
• Company secretarial function
• Contracts

A cost saving that can end up being your largest expense

Most people attempt to tailor their own legal solution and only approach attorneys once a situation requires unscrambling – this can have a negative impact on the outcome of a matter.
Downloading documents from the internet can be a cheap solution for start-up businesses, however, this is never advisable if a relationship goes wrong.

Some common problems with downloading documents:

• Downloaded agreements from the internet may not be relevant to your specific circumstances
• The agreement could possibly exclude the latest updated legislation
• May not be a litigation friendly document (should the need ever develop).

Depending on your company’s financial position, your agreements should exclude an arbitration clause which may otherwise result in unnecessary legal costs should you seek to enforce your legal rights.

If you have gone the “contract download” route, call us now and have us proof read your agreements to ensure that your business is protected and that it is compliant with current South African legislation.

Why are professionally drafted agreements so important for the SMME and Entrepreneur?

Agreements regulate the relationships with your suppliers, employees, customers and clients. Without a weathered agreement protecting your interests you might miss some important principles which may end up costing you time and money to rectify later.

At the very least, let us proof read your contracts and ensure that you are covered. Alternatively contact us with any contract enquiries.

If money was not an object, would you still avoid working with an attorney?

At Barnard Inc we have a full repertoire of clients, ranging from small businesses to listed companies, entrepreneurs and individuals. On the business front we help them regularly with:

• Handling lawsuits
• Negotiating lease of office or retail space
• Filing patents or trademarks
• Drafting software license agreements
• Advising on terminating disruptive employees
• Providing company secretarial functions
• Registration of companies and trusts
• Estate planning
• Overseeing corporate annual meetings

Call us on 0861 088 088 if you need help with:

• Agreements
• Business restructuring
• Debt collection
• Litigation
• Tax
• Licenses
• Property
• Intellectual property

At Barnard Inc we offer various payment terms which allow a client the freedom to choose its method of payment, be it payment in the form of a retainer, contingency or monthly down-payments.

IMPORTANT SMME QUESTION: Do I need an attorney to negotiate for my office space?

Absolutely. Lease agreements are essentially complex agreements which are drafted to favour a landlord. Let us assist you to negotiate terms more favourable to you.

Employing Barnard Inc to assist you in negotiating lease agreements can save you money.

THINK ABOUT THIS. Intellectual property: What do you know about it?

Imagine your t-shirt design company goes big – great news! But without adequate protection you could soon be seeing your ripped-off designs on every street corner.

These are “real world” problems and we can assist you to prevent them by following legal frameworks to adequately protect your:

• Trademarks;
• Intellectual property; and/or
• Copyrights.

Give us a call to register your trademark. We are passionate about our clients’ businesses and want to support them in their growth.