Legal Insurance For Business
legal insurance for business
how do i start a dog walking business?
Hello i am leaving college soon and i really want to walk peoples dogs for a Living as its something i want to do. but im abit confused about the whole legal side.like how and what insurance do i need? Pet Business Insurance? and how much is it?..also what is an agreement between you and the dog owner and how do i do it??? will i need to pay tax? please can someone help me and if u r a dog walker how did u start???
Dogs are “in” these days. The pet industry is huge and only getting bigger and more lucrative. Dog walking is one aspect of this growing business. Here is how to get a start.
Step 1-Gather references for the dog walking service. You should have prior experience taking care of dogs before emBARKing on this venture. Ask the owners of the dogs you have taken care of for written recommendations and ask them if it is acceptable to them for you to provide their contact information to prospective clients.
Step 2-Get a billing system up and running. In the beginning you may think your billing method does not have to be structured or sophisticated, but you watch, business will build up and you will need to stay on top of clients and their payments. Excel and Quicken are two good programs to utilize. Quicken will help you (Quick Books) with taxes, workers comp, and other issues that may arise as your company grows.
Step 3-Seek legal advice. Many dog walkers perform their services under the table. While this is very lucrative and provides less of a paperwork hassle, it can be a bad choice. Walking dogs carries liabilities. You are responsible for the safety of an owner’s dog-you want to make sure your company, and not you, personally, are liable in the event of an accident. If you employ other walkers you must have worker’s comp. Ask your lawyer about the best way to go about setting up the business as legitimate.
Step 4-Get the right equipment. Dog owners will generally supply leashes and harnesses for their own pet, but you never know what will happen along the way. Always have extra leashes, harnesses, collars. Always have water and treats on hand for your dogs.
Step 5-Learn the streets. If you do not already know your territory, study a map of the streets on which you will be walking. You should not be distracted while you are walking the dogs-looking at a map can mean a misstep for you and/or Fido.
Step 6-Advertising is good, but word of mouth is the best. The pet community is very tight. Provide satisfied clients with your business card. Offer referral incentives to current clients (free dog walks, etc) to generate even more business.
Step 7-Dress appropriately. Dress in layers so that you can be prepared for any change in temperature or weather pattern.
Step 8-Lastly, hire help. The only real way to make money in any industry is to have people working FOR you. Hire reliable and honest workers who have experience with dog walking. Remember, you are only as good as your weakest employee. Be VERY discriminate when hiring. You are entrusting the lives of loved pets with these people.
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Disability Insurance Disputes – Business Overhead
Business overhead insurance disputes can be crucial to the long-term success of a small business, partnership or professional practice. When a disability suit occurs, the business owner is hit hard with expenses, all the while losing valuable income from the halting of the business. Many businesses are forced into failure each year because they were denied valid business overhead insurance claims from their insurance companies. When a founder or key employee becomes totally or partially disabled, the business may be in jeopardy.
Business insurance is purchased to prevent major loss in the event something bad does happen, but will your insurance company live up to its end of the bargain, or will they deny your claim?
Business overhead insurance is a limited type of insurance that should pay benefits for a defined period of time (often up to two years). Without this assistance, it is unlikely that a disabled business owner can maintain expenses long enough to recover and get the business back on its feet. In a partnership, each partner may be covered under a separate policy, based on individual expenses.
When an insurance company denies a business overhead insurance claim, the insured’s lawyer must demonstrate to the court that the plaintiff is legally disabled under the terms of the contract and that expenses requested as an award were incurred during the time of disability. Your lawyer can help you interpret your policy and determine exactly what benefits you are entitled to. Depending on your unique policy, your elimination period, waiver of premium, choice of monthly benefit amount, choice of benefit periods and additional benefits should be reviewed and thoroughly explained. At David Share Associates, our disability overhead insurance lawyers are ready to fight to get you all the benefits you need and deserve to maintain a successful business.
There are time limits to all business disability insurance disputes and any delay in proceeding may be subject to a deadline. You should not delay in proceeding with your claim or obtaining legal advice to clarify these deadlines.H