COLUMN: In the business of getting it legally right

From aerospace to textiles, to ecommerce specialists to craftspeople, there is so much going on.

Most of those companies are doing things right.

But, when people are busy building, making, repairing and innovating, sometimes certain crucial aspects such as the legal side of things do not receive the attention that they should.

If you are in a hurry to get a new contract with a big retailer, perhaps the small print is not checked thoroughly.

It might not even have the right things in it anyway.

If you are in a rush to fulfill new orders, new people are taken on - perhaps without full training or employment practices put in place.

It might be that the HR policies are written down and in a file on a shelf, gathering dust or not up to date.

These things may seem minor when compared to the everyday challenges of running a business, but getting the legal side of things wrong can mean that the very existence of a company - and livelihoods - are threatened.

In my experience, all companies need to take a step back sometimes and put in place a system whereby things such as HR protocols and terms and conditions are checked regularly.

The business environment has changed rapidly over the years and it might be that an old contract is simply not fit for purpose or their legal paperwork is out of date.

I can’t stress enough the importance on getting things checked out and corrected.

Your legal paperwork needs to be tailored to your business and reflect the way that your individual business operates to make you the most efficient that you can be and protect you if things go wrong.

Whoever your lawyer is, get them to look through everything and make sure that the legal side of things is right and mirrors the way that your business runs.

It’s an old saying, but it is better to be safe than sorry, and this old adage definitely holds true when it comes to business law.