Small business owners often take out an advertisement in a local paper or, more in line with the times, advertise on a website. The advertisement, however, can sometimes create liability for the business owner if the ad is found to be deceptive. [1] This article will discuss the different sources of the law regarding deceptive advertising and then generally describe what makes an advertisement deceptive. It will then explore the trends and adaptation of the law regarding web logs and advertising. In conclusion, this article will present considerations that a small business owner should take into account when deciding to post an advertisement. [More]

Franchises are a strong component of the U.S. economy. In 2004, there were over 767,000 franchises in the United States which contributed 9.8 million direct jobs to the economy. [1] According to a 2002 study, half of the franchise agreements analyzed contained arbitration clauses. [2] With the passage of the Federal Arbitration Act and subsequent court rulings, a policy favoring arbitration has been established. [3] In fact, most courts will enforce arbitration clauses in a majority of the cases. [4] In contrast to this trend, both congressional legislation and court decisions have been seen to back away from an unwavering support of pre-dispute arbitration. Should the courts and congress become more involved in the use of arbitration in the context of a franchise relationship? [More]

Many Americans take the plunge and start a small business. The predominant form of small business in the united States is home-based business. [1] Nearly 8,500 new home-based ventures are started each day with one in ten U.S. households conducting some type of home-based business. [2] Although many local zoning regimes started with the same intentions they have led to varying restrictions which may not appropriately balance the concerns of neighbors against the benefits and characteristics of all current home-business. [More]