---
title: Small Business Legal Issues
description: This topic covers the legal requirements and risks associated with starting and operating a small business. Learners will understand business structures, compliance, liability, and how to navigate contracts and local regulations.
category: business-entrepreneurship
subcategory: legal-career-skills
difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced
url: /subject/small-business-legal-issues
---

# Small Business Legal Issues

This topic covers the legal requirements and risks associated with starting and operating a small business. Learners will understand business structures, compliance, liability, and how to navigate contracts and local regulations.

## Available Resources

1 Videos • 4 Websites

## Websites

### 1. Cooley GO

Cooley LLP's free startup resource hub with legal document generators, guides and articles on company formation, founder equity, co-founder agreements and financing. Readers learn the legal mechanics of structuring partnerships and early deals before engaging counsel.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://www.cooleygo.com/

**Tags:** startup-law, founder-agreements, equity, legal-templates, venture-financing

### 2. Nolo.com Small Business Center

Nolo's legal encyclopedia section for small business owners, with plain-English articles on choosing a business structure, forming an LLC, contracts, licenses, taxes, hiring and intellectual property. Readers come away able to recognize common legal obligations and when to consult a lawyer.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/small-business

**Tags:** small business law, business formation, llc, contracts, legal compliance

### 3. nolo.com

Nolo is a legal information site offering plain-language articles, guides, and affordable do-it-yourself legal forms for individuals and small businesses. It covers business law topics such as forming an LLC, contracts, employment, and intellectual property, with templates, checklists, and state-specific guidance.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://nolo.com

**Tags:** websites, business-entrepreneurship, business-fundamentals

### 4. sba.gov

The U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov) is a government resource offering guidance for starting and growing small businesses, including business-law topics such as contracts, licensing, compliance, financing, and federal contracting.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://sba.gov

**Tags:** websites, business-entrepreneurship, business-fundamentals

## Videos

### 1. Lecture 18: Legal and Accounting Basics for Startups

**Author:** Kirsty Nathoo, Carolynn Levy

Stanford CS183B lecture in which Y Combinator's CFO Kirsty Nathoo and general counsel Carolynn Levy cover incorporating as a Delaware C corporation, founder equity and vesting, 83(b) elections, fundraising paperwork, bookkeeping, and cash management. Founders can avoid common early legal and accounting mistakes.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://startupclass.samaltman.com/courses/lec18/

**Tags:** startups, startup-accounting, startup-law, incorporation, equity-vesting

---

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