Edward Bostock - The Profit

Edward BostockEdward Bostock

Expanding your business? Proceed carefully …

It’s great to see Hawke’s Bay’s economy steaming ahead and to notice lots of positive signs that our business environment is thriving.As your business improves and demand increases you may be thinking about expanding by hiring new staff. Before you start making offers however there have been a number of changes to employment law recently that you need to be...

Franchising – what’s in the fine print?

Despite being prevalent throughout New Zealand, there is no legislation that governs or regulates franchises, with the result that there is no requirement for the terms of a franchise to be fair and reasonable. What is a Franchise? Every franchise should be a replica of the Franchisor’s business, therefore giving customers of the franchise a consistent experience. The Franchisee gains...

Co-ownership agreements

You should always protect your investments as best you can and your entry into a new business venture is no different. Any new business always starts with good intentions and hope for a positive outcome. However, no matter how strong the bond between you and your business partner(s), every relationship goes through its ups and downs and you should try...

Have You Got the Right Lease?

It is probably fair to say that most small businesses do not own their own premises and, in such situations, it is necessary to “lease” premises. An Agreement to Lease (ATL) is usually the preliminary document, prepared by a commercial real estate agent, that contains the basic information agreed on by the Landlord and Tenant. The formal Deed of Lease...

Expect the best, plan for the worst and prepare to be surprised

It is important for every business to have formal Terms of Trade. When comparing large businesses to small, it’s fair to say the larger the business the more likely it will have written Terms of Trade. While there may be some who have operated for a substantial amount of time without written Terms of Trade and have never had cause...