Your Ocean Carrier Owes You $500 Per Package — Even When It's Their Fault
COGSA caps ocean carrier payouts at $500 per package even when the carrier is at fault — only cargo insurance covers the gap.
#risk-management
Risk Management
Strategies for identifying and mitigating business risks including insurance
Equipment Breakdown Insurance: The $500-a-Year Policy That Covers What Your Property Insurance Won't
Equipment breakdown insurance pays for internal failures your property policy excludes — typically $25–$50 a year per $50,000 of equipment, spoilage included.
Liquidated Damages in Construction Contracts: Daily Rates, Caps, and Negotiation
Liquidated damages = daily rate × days late. Cap them at 5–10% of contract price, define excusable delays, and book them under ASC 606, not as expenses.
Bounce House Rental Business Insurance: The Coverage Gaps and How to Book Every Premium
General liability won't cover your own inflatables in transit. The four-policy stack bounce house renters need, and how to book premiums under IRS rules.
Selling Abroad? The FCPA Rules Every Small Exporter Should Know
The U.S. FCPA covers small exporters too: a foreign agent's bribe can be yours, grease payments rarely qualify, and clean books are your best defense.
Showing Movies at Your Bar, Gym, or Waiting Room: What a License Costs
Playing a DVD or Netflix for customers is a public performance: fines run $750–$150,000 per film, while an MPLC umbrella license costs about $1,000 a year.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule for Small Business: Three Copies, Two Media Types, One Off-Site — and the Restore Test That Proves It Works
Three copies, two media types, one off-site: the 3-2-1 backup rule plus immutable copies and monthly restore tests that survive ransomware.
Charging Orders Explained: What a Creditor Can Actually Take From Your LLC
A charging order diverts your LLC distributions to a personal creditor — but can't force payouts or seize company assets. Solo owners get less protection.
Your Office Phones Must Dial 911 Directly and Pinpoint the Caller: A Small Business Guide to Kari's Law and the RAY BAUM'S Act
Every business phone system must dial 911 with no prefix and send a dispatchable location — address plus floor, suite, or room — or face FCC fines.
Got an EEOC Charge? A Small Employer's Playbook From Notice to Mediation
An EEOC charge is an allegation, not a verdict: block retaliation, file a documented position statement in ~30 days, and weigh free mediation (70%+ settle).
Guaranteed Maximum Price Contracts: The Cost-Plus Deal With a Ceiling (and Who Pays Past It)
A GMP contract caps a cost-plus job: the owner pays actual costs plus fee up to the ceiling, and the contractor absorbs overruns unless a change order moves it.
How to Vet Your Outsourced Bookkeeper's IT Security: 10 Questions
Under the FTC Safeguards Rule, bookkeepers must keep a written security plan with MFA and encryption. Ask these 10 questions before granting access.