A comprehensive and practical guide to the rules and regulations that govern business—from anti-trust to workplace health and safety.
No business operates in America today under purely market forces.Myriad rules and regulations govern every area of business conduct: from establishing the firm to ensuring protection of the environment to hiring and firing policies. More than half of all startups that fail in the first year do so not because they produce inferior products or neglect to analyze the competition, but because they do not understand the regulatory environment in which they operate. In What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Government, Wesley Truitt presents the most comprehensive overview of government regulation and its impact on business management to date. Covering all levels of regulation (federal, state, and local/municipal) and all stages in a firm's growth cycle (establishment, expansion, and liquidation), Truitt shows entrepreneurs and managers of established business alike how to navigate the minefield of rules and policies that oversee business activity.
Drawing from a wide variety of primary data sources and his own extensive experience in the public and private sectors, Truitt clearly explains how government regulation of business has evolved and analyzes its positive and negative implications for management. Featuring descriptions of all the key agencies and summaries of major laws, Truitt offers practical guidance through a huge array of issues, including: intellectual property protection, legal incorporation, product safety and liability, taxes, mergers and acquisitions, employee benefit programs, divestiture, and much more. He identifies common pitfalls to avoid, ways to benefit through government assistance programs, and methods for influencing the policymaking process. Including practical checklists and extensive listings of informational resources, What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Government is an essential guide for any business competing in the not-so-free market.
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Preface
Government Impacts on the Business Environment
Growth of Government Involvement in Business
Impacts of Federal Regulations on Business
Levers of Federal Economic Power
State and Local Government Impacts on Business
Compliance: What Government Makes Business Do
Business Startup Regulations
Business Operations Regulations
Business Expansion Regulations
Divestiture Regulations
State and Local Rules and Regulations
Assistance: What Government Can Do To Help Business
Federal Finance Assistance
Federal Marketing and Contracting Assistance
State and Local Government Assistance
Business/Government Interaction
How Business Can Deal with Government
Selected Bibliography
Index
Endorsements
Professor Truitt has provided a unique resource to entrepreneurs, governmental officials, and professional service providers to better understanding how U.S. firms function within regulatory frameworks and how regulations can be used for the firm's advantage.—Alan L. Carsrud, Ph.D.,^LExecutive Director, Global Entrepreneurship Center^LClinical Professor of Management^LProfessor of Industrial & Systems Engineering^LFlorida International University
Every entrepreneur learns that managing through the regulatory hurdles is critical to success. In this book, Wes Truitt provides the how to and how not to guidelines and perspectives pertaining to government regulations. A must reference for entrepreneurs!—Bruce G. Willison,^LDean^LUCLA Anderson School of Management
Dr. Truitt has created a superb resource, taking the reader through the history of government's impact on American business and presenting a practical guide for the entrepreneur to understand government regulations and programs needed to successfully operate their company.—Mardi Norman,^LDynamic Systems, Inc.^LPresident and CEO
Truitt's book provides a clear and comprehensive guide thru the complexities of government involvement in today's business environments. Extremely well organized, it is useful and I would personally recommend it for any business large or small.—Thomas V. Jones,^LOwner of Moraga Vineyards and retired CEO of Northrop Corp.
This book provides a powerful resource for the entrepreneurs and their support structure to use to comprehend the role of government--for both good and trouble!... The entrepreneur should also be fully aware of the government's role as the 'policeman' of business, so that they can prevent trouble. This book will be a key ingredient in helping the entrpreneur to understand the role of government, optimize their relationships with government, and transform it from a feared antagonist into a market force that can be managed, and even turned into a potential resource.—Dr. W. F. (Fred) Kiesner,^LConrad Hilton Chair of Entrepreneurship^LLoyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
