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Welcome to Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
We all know how important small business is to the U.S. economy. Some statistics that you may not know are:
(1) they represent 99.7% of all employer firms, (2) they employ just over half of all private sector employees, (3) they pay 44% of total U.S. private payroll (4) have generated 64% of net new jobs in the past 15 yrs.
VANTAGE has been servicing the small business community for over 35 years. Over the years we have accumulated much knowledge, contacts and experience in helping to protecting small businesses and help them become successful and grow. As such, we will be publishing a semimonthly newsletter geared toward providing small businesses with the latest news, products, and guidelines to assist in their success and growth. Please feel free to comment and/or request topics that are important to you for us to research.
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Please view our products list in the right sidebar
This is just a sampling of what we feel would be important to you. We have much more to offer. If you have any questions or need more information please contact us at 877-886-8277 or click the link below.
CONTACT A VANTAGE PROFESSIONAL |
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8 Ways to Resolve a Business Dispute
 A drawn out dispute with a customer, partner, employee or contractor could be devastating to your small business. If you are lucky it will only cause you stress and cost you time, but a serious dispute could damage your reputation, cost you legal fees and even jeopardize your business. Developing a strategy for handling conflicts will help you better manage a crisis and find an amicable solution that saves you both time and money.
1. Remain Professional - Disputes often escalate because someone feels they have been personally attacked. Avoid using accusatory language, sarcasm or threats of any kind. Speak in a calm and professional manner to help set the right tone.
2. Train Employees - Make sure your employees understand the proper procedure for handling a dispute. A frustrated employee trying to resolve a dispute on his or her own could make the problem much worse. Teach employees how to disarm conflict and make sure they are comfortable bringing concerns to you or a manager.
3. Documentation - Retain all documentation relating to the dispute. Signed contracts, invoices, HR records and correspondence may all be useful should your matter go to court.
4. Objectives - In some cases the origin of a dispute can become obscured by emotions. Try to determine exactly what you want and ask the other party what they want. This will give you the right perspective to find a resolution.
5. Compromise - Do not confuse compromising with losing. In many cases giving up a small point could ultimately save you a great deal of time and money.
6. Mediation - There are many reasons why it may be impossible for you and the other party to reach a compromise on your own. In such cases you may benefit from professional mediation. Mediation has several benefits over court action. Mediation can be more cost effective and unlike public court hearings, mediation is confidential. Mediated settlements are often easier to collect, as both parties agree to them; however, if the other party does not comply, mediated settlements are fully enforceable in court.
7. Court -Talk with your attorney about the best legal strategy for resolving your matter. Depending on the nature of your dispute, small claims court may be an option. Learn more about Small Claims Court by reading our previous article here.
Learn - Every dispute or challenge is a learning opportunity. Think about how you can avoid problems in the future. Apply those lessons to your company's policies and train employees accordingly. Do you need to improve your contracts? Should you refresh your employee manual? Do employees need additional training? Turn a difficult experience into something that will help you and your business grow.
SOURCE: LegalShield |
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DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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