ABA launches legal resource site for small online businesses

Computerworld - Want to start an online business? Well, you're probably going to have some questions, right?

But if you don't want to spend $200 or more an hour for an attorney, you can log onto Safeselling.org and get some questions answered.

The American Bar Association launched the online resource at its annual meeting last week to help individuals and small business owners with questions about setting up, launching and operating an online store or other e-commerce venture. Among the sections covered are obtaining a domain name, selling out of state and how to verify who your customers are.

"We wanted the site to be intuitive for the typical small business owner," said Jonathan Rubens, editorial director of the site, in a statement.

"From obtaining a domain name to protecting customer privacy, our Safeselling.org site offers a complete range of logically listed minitopics to help our target audience find the facts they need."

The site also advises users on such issues as including the products and services they can sell online as well as those that are prohibited; how to draft a terms and conditions agreement; laws and regulations governing online sales; taxes; payment processing; as well as delivery and return processes.

Safeselling.org is a companion site to Safeshopping.org, a site that provides information to consumers about buying online.

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