New program offers free legal advice to local businesses
By KAST
The Kootenay-Boundary region is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit, talent
and creativity that continues to hatch innovative small businesses. While
great ideas and enterprise are here in abundance, the legal steps required to translate ideas into a fully operational and functional businesses can be a
major hurdle.
Launching this September, the “Ask An Expert” program kicks off, focussing initially on assisting Kootenay-Boundary entrepreneurs and start-ups with free legal advice sessions.
“We deal with a host of immensely talented people who have excellent business ideas and are very good at what they do,” explained KAST’s Executive Director Kelvin Saldern. “One of the common challenges we hear
from start-ups is that the legal aspect of the business is not their strength and can be challenging. As an organization with a strong focus on assisting and accelerating entrepreneurial growth in the region, implementing the “Ask An Expert” program, starting with legal services, was a natural fit for KAST to help provide one more small boost to emerging local companies.”
Ask An Expert: LEGAL is a partnership project between the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST), Community Futures of Greater Trail, Community Futures Central Kootenay and Leon Pigott of Pigott & Company, designed to ease legal barriers for entrepreneurs and young companies by providing free access to expert advice.
Through the program, small businesses in the region will be able to tap into the skills and experience of Leon Pigott, Barrister & Solicitor, on topics ranging from business structure decisions, purchasing an existing business, organizing and structuring their business, to intellectual property protection and more.
“I was motivated to start offering the Business Law Clinics because my experience in my practice is that many start-up and small business owners leave getting legal advice too late in the process,” said Pigott. “Often, some early advice from a lawyer would help to build a strong foundation for growth. I hope that offering a free clinic on business law issues will encourage business owners or anyone with an idea for a business to get some early input on any prospective legal issues and help to demystify the legal process.“
Four Ask An Expert: LEGAL sessions will be held over the coming year in Nelson, Castlegar and Trail, where participants will receive a thirty minute session at no cost to discuss and receive advice on their legal needs.
“This will be a great program for the small business clients we work with,” said Community Futures Central Kootenay’s General Manager, Paul Wiest. “We currently offer free business counselling sessions throughout the region, which is very popular with local entrepreneurs. The “Ask an Expert” program will be a great valued add to this existing service.”
The program officially launches on Friday, September 14th in Nelson. Interested participants must call or email CFDC Nelson at info@futures.bc.ca or 250-352-1933 ext 100 in advance to book an appointment. Register by 4:30 pm on September 12th.
Additional sessions will be held in Trail November 2012, Castlegar March 2013 and June 2013 in Nelson.
Submitted.
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