Part
A: Short answer questions (750 words)

Imagine you are about to start up a small
business. There are a range of decisions you will need to make, for legal
reasons, at certain steps of the set-up process. The following questions ask
you about several decisions you would usually need to make if you were setting
up a real business. While you are encouraged to think of your own idea for a
business, and to be a bit creative here, this exercise does not require
anything like a complex business plan or any financials. Importantly, the business does not need to
be, and in fact should not be, a complex business or a large enterprise
for the purposes of this assignment (this will not get more marks). It should
however be tasteful / not offensive in nature. This exercise is intended to
focus your attention on specific decisions that have a legal aspect, and to
explain your reasoning in making those decisions to us in a clear and
business-like manner. Do not simply copy the business described below in Part
B.

Some suggestions that may be of help (and
which you are quite entitled to use as a starting point) include:

•
a retail shop (perhaps selling goods that relate
to a hobby, sport or pass-time that interests you);

•
a restaurant or cafe;

•
a small business of a type you have some
personal experience working in; or

•
an online business selling consumer goods
through a website.

Questions

1.
Briefly describe the small business you would
like to start, (outline facts such as what type of business it is, what it
sells, who works there, where it is, etc). (2 marks – approx 120 words)

2.
What type of business structure do you think
would be the best one to adopt for the particular type of business you have
described in question 1, above? (1 mark – suggest

3.
Explain why the business structure is the
best one for this business. (3 marks – approx 150 words)

4.
Write down a name you would like to give your
business. (1 mark – suggest

5.
Could you register the name as a trade mark?
Explain why or why not. (3 marks – approx 150 words)

6.
What other registrations should you consider
that involve the name of your business? What problems might you run into at
this point? (3 marks – approx 150 words)

7.
Briefly describe two other legal issues or areas
that you would expect to have an impact on the type of business you are setting
up (as described in question 1, above). (2 marks – approx 120 words)