Legal requirements of Print
Did you know there are legal requirements for printing?
As a business you are required to include ceratin information on printed materials, as required by the Business Names legislation. (check your individual legal region)
Any business trading under a name other then that of the owner is required to disclose publicly certain information.
If you trade under a business name that name must not conflict with registered trademarks or certain senstive or offensive words.
What do I mean? This is best illustrated by examples.
Invoices, invoice books
You must have your business name.
You must have your business address
You must have your VAT number if you charge VAT.
You must have your own name if you are a sole trader business.
You must have each partner's name if you are a partnership.
You must have your registered address and company number if you are an LLC.
You must include a date.
Only when these items are included and clear on your invoices do your invoices become legal documents.
Without one or more of these you leave yourself open to abuse. A creditor won't pay you. You go to court. The court requires that you produce the invoices as proof, and your invoice is insufficient, your case is weakened. All for a few details on paper.
Likewise applies to most of your other business stationery eg Headed Paper , Purchase Orders.
Whilst many businesses take great effort to include their credentials eg. membership of trade bodies, awards received, multiple locations, the omission of the above can in certain cases be construed as criminal.
Always include these details on your business staionery, its the law, but it also makes good commercial sense.
Created: September 13, 2008
