It’s the worst fear of every business owner – being sued. And given that we live in a “sue-happy” America, it’s not an un-based fear. Being sued is the newest “get-rich-quick” scheme, and it is businesses that pay the price. Of course, sometimes the businesses actually are at fault, and the claim isn’t unreasonable. However, here are some tips for businesses on how to avoid being the target of a lawsuit.

1. Document, document, document

It’s very important for businesses to keep everything in writing – from contracts to employment agreements to memorandums of understanding. That way, if there is a dispute, there are accurate records of what was promised.

1. Intellectual Property

When I was in school, some professors wouldn’t distribute their Powerpoint slides because they claimed it was their “intellectual property” and they didn’t want to just hand it out. It’s important not to violate intellectual property laws when it comes to logos, trademarks, and using copyrighted material. Intellectual property laws also include using intangible creations like art and music. If using materials like these, it’s important to make sure to have the correct permissions.

1. Employee Handbook

Getting a technical writer to draft up an employee handbook can save companies from employees who might like to sue. If every employee is given the handbook, the understanding is that the employees have knowledge of rules and regulations, and consequences for not adhering to the handbook. It’s important to update the handbook on a regular basis as well – especially with technology boom, companies have to draft policies to deal with new issues (for example, should employees be able to smoke electronic cigarettes in the office?)

1. Routine maintenance

If the business has a property, keeping all public areas well maintained and as safe as possible can go a long way to preventing a lawsuit. This includes areas like walkways, bathrooms, stairs, and elevators.  Even with these precautions, however, accidents can still happen, so it’s important for businesses to have proper liability insurance (http://www.generalliabilityinsurance.org for more information on insurance).

1.  Death and Taxes

The only two sure things in life, right? Well, if a business wants to not “die”, it needs to make sure it’s on top of paying taxes. Taxes are complicated, messy things, so having a tax attorney on staff (if the business is large enough) or hiring one temporarily at tax time can save hassle and lawsuits.

1.  Don’t tick off the locals…

And make sure to abide by all ordinance and coding requirements. Not being compliant can lead to tickets, fines, and even being shut down. This applies to the physical building, as well as any equipment or tools that clients or employees have access to.

1. Permits

This is along the same lines as ordinances and codes, but for things like liquor licenses and any sort of professional licenses. It’s also important to make sure employees have correct licenses, especially in areas where their job description includes serving alcohol (it is common practice to have to take a class to obtain the permit).

1. Communicate

Lawsuits can be a lot of trouble for everyone involved, and in many instances, communicating with the person who wants to sue the business can go a long way. Clearing up misunderstandings can often keep businesses out of court. However, this won’t always work, but it’s not a bad idea to try.

We all know the value of a good night’s sleep.  Colloquially, tonight’s sleep is the foundation of our energy level tomorrow.  Psychologically, we deplete our dopamine levels during the day, and our bodies only produce dopamine during REM sleep.  And in terms of our health, getting a good night’s sleep limits our dependency on stimulants to stay awake during the day.  (Yes, there are health benefits to coffee, but more than a couple cups a day can be damaging.)

One of the keys to getting a good night’s sleep is how efficiently we fall asleep.  Most of us who are cognizant of the need for 8 hours of sleep enough plan bedtime around the time we need to wake up in the morning.  If I have to get up at 5, for example, then I know I need to be in bed by 9.

But that only works if I actually fall asleep at my bedtime.  If I lie awake for two hours, tossing and turning to try to get comfortable, then when 5 AM rolls around I won’t have gotten 8 hours of sleep.  If I wake up during the night and it takes me an hour to fall back to sleep again, same story.

How comfortable we are when we lie in our beds has a profound effect on how quickly we fall asleep.   Our level of comfort is tied to our sleep posture, which is every bit as important as our posture when sitting in a chair or standing for long periods.  Good sleep posture equals comfortable sleep.  Bad sleep posture equals discomfort.

As the effect of sleep deficiency and deprivation have become better known over the past couple of decades, so has our knowledge of what facilitates good sleep.  That knowledge has helped technologies like memory foam to proliferate, greatly improving sleep posture for millions of people.

Technologies that allow the body to find it’s ideal sleep posture and that conform to that posture enable us to become comfortable more quickly.  Comfort brings sleep on more quickly, contributes to more sustained sleep, and allows us to fall back to sleep faster when we wake up in the night.

Importantly, not all memory foam is the same.  Quality memory foam suppliers like Nature’s Sleep (NaturesSleep.com) might cost a little more, but off-brand, discount memory foam mattresses are likely to be made in part with regular foam.  Those mattresses tend to be too soft, putting strain on the body during sleep and actually creating poor sleep posture.

For many customers, having the technology that helps them to fall asleep more quickly also provides a peripheral benefit.  They can enjoy their lives right up to their bedtime, knowing that they will get a good night’s sleep without having to buffer their sleep schedule with extra “falling asleep” time.