In Law School, every aspiring lawyer learns the maxim “Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse.” This means that every business owner is deemed to be aware of each and every law affecting his/her business. As daunting of a responsibility as this may seem, this is in fact how courts address violations of law by businesses. Simply put, businesses are held to a higher level of legal knowledge than consumers.

Although most businesses rely on their legal counsel to keep them advised regarding laws that apply to their business, business owners can also educate themselves through a number of free, publicly available resources. One such resource is the “Industry Laws and Regulations” section of the  U.S. Small  Business Administration website. This valuable resources provides basic information concerning the laws affecting a number of common industries.