Disputes are
par for the course when running a business. All kinds of businesses will
experience some kind of dispute or conflict along the way, whether that
involves clients or internal issues with operations. These types of issues can seem overwhelming,
draining and be a financial burden. Moreover, there are ways to minimize the
difficulties of business disputes and ways to tackle them to ensure an
effective resolution. In this blog, we offer an overview of what a business
dispute is and how exactly you’d go about tackling it.
Common areas of dispute within business
Workplace
conflicts can arise from almost any kind
of arrangement but there are areas of conflict that are much more common than
others. With this in mind, it's crucial for business owners to be aware of
these potential opportunities for dispute so that preparations can be put in
place to prevent it from happening. Any business that works with suppliers,
contractors, purchasers, or other business partners is at risk of disputes from
contractual disagreements.
Various
steps can be taken to prevent and help limit business disputes. Firstly, most
business owners should initiate policies and protocol to govern day-to-day
interactions and transactions, these kinds of measures will reduce the possibility
of disputes. For example, standard contract forms and sales agreements can help
to ensure that contracts follow proper requirements and include all necessary
clauses for enforceability.
Formal processes
Moreover,
similar policies should be in place for the protocol of how employees are
treated with the aim of avoiding claims of unfairness or discrimination in
these types of processes. In all of these situations, it is crucial that you
put everything in writing, as undocumented business arrangements frequently
lead to disputes and inconvenience down the road. Especially when both parties
have some kind of disagreement on something that was originally agreed to.
All best
efforts can be made but, despite any precautions, business owners can still find
themselves anticipating a dispute. Small businesses may seek the guidance of a
small claims court for resolving outstanding employment issues, bills or debts.
Moreover, there is a growing focus on collaborative practices to avoid taking
issues to court altogether. Parties involved in this kind of approach can
utilise the services of solicitors who specialise in the collaborative focus
and work with the parties to encourage negotiation and settlement.
Here at
Hawley & Rodger we offer expert mediation and dispute resolution in the
commercial world. Confidentiality and professionalism is our guarantee. If you
are having contract disputes, general commercial disputes or employment matters
that require mediation then get
in touch
with us today.
