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ARE YOU RISKING YOUR BUSINESS BY BEING SUCCESSFUL ?
However , if your business is successful , you are indeed at risk . That ’ s because the higher your profile becomes , the more likely you are to become the target of an investigation .
And should that happen , you want to have everything in your business exactly the way it should be .
Which is why , regardless of your business ’ size right now , you need to fall into compliance with these issues as soon as humanly possible .
There are online marketers who have lost EVERYTHING because they failed to do this .
Imagine building a 6 or 7 figure business , only to see it taken away from you .
Worst yet , imagine fines you cannot pay and possible jail time . Yikes .
Here are three key legal issues every online marketer needs to be aware of before your online success spells your demise .
Editor ’ s Note : For any questions regarding the law , please contact your attorney .
When your business is small , there is a good chance you can fly under the radar of the FTC and other legal entities . No guarantee , but odds are they are looking to fry bigger fish .
Please Note : This is NOT scintillating reading . But this could potentially keep the FTC off your back , out of your life and away from your bank accounts , as well as keeping you out of court and away from jail . Enough said . 1 : Privacy and Data Collection To send out marketing emails , you need to collect contact information , right ? Sounds simple . But here ’ s the thing – the legalities of collecting the information is far more complex than most marketers realize .
When you think of laws that cover anything pertaining to the Internet , you might be tempted to believe that only the laws where you live apply to you . But the fact is , it ’ s the laws where your customers reside with which you need to be in compliance .
Perhaps the easiest method is to make sure you comply with the strictest of laws . In this manner you should also be compliant with other laws in other states and other countries as well .
So , which country or state is the real stickler when it comes to online privacy ? Many would agree that would-be California and their Online Privacy Protection Act ( OPPA ). This law requires to you to disclose :
• The types of information your online marketing tactics or websites collect
• How this information might be shared
• The actual process your subscribers and customers can follow to review and ( if they want ) change the information you have about them
• Your policy ’ s effective date and a description of any changes since then