🏢 Business Rules - Better Business Act for the State of San Andreas

Introduction

The aim of this act is to clearly outline and provide a formal set of business regulations and guidelines to enable fair business ownership, conduct and enforcement of these in the state as provided by the federally established business management office.

Business Evaluation & Forfeiture

• Businesses are subject to periodic government evaluation. These evaluations are not announced to ensure fair evaluation.
• A single two week grace period may be granted to improve activity, behavior, or compliance to government law.
• Failure to improve during the grace period may result in either business forfeiture to the government or closure.

Taxation & Financial Duties

• Businesses must remain up to date on all applicable taxes. Failure to pay taxes for three consecutive tax periods (three weeks) may result in: Direct recovery of the monetary amount, forfeiture to the government or closure.
• A basic financial history is required to be kept by each business for up to a month (30 days) and be available to the business management office to audit.
• Tax exemptions may be granted for hosting public events and promotions. A record of the financial costs and amount exempted are expected to be provided before the closure of that week’s tax period.

Ownership Eligibility & Business Conduct

• Each business can only have one legal owner. This is commonly the applicant of the business proposal.
• A single person can only be the owner of a single business. They can hold management roles in other businesses if they wish.
• Only two separate individuals in the same gang or organisation can own businesses. These businesses cannot provide the same service as each other. The gang or organisation has no ownership over the business, that is solely with the legal owner.
• Recognised co-ownership is not permitted. Profit sharing agreements are allowed, however any abuse of this privilege will result in government intervention.
• All ownership transfers/selling of the business must be approved by staff prior to being transferred or sold.
• Relinquished businesses may be closed, reassigned, or repurposed based on city needs.
• Any businesses with existing co-ownership arrangements may continue as-is but will not be allowed to add or change co-owners.
• Business owners are held to a higher standard in the city. Repeated misconduct could result in forfeiture or closure. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• Business owners are responsible for their own conduct as well as their employees. Owners must actively supervise and manage their employees. Repeated misconduct or serious violations by owners or employees may result in any of the following: official warnings, fines, or temporary business suspension. Business owners may maintain a record of people who are refused service for a temporary amount of time, this is commonly called a “Blacklist”. There must be a sufficient justification to place a person onto this list and may require additional information such as security camera footage, police reports or court orders. Permanent placement on this list is not acceptable and it is expected that a timeframe be established when placing the person on the list, with that time being no more than 30 days.

Competitive Business and Advertising

• Competition between businesses is to remain non-violent and friendly. Any hostile actions or threats against other businesses may result in police intervention and/or business management imposing official warnings, fines, or temporary business suspension.
• Healthy competition is encouraged by the means of events, raffles and other public promotions.
• Advertisement must be truthful and respectful and cannot include misleading information, spam or deceptive promotions. The business management office may remove false advertising or penalize any businesses in breach of this.

Business Management Office Oversight

• The business management office provides oversight and enforcement of the Better Business Act.
• The Better Business Act may be updated or have amendments made to it to ensure it is maintaining a fair and balanced structure to the business environment of the state.
• Decisions made by the business management office are final and are not appealable.
• The business management office reserves the right to audit and overturn any decisions or blacklistings that do not uphold good conduct or have sufficient justification.