Before You Sign That Lease, Read This.

A free guide for Louisiana business owners — so you know exactly what you're agreeing to before you're locked in.

Your landlord has signed hundreds of leases. You've probably signed one, maybe two. That information gap costs business owners real money — in rent they didn't have to pay, restrictions they didn't have to accept, and clauses they didn't realize were negotiable.

Almost everything in a business lease is negotiable. The problem is knowing what to ask for.

This free guide walks you through 35 of the most important lease provisions — what they mean, what a fair version looks like, and where to push back before you sign.

The Commercial Lease Review Guidelines cover 35 provisions — including the ones most business owners miss:

• How to keep your permitted use broad enough to protect your business as it grows and changes
• What your landlord cannot make you pay for — and the language to watch for
• How to protect yourself if your space isn't delivered on time, or isn't what you were promised
• How to negotiate operating expenses and common area charges so you're not covering your landlord's costs
• What your lease says about signage, hours, and alterations — and why it matters more than you think
• How to handle damage, destruction, and end-of-term obligations without getting stuck with the bill
• The provisions that are genuinely non-negotiable — and the ones landlords just want you to think are

Why Business Law Group made this guide:

"We work with business owners at every stage — from signing their first lease to negotiating their fifth. The ones who get the best deals aren't necessarily the biggest or most established. They're the ones who know what to ask for.

We put this guide together so you can walk into any lease negotiation — with any landlord, for any type of space — knowing exactly where your leverage is."

— Amanda Butler Schley, Esq., Managing Partner, Business Law Group