A survey of small business owners found that in several Alabama cities, handshake deals are as central to local business as legal contracts.
In Alabama, Jasper, Fairhope and Muscle Shoals stand out as cities where verbal business agreements are still key, according to a study by Advance Funds Network, a financing company, that surveyed 3,005 small business owners across the country.
“In pockets of North America, business is still built on reputation, relationships, and the kind of trust that doesn’t need a paper trail,” the group said in a press release Tuesday. “In some towns, a person’s word still matters just as much as the fine print.”…