We can help guide you as you pursue your business. We will focus on the details so you can focus on your goal.
Plan
Starting your own business offers rewards you can only
begin to imagine. But running a business requires discipline, resolve,
and planning. Early planning should include, first, a
fair assessment of your situation and your present commitment. We
firmly believe that everyone is capable starting and running a business.
But capability is nothing without your well considered commitment to
execute.
We can help by raising questions focused on necessary planning elements. It is common for entrepreneurs to be so focused on their idea and on creating value for consumers, that many fundamental steps in the planning process are overlooked. Talking to us at this stage can help accommodate some of the unknowns that confront every business sooner or later.
The pervasive complexity of the modern business environment is something
to consider in the earliest stages of business planning. There are
layers of government, laws, regulations, industry standards, advertising
standards, information technology, contracting procedures, labor
considerations, and taxing regimes to consider. These should not be
considered barriers. But they must be considered. We can help.
A written business plan is anathema to many entrepreneurs, but it will
prove to be one of the most important artifacts of any startup. More
pragmatically, you will need one before you can obtain financing from a
traditional lender whether or not it is backed by the U.S. Small
Business Administration.
Whether you are considering a pursuit in technology, manufacturing, retail, or professional service, we can help with your initial planning today.
Finance
You may choose to finance your business from savings, family
loans, credit cards, traditional lenders, independent venture
capitalists, institutional investors, and public offerings. During early
stage financing, consumed by passion for their idea, entrepreneurs tend
to give too much away. We can help review financing with a detached and
discerning view for the future and for your personal interest.
Early stage investors are typically sophisticated professionals, focused
on maximizing their future return. It is a risking proposition to
negotiate with these people without capable legal representation. The
confidence gained from getting your idea this far can be intoxicating
and blinding. We can help raise issues for consideration that are easily
overlooked in your race to get your product to market.
Start
Starting your business is mostly a mechanical process,
but there are still important decisions to be made. Naming your
business, planning your business structure, obtaining and
maintaining necessary license and permits, locating and leasing
space and equipment, and protecting your intellectual property are
just some of the concerns. Getting these things right upfront is
vitally important. We can help you reach an informed decision on
these matters quickly, allowing you to focus on your idea, while we
jump through the hoops for you.
Staff
Hiring employee number 1 will introduce you to a
popularly skewered bureaucracy. This is a mine field that often finds a
way to waste an entrepreneur’s time. Whether you are hiring contract
labor, part time, full time, hourly, salary, minors, or resident aliens,
there are local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and tax regimes
to consider. You are actually exposing yourself to potential fines and
the attention of the EEOC as soon as you place your first help wanted
advertisement.
We can help to educate you on these matters upfront, so your learning
does not take place before some government agency and under the threat
of sanctions.
An unpleasant result of hiring employees is termination. There are
important steps to take to protect yourself and your business long
before your first termination. We can help you plan through establishing
sound employment policies, creating employee contracts and non-compete
agreements, and complying with best practices that help further your
business goals while minimizing the risk of post employment litigation.
As the saying goes, this doesn’t matter, until it matters. Then, it
matters.
Grow
As your business grows, we can help you with employment
law compliance, business contracts, expansion plans, real estate
purchases, sales, and leasing, partnerships, promotional programs,
interstate and international sales considerations, cross border
advertising, internet sales structure, corporate documentation and
formalities, and reporting requirements.
There are many bureaucratic fingers groping at business even before the
doors first open. As a business grows, so do the numbers and lengths of
these bureaucratic fingers. Planning and having information upfront can
help avoid the education provided by some government agency armed with
the threat of sanctions.
Sell
When it comes time for business succession, whether you
are selling to a competitor, venture capitalist, employees, family
members, or others, there are many things to consider. Valuation,
structuring the sale, planning for transition, and completing the
transaction all require careful consideration and informed decision
making. This is a business decision quite unlike any that you would
likely have made up to this point. At some levels it really is just that
though, a business decision. At others, however, it takes on a whole
different complexion. For some this is hard to imagine, as your business
may have become an extension of yourself. You will likely have deep
feelings of loyalty to your employees and customers. This might all feel
something like family.
We can help structure the sale of a business creatively, to see to it
that your concerns are addressed and adequately represented. Generally
you will find that you have greater flexibility during this process than
you initially recognized. We can help by illuminating opportunities and
identifying options for your consideration. Once you have made your
decisions, we can help execute your plan, taking our care to focus on
the details.