Corporations

Obtaining Licenses and Permits for Your Business

November 21, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

In any business venture, compliance with applicable laws and regulations is essential. These vary significantly depending on your industry and the jurisdiction in which you operate. In some cases, you may be subject to licensing and permitting requirements on the federal, state, and municipal levels. While many entrepreneurs are understandably excited to begin operations, failure to obtain the required licenses or permits can have serious consequences. In some cases, noncompliance with the applicable business regulations in your jurisdiction could even result in criminal charges or significant fines, potentially putting you out of business.

Regulations regarding business licenses and permits are often voluminous and difficult for even sophisticated business people to understand. Anyone considering starting or expanding a business in California should contact an experienced attorney to discuss their circumstances.

In the meantime, here is some information about some of the more commonly required business permits and licenses. Continue reading ›

Business Entrepreneurship: 4 Keys to Achieving Success

November 14, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

Breaking away from the rest and forming your own business is a dream for many people. Business entrepreneurship can be a risky but rewarding venture, and it’s possible to achieve great success in your new company. Although running a business takes a lot of hard work and has challenges, you can reach a high level of success. Here are four keys to achieving great things as a business owner, as well as some advice from successful entrepreneurs.

Business Entrepreneurship: 4 Keys to Achieving Success

1. Hire a Lawyer

“Surround yourself with great mentors.”-Thalej Vasishta, CEO, Immigration Lawyer

Sound advice and a strong team to lean on are essential for entrepreneurs. One of the first things you should do when starting your company is hire a lawyer. Choosing a business entity and licensing can be intricate, so have all paperwork looked over before making big decisions. A good business lawyer will be able to guide you through the whole process and assist you in protecting your intellectual property rights along the way. Continue reading ›

Corporation Formation: 6 Steps to Success

August 22, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

Forming a corporation may seem like a lot of work but the process isn’t too difficult. In this blog post we’ll walk you through some important steps to incorporate in California. Every state is different so make sure to check with the Secretary of State’s Office in your area before getting started.

1. Pick a Name

The name you pick for your corporation must not be the same, or similar to, one already on file with the California Secretary of State. You can search on the Secretary of State’s website to see if the name you’re thinking of using is original. You should also check beyond the state, e.g. nationally and even internationally. A name that is the same as, or similar to, one used in another state or country can pose problems.

Due Diligence, Mergers & Acquisitions Part I

August 15, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

A merger or acquisition can be a great way to grow your business. Joining forces or purchasing another company increases your market share and potential profits. There’s no real way to know if the venture will pay off. However, the proper due diligence can provide reassurance that the move you’re making is a good one. Due diligence is a multi-step process, so in this post we’re going to focus on just one part: liabilities.

Understanding Liabilities

Any merger or acquisition comes with a degree of risk. Liabilities are the debts and obligations incurred through the course of doing business. Loans are considered a liability as are accounts payable and accrued expenses. It’s important to take a look at the total number and dollar value of all liabilities. Also, look at the company’s payment history. Are bills paid on time? Is there a record of default? These are red flags that should give you pause. Remember, once you’ve assumed liabilities the responsibility is yours.

Business 101: Buy-Sell Agreements

August 8, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

Any business with multiple owners should have a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement, provides order and clarity should anything happen to one of the owners. In this post we’ll take a look at buy-sell agreements, how they work and what to include.

Understanding an Agreement

Let’s say you and some family members get together and form a corporation or an LLC. Things are going pretty well, the business is making money and everyone is happy. Then something happens, maybe one of your family members dies or simply decides to leave the business. What happens to that person’s stake in your company? A business without a buy-sell agreement can easily fall into in fighting and costly litigation, not to mention the impact on consumer confidence.

Steps to Creating Bylaws

July 18, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

One of the first things any newly formed corporation should do is draft bylaws. Bylaws are a corporation’s operational blueprint. They identify what the business does, how it is run and who is in charge. Here then are five steps to drafting a set of bylaws.

5 Steps to Creating Corporate Bylaws

1. Detail relevant information concerning shareholders. This includes who holds stake in your corporation, what rights they hold and when and where meetings are to be held.

3 Steps to Creating a Strategic Alliance

July 11, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

A strategic alliance is a fairly simple concept. Two companies with similar interests join forces to produce favorable outcomes for all involved. An everyday example is the Starbucks inside of Barnes and Noble bookstores. This move helped Starbucks expand, but it also kept people in the bookstore, perhaps reading the first few pages of a book they were thinking of buying. A strategic alliance is good for business, but you’ll need to take the proper steps to make it work.

1,2,3 – The Steps to Creating a Strategic Alliance for Your Company

Step 1: Choosing a Partner

Business 101: Litigation

June 20, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

With any luck, you or your business will never end up the subject of a lawsuit. Since this isn’t a perfect world, it’s best to start thinking about what to do if the unforeseen happens. Like most things, business litigation is an involved issue. We can’t go through the entire process in one post, so we’ll start with three basic steps to take if you find yourself in legal trouble.

Step 1: Purchase Liability Insurance

This step should happen long before trouble starts. In reality, this is one of the first things you should do as a business owner. Liability insurance protects the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. Say a customer slips on a wet spot in your store; your insurance would step in and handle the costs. You may want to add extra protection such as errors and omissions coverage. For businesses that have a Board of Directors it’s a good idea to have directors and officers coverage. This type of coverage protects the corporation as well as the personal liabilities for the directors and officers of the corporation.

LLC’s and Corporations: Making the Switch

June 13, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

Converting a limited liability company to a corporation is a relatively easy process. Before I take you through the steps, let’s take a quick look at the differences between the two types of business structures.

3 Differences Between Limited Liability Companies and Corporations

1. LLCs are formed by one or more people (members). These members file Articles of Organization and craft an Operating Agreement. Corporations file similar paperwork. However, unlike LLCs, corporations have shareholders and governing bodies like a Board of Directors.

LLC: Choosing a Management Structure

June 6, 2014 | Mark Figueiredo

Limited liability companies combine parts of both corporations and partnerships. Because they’re a hybrid, LLC’s can be more difficult to setup. One part of this process involves choosing a management structure to fit your specific LLC.

Single Member or Multiple Member LLC

The difference here is implied in the name. Single member LLC’s have only one owner, while multiple member LLC’s have at least two. Choosing one over the other typically comes down to financing. Starting a single member LLC comes with a higher level of risk as the profits and losses are reported on the individual’s tax return. However, as the sole owner, you don’t have the stress of running a company with another person.