Avoid legal pitfalls for your business from day one
A common characteristic of entrepreneurs is the attitude: "I'm not going to do that until I absolutely have to." And it's understandable why: with limited time and resources it seems logical to focus on tasks like product development, production, marketing, and delivery - the ones that get your product or service out into the marketplace. The last thing you want to do is spend money and effort on legal issues, which is why they often drop to the bottom of the pile. But this can be a costly mistake - and Go Legal Yourself is here to make sure it's one you avoid.
Attorney, inventor, and businesswoman - named Top Woman Entrepreneur by LA Dreams Magazine in 2017 - Kelly Bagla knows about doing business from both the entrepreneurial and legal sides of the fence. And in Go Legal Yourself, she guides you through the four key legal lifecycle phases every business experiences - and sets you up for worry-free success from day one. Establish yourself as the correct legal entity.
- Gather and complete the relevant documentation
- Protect your brand
- Identify and avoid common (and expensive) pitfalls
- Plan and manage growth, enter new markets, and keep a sharp competitive edge
Wherever you are with your business, this book is your guarantee you have all your legal ducks in a row - and that no nasty legal surprises stand between you and your target: success.
Table of Contents
Foreword vii
Preface ix
Business Legal Lifecycle® xi
About the Author xiii
Introduction 1 Everything You Need to Know about Your Business Legal Lifecycle® 1
Part 1: Startup Phase
Chapter 1 What Legal Entity Should I Be? 7
Chapter 2 What Other Documents Do I Need? 25
Chapter 3 How Do I Protect My Brand? 37
A Story of Caution for Startups 49
Part 2: Growth Phase
Chapter 4 How Do I Grow My Small Business? 53
Chapter 5 How Do I Manage My Growing Business? 65
Chapter 6 How Do I Get Funding for My Growing Business? 73
A Story of Caution for Growth Companies 81
Part 3: Established Phase
Chapter 7 How Does My Business Stay Competitive? 85
Chapter 8 How Do I Enter New Markets? 97
Chapter 9 How Do I Retain Good People? 103
A Story of Caution for Established Companies 109
Part 4: Exit Phase
Chapter 10 How Do I Exit My Business? 113
Chapter 11 How Do I Prepare for Exit? 125
Chapter 12 What Could Go Wrong? 131
A story of Caution for Exiting Companies 141
Conclusion 143
Go Legal Yourself® Products 145
About the Website 147
Agreement with Respect to Go Legal Yourself® 149
Index 155
