NEW BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST

Knowledge + Informed Decisions + Proper Implementation = Business Success

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1. Joint Venture Agreement (Determine Duties and Responsibilities of Participants)
2. Protect Your Assets.
3. Establish Separate Entity (Personal Asset Protection)
4. Determine Type of Organization (Corp, LLC, etc.) (Avoid Double Taxation Legally)
5. S-Corp Election, if entity qualifies.  S-Corp is a tax election made with the IRS.
6. Bylaws, Shareholder Agreements or Operating Agreement (set out the guidelines of the entity for present and future needs)
7. Fed ID Number for Business (the entity is a separate legal person and requires a separate federal identification number)
8. Banking Issues (Banks typically require the certificate of organization (or the like), Federal ID and Bank Resolution, in order to open an account).
9. Business Certificates (Some cities and towns require under certain circumstances) 
10. Business Licenses and Permits (Confirm whether or not you need a license or permit to operate your business).
11. Leases (Leases can be 15 pages or 115 pages - don't enter a lease without having an experienced Business Attorney review it first - the risks of signing absent attorney review, are significant and could be costly).
12. Employer Posters Required by Law (Confirm that you have all required employer posters and notices). 
13. Insurance (Insure your business and your directors/managers as an additional means of protection).
14. Register with State for Sales and Use Tax, etc. (Confirm whether such registration is applicable to your business and which states you need to register in). 
15. Establish Payroll System* (Corporate dividends for each shareholder-employee, should not exceed the gross pay received in wages for such shareholder-employee). 
16. Trademarks (Protect your trademark rights by properly registering your marks and giving notice of your claim to such rights).
17. Copyrights (Protect your copyrights with proper notices and registration)
18. Patents
19. Website Compliance (Utilize comprehensive Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Copyright Infringement Warning, etc.)
20. Agreements: 
    • Employee Agreements
    • Executive Compensation Agreements
    • Independent Contractors
    • Confidentiality Agreement Checklist
    • Non-Compete Agreement Checklist
    • Collaboration Agreement Checklist 
    • No Circumvention
    • Strategic Marketing Agreement
    • Supplier-Buyer Checklist
    • Manufacturer-Distributor Checklist
    • Broker
21. I-9 Forms and Immigration Law Compliance
22. Mergers and Acquisitions
23. Domestic and International Subsidiaries
24. Franchising
25. Exit Strategy
26. Business Sale or "Wrap-Up"
27. Protecting Wealth

   Do not rely solely upon this checklist.  Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Business Attorney for advice regarding your particular situation.  After the Free Telephone Consultation, Michelle will provide you with a Free Written Analysis of your goals as she understands them, corresponding legal issues, costs involved, etc.