Austin TX Business Law Blog

When you have a business, are setting up a business, or selling a business, there is the inevitable paperwork that follows. The paperwork can seem never ending. Things can get lost in the shuffle. Oversights are easy when things start to pile up. Unfortunately, the details in the paperwork are important to not only be aware of, but to understand.
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Securing investors is often a critical component to starting or growing a business. In order to maintain and protect your important relationship with your investors, an investor agreement should be carefully drafted and include several key terms. The investor agreement can bring peace of mind to an investor that his or her investment interests are being protected and to the company that the investor funds will be seamlessly transferred and founder interests have been preserved.

What to Include in an Investor Agreement

An investor agreement is a contract that outlines the terms of an investment. The agreement should, of course, include the very basics, such as:

• The names and addresses of the parties
  
• The purpose of the investment
  
• The date of the investment
  
• The structure of the investment
  
• The signatures of the parties
  

The terms of the investment should be clearly laid out in the agreement.
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Starting a business is an exciting time and one filled with important decisions to make and tasks to undertake. If you have decided that establishing your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) there are certain regulations that you will need to comply with in order to successfully create a valid LLC. While there are specific procedures that you are required to follow and formalities that must be observed, an LLC is a great choice for your company because of the benefits it provides.
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Setting up shop on your own can be a daunting prospect. A sole proprietorship is a business that is owned and managed by just one person. While more than one person may be helping with business operations, the business is still owned by a single individual.
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Oftentimes, a business has valuable information that is confidential. A business may have a manufacturing process or sales technique that they wish to safeguard and protect from others outside of the company using. These are commonly referred to as “trade secrets.” 

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There are several documents that are foundational in starting a business. A shareholder agreement is one such document. The shareholder agreement essentially lays down how the business will be run.
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Austin Business Law Attorney

The successes, failures, and challenges of a business can be caused by many different things. Sometimes the core values of a business or those who own and manage the business help promote the popularity of a business. However, sometimes they cause some contention and negative publicity. 

For instance, the ever popular Atlanta-based fast food chain, Chick-fil-A, has made the news several times regarding the religious ideals held by the company founder, Baptist S. Truett Cathy, and his son, Dan Cathy.
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Selecting a business structure is one of the most important steps that an entrepreneur takes when beginning a business. Because the type of business structure chosen for the company impacts many important aspects of operating a business, many individuals and groups seek the advice of a Texas business law lawyer. An attorney can help you evaluate your company’s needs and goals to determine which business structure best meets your needs.

Why is a Business Structure Important?

The type of entity you choose for your business impacts many of your day-to-day operations. Some of the areas directly influenced by the type of business structure you choose for your company include, but are not limited to:

• The amount and type of taxes paid by the company;
• Your personal risk level;
• The ability to raise capital;
• The ease of adding additional owners or selling a portion of the company;
• The paperwork required to comply with state and federal laws;
• The number and types of owners permitted; and,
• Your ability to control future operations and decisions.
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Patents for Start-Ups

Setting up your start-up the right way with all the relevant legal protections in place is important in order for it to be successful. One type of legal protection that may be relevant to your business is patent protection. While not all start-ups need patents, in some cases, getting a patent may be the right way to secure your idea from being used by others.
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Alternative dispute resolution is any method to resolve a dispute instead of resorting to litigation. These methods tend to be more collaborative as the parties come together to work on a mutually agreeable solution. The two most common alternative dispute resolution methods are mediation and arbitration.
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Having a solid employee handbook in place is an important part of protecting your company and establishes clear expectations for your employees. In its most basic sense, the employee handbook will memorialize your company’s rules and policies on a number of critical aspects of the business and employment with the business. Your employee handbook should be distributed to all new hires and reiterated to current employees on a regular basis.
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