No, don’t waste your time. It will be counterproductive and slow down your fundraising. And many investors will refuse anyway. It’s hard enough to get a meeting with an investor -- don’t put another roadblock in the way. For the most part, it’s not the idea that is important, it’s the implementation of the idea and the entrepreneurs behind it.

Whatever amount get you funded. Don’t try to over-optimize on ownership. Get cash to grow your business and make your investors happy as well.

15-20%. Standard vesting for options is 4 years, with a one-year “cliff vesting” and monthly vesting after that. “Cliff vesting” in this context means the employee must be employed by the company for a minimum of one year before the employee earns any of the options.

Any of the following:

• Get a ton of traction in the marketplace
• Have a world-class management team
• Have meaningful growing revenues
• Have truly innovative technology with a big market opportunity
• Get a personal introduction to one of the VC firm partners from a respected colleague

This is difficult. First brainstorm with a bunch of different names. Then do a Google search to see what is already taken, and that will eliminate 95% of your choices. Make it easy to spell. Make it interesting. Don’t pick a nonsensical name where people won’t have a clue as to what you do (with all due consideration to names like “Google,” “Yahoo,” and the like). Do a trademark/tradename search on the name. Then make sure you can get the domain name.

The answers are:

• Shortage of capital and cash flow
• Having a good business plan
• Coming up with a great product or service
• Sticking to it
• Working more than you expected
• Getting through the frustrations of being constantly rejected by customers
• Hiring good employees
• Knowing when to fire bad employees
• Having to wear so many hats
• Managing your time
• Maintaining some kind of work/life balance

Corporate income taxes raise the cost of capital firms must pay when investing. A higher corporate tax translates into less investment and capital formation. Lower capital formation means that workers have less capital to work with, which lowers their productivity. Lower labor productivity translates into lower real wages and living standards.

One factor that affects capital formation is differences in the cost of capital between nations. In today’s global marketplace, capital increasingly flows freely across borders. When a country lowers corporate taxes, it attracts capital.

Recent research has focused on the lower corporate tax rates enacted by OECD nations over the past two decades to explore the link between corporate taxes and wages. This research has found that wage rates have gone up the most in countries with the largest reduction in corporate taxes. This finding is important because is tells a story whereby the corporate tax is borne by workers, through lower real wages, rather than by owners of capital. The intuition is simple: a tax will generally be borne by the input that is the least mobile. In today’s world economy, capital flows freely across borders, while labor does. Thus, the corporate tax lowers workers’ real wages relative to where they would be set otherwise.

In a world of greater economic integration and increased trade and capital flows, a firm’s decision about where to locate and expand its operations is increasingly influenced by factors such as a country’s business tax system and investment climate. In the past, U.S. levels of education and training provided distinct advantages to the United States. As emerging countries begin to approach U.S. levels of education and training, other imbalances, such as a business tax system that is out of line with other nations, become more important.

By standing still, the United States can expect to see reduced inflows of foreign capital and investment because the United States will be a less attractive place in which to invest, innovate and grow. U.S. firms will face a higher cost of capital than foreign firms, making it more difficult to compete in foreign markets.

Taxes also influence the level and location of investment decisions made by foreign firms. Research has suggested that a 10 percent increase in taxes reduces a country’s inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) by 6 percent. One might expect multinationals’ location decisions to be similarly sensitive to tax rates, but the economic literature on that issue is mixed.

A more disturbing possibility emerges as the disparity grows between corporate taxation in the United States and its trading partners: a slower pace of innovation in the United States. A key determinant of economic growth, innovation tends to take place where the investment climate is best. Firms and their workers reap no benefits from technological advances until they’re brought into production. For example, new technologies are often “embedded” in new types of capital; an important innovation such as a faster computer chip does not confer any benefit on firms until they purchase new computers. Higher investment spurs innovation by raising the demand for these new technologies. This interplay between innovation and capital accumulation makes failure to reform the U.S. business tax system more damaging to the economy. As the U.S. corporate tax becomes ever more burdensome, the United States may fall behind in innovation and productive capacity.

What are the potential economic benefits of reform? The recent Treasury report, *Approaches to Reform of the U.S. Business Tax System for the 21st Century*, found that wholesale replacement of the U.S. corporate income tax with a consumption-based tax would increase economic output by between 2.0 percent and 2.5 percent in the long run.

Importantly, because this estimate does not fully capture the positive effects of free-flowing capital in a global setting or technological change, it is likely to be a conservative estimate of the potential benefits of reforming the U.S. business tax system.

Reform should focus on the entire U.S. business tax system. One key problem with the U.S. business tax system is that the U.S. statutory corporate tax rate is high relative to other industrialized nations, exceeded only by Japan. But, this comparison only tells part of the story.

Another problem is that that the effective marginal tax rate on investment, a measure which captures most of the features of a tax system— the corporate tax rate, the tax depreciation systems, tax treatment of debt, investor level taxes, etc.—is also somewhat higher in the U.S. as compared with G-7 countries. This more complete measure suggests there are broader aspects of the tax system that need to be considered as part of a reform. Also, in some respects, the comparison to the G-7 may be more important from an economic perspective because the U.S. has very large capital and trade flows with these larger economies.

Finally, what drives the average corporate rate in the United States below the average for the OECD or the G-7 is that the U.S. corporate tax base tends to be more narrow than in these other countries. Two types of provisions explain the more narrow U.S. corporate tax base. First, the United States provides accelerated depreciation for business investment. According to a recent Treasury report, *Approaches to Reform of the U.S. Business Tax System for the 21st Century* accelerated deprecation accounts for roughly one-half of the more narrow tax base. Importantly, accelerated depreciation helps mimic an important aspect of the consumption-based VATs prevalent in other countries: removing the tax penalty on saving and investment.

Second, the U.S. tax base includes myriad special tax provisions from the research and experimentation tax credit to the new markets tax credit that are targeted to specific types of projects and corporate activities. While these provisions lower the average corporate tax rate, they only do so only for firms engaged in these particular activities. Because of these targeted provisions, other taxpayers must face higher taxes to raise a given amount of revenue.

More than 120 countries around the world have value-added taxes (VATs). Most countries with VATs have also retained their income tax systems, in part, to address concerns over the regressivity of VAT systems and, in part, to finance government sectors that tend to be larger than in the United States. VATs also have the advantage of being more conducive to economic growth by, unlike the income tax, not imposing a penalty on saving.

An often underappreciated feature of the U.S. income tax system is that it shares, to some degree, a key aspect of VATs: a lower tax on the return to saving and investment. Tax-free saving accounts (e.g., IRAs, 401(k)-type plans, pension plans, etc) eliminate or reduce investor level taxes on the return to saving and accelerated depreciation for business investment lowers the effective tax rate on business investment. Indeed, the U.S. income tax is not an income tax at all, but a hybrid income-consumption-based tax system.

The key to making the United States more competitive in the global marketplace is making the U.S. a more attractive place to invest. This can be accomplished through various types of reforms, such as allowing faster write-off of business investment, which also makes the U.S. tax system more VAT-like, or lowering the corporate tax rate. Thus, some types of business tax reforms that would help improve the competitiveness of the United States are also consistent with the trend elsewhere of increasing the emphasis on consumption-based taxes.

The fact that in the past twenty years the United States has gone from a high tax rate to a low tax rate country is emblematic of the challenges the United States faces in an increasingly global marketplace. The U.S. business tax system was developed at a time when the United States was the primary source of capital investment and dominated world economic markets. Now, the United States’ position of economic preeminence is increasingly being challenged. The United States is now a net recipient of foreign investment rather than the largest source.

There are a number of approaches to reform of the business tax system that would make the United States more competitive in the global marketplace. Reducing the cost of capital for business investment is crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of the United States. This can be accomplished through a combination of lowering the corporate tax rate, allowing faster write-off of business investment, and keeping investor-level taxes on returns low.

The standard answer to this is Delaware because of its well-developed corporate law. My answer is that it should be the state where the business is located, as this will save you some fees and complexities. You can always reincorporate later in Delaware.

As much as you can reasonably afford, and in an amount to at least carry you for 6-9 months with no income. What you will find is that it always takes you longer to get revenues and that you will experience more expenses than you anticipated.

A business that

• You are passionate about
• Doesn’t take a kazillion dollars to fund
• Has the potential to grow into something big in a reasonable time frame
• You have some experience in (avoiding the problem of “you don’t know what you don’t know”)
• You would enjoy doing (don’t build a business that you will dread going to every day)
• One that can cause meaningful improvement in users’ lives

There are many variables that decide what amount of time the SBA cycle requires. Business type, finding a location, lender underwriter time, are for the most part factors that will play into the general timeline. It is likewise intensely subject to your capacity to finish the prerequisites and documentation for the bank. Most new companies by and large require 90-120 days and most existing organizations take around 90 days, however these courses of events can be a lot quicker or much slower depending on the variables we called out above.

As a rule, the appropriate response is yes! On the off chance that you intend to utilize a Rollover for Business Startup (ROBS) as your Equity Injection, you will need to check that the bank you are working with has a decent comprehension of the ROBS structure. Your ROBS supplier can generally help in this training system. If you would prefer not to utilize ROBS, taking a dispersion or conceivably even a 401(k) loan may likewise be a choice, however you should factor in taxes and debt obligations.

The SBA least is 640, however most lenders like to see FICO ratings closer to 690+. More so than simply your score, loan specialists are keen on your record and current debt obligations. High measures of credit card obligation or ongoing late installments are things that lenders will factor into their loaning choice. Past liquidation, foreclosure, or short sales are likewise all things that lenders will need to be revealed alongside a clarification letter to assist with understanding the conditions.

Indeed, a business loan is one of the necessary records for a SBA advance application. It is an incredible exercise for you as a business owner just as the most supportive instrument for a lender while assessing your loan application.

Obviously, every property is special and leases can vary dependent on the kind of space: clinical, retail, office, and so forth. Typical leases run 2 to 5 years.

On the off chance that you own a business that has been essential for the local area for a long time, then, at that point, your purchaser might need the structure and business left unblemished when the deal closes. You additionally don't have a clue what kinds of changes your purchaser might need to make after they buy your property. You can do fundamental tidy up and fix the things that are broken, yet it is most likely not a smart thought to do any major renovating to your business property before selling it.

From a commercial real estate point of view, the letter of intent portrays what the provisions of the land exchange are. The letter of intent is utilized to permit two parties (the property seller and the property purchaser) to concur on all terms of the proposed bargain.

Commonly letters of intent are NOT legally binding. In any case, read all that you sign!

As a rule, a broker (who is regularly essential for a bigger firm, called the brokerage) is expected to permit potential purchasers admittance to see the property. While it's anything but a severe prerequisite for a purchaser to see properties, they will most likely be unable to get similar degrees of admittance to the property without them.
A purchaser could decide to see properties on the web, which doesn't need a broker. There might be trouble in discovering a portion of the properties on the web, nonetheless, and you will not have as detailed information as a broker can get.
Then again, you could decide to converse with a seller straightforwardly to access extra information or to be conceded admittance to enter the actual structure. While this is plausible, not all seller will be accessible on occasion that are helpful for you, or may decide to just allow buyers to visit through their broker

Commercial real estate taxes can change definitely dependent on a wide range of factors. It's impractical to give precise, definite information in a FAQ as the appropriate response will rely upon you, the property, and the area the property is in.
As a rule, governments require business and land owners to finish up tax documents that will give them information about the pay and worth of your property. The factors that sway the measure of taxes you should pay for your commercial real estate can incorporate the following: income generated from the property, costs of the property, area of the property, and more.

For business loaning purposes, an assignment of leases allots the indebted person's privileges, as landowner under a rent or rents, to the leaser for the assortment of lease as extra security for an obligation or other commitment. The assignment awards to the leaser a security premium in the lease stream from any leases influencing a property, a significant wellspring of money to pay the note if there should be an occurrence of the borrower's default. Assignment of leases are normally expressed to be available and outright exchanges of the assignor's privileges under the leases, and the bank then, at that point, concedes the account holder a permit to gather leases and keep on working as though its were the property manager under a rent until such time as an occasion of default has happened. In case of default, the bank can end the permit and step into the shoes of the borrower, as the landowner under the leases. The lender would then continue to gather lease and in any case implement the landowner's privileges under the leases, for the most part without a long court fight.

A real estate broker is an expert, yet the person isn't really an attorney. This frequently implies that the focal point of an attorney and a broker will vary significantly. On one hand, the broker is centered around arranging and speeding up the exchange. They are likewise, generally, possibly remunerated when the deal closes. This implies that they are inspired to push an arrangement forward and some won't worry about potential issues or issues identified with the details of the agreement that won't turn into an issue until in the wake of shutting. On the other hand, a legal attorney ponders the moment subtleties of the agreement and how certain terms and parts of the agreement can bring about issues and issues. Lawful survey of the agreement for possible issues and issues might appear as though a tedious extra advance, yet forestalling issues is cost-effective

As with any agreement or other authoritative archive, it's a smart thought to have your lawyer review the lease before you sign it.

No, the lease is non-cancelable. You might return the equipment after all the lease installments have been made or pay your lease out ahead of schedule.

Ordinarily, terms are 12, 18, 24, or 36, 48 and 60 months.

Be extremely cautious with regards to update programs that shield you from obsolescence! As a rule the remaining outstanding balance of your original equipment is moved into the new equipment cost.
We recommend you buy top quality in the first place and match the term with the life expected of the equipment.

By and large, insurance is required on each lease more than $10,000. Most business insurance likewise covers equipment leases. In the event that you don't have business insurance, you should demand optional insurance coverage on your application.

Leasing is an entirely reasonable alternative with regards to equipment acquisitions. Your monthly scheduled installment is dictated by the options you pick and can be custom-made to accommodate your income needs.

Indeed, in the event that you wish to put cash down as an expense decrease far beyond your advanced rentals.
This can diminish your regularly scheduled installment as well as term. It can likewise be useful for a situation where the credit isn't so strong.

A normal lease would need initial installments of the first and last installments of the rent term upfront. Different choices are accessible upon demand.

At the point when your shipment shows up, you will be contacted to guarantee that you get precisely what you have requested and in legitimate condition. After your initial receipt of the equipment, your vendor will work with you to troubleshoot issues or replace equipment as characterized in your warranty. As the lessee, you will get the advantages of all "purchaser" warranty, as well as the obligation for maintenance.

Yes, you can

Our partner provides full-service HR solutions include access to benefit options, technology platforms, online payroll services, risk mitigation, and HR consulting expertise.

Online payroll services include payroll processing with direct deposit and debit, plus they make it easy to go paperless with e-pay stubs and electronic W-2 preparation and delivery. You can also view estimated invoices, which are automatically updated as you add employees and make other changes. Their self-service platform also allows you to track paid time off.

By leveraging the collective strength of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, our partners are able to deliver access to premium-level benefits that include health, dental, vision, and 401(k) plans. Access to employee benefit plans goes beyond robust health and retirement coverage to include benefits such as critical accident and illness policies, auto and home policies, and commuter benefits. Our partner also helps you navigate benefits compliance requirements including ACA, COBRA, disability, and state filings.

Yes, employees can have HR essentials at their fingertips. With both Android and iOS support, all employees have access to the platform from the palm of their hands.

• Money: View paycheck detailed summaries. Access important tax information and W-2 forms.
• Time off:See available time off balance and history. Request, schedule, and approve time off.
• Benefits:Check elections including carriers and group policy numbers.
• Security:Protect information with multi-step authentication.
• Company information:Access company contact details.

There is a flat fee per-employee-per-month (PEPM) basis, so your costs are predictable. Prices can vary by region, industry, company size, and scope of services.

Human resources outsourcing involves hiring a company to help manage certain functions like administration of benefits, payroll services, and strategic HR. It can also include strategic services like talent retention, compliance, and risk mitigation.

In a co-employment relationship, a PEO and its clients allocate certain employer responsibilities relating to the employees the client brings into the relationship. Typically, the PEO and client responsibilities are expressly described in a service agreement between the PEO and the client. The business owner remains in complete control of the day-to-day activities and direction of the company.

The advantages of teaming up with a PEO include access to robust benefits, mitigating employment-related risk, reduced costs associated with running an HR team, and added time to focus on your business.

A PEO delivers services to its customers through a shared tax ID; this model is referred to as a “co-employer” or “co-employment” relationship. Companies working with PEOs retain complete control over operations, workforce management, building company culture, and defining the employment brand.
The service provided by an ASO does not establish a co-employment relationship. The ASO does not process payroll and remit and report taxes under its own FEIN, nor can it provide access to benefits as a sponsor of a benefits plan. The client company remains the sole sponsor when working with an ASO.