San Francisco Startup & Business Law Blog

It takes a lot of effort to attract talented individuals to join your team. To help ease the process it’s important to start by evaluating what you offer compared to your competitors. Presenting an attractive opportunity is as much about the value package you provide as it is about the work and culture.To help you think through some of these factors we’ve broken this post into two parts. Bend Law Group will discuss equity compensation, and TriNet will bring it home with a brief discussion about Medical Benefits and the importance of implementing the right “strategy” for your company.

As the saying goes: your network is your net worth. For many startups that are just starting to raise capital, friends and family are the best source of funding. However, securities laws both at the state and the federal level require a startup issuing securities to either register the offering with the SEC and the state, or find an exemption that allows the startup to complete the offering without a great deal of regulatory compliance work.

Many new business owners know that they need to collect sales tax on items that they sell, but aren’t sure if they need a Seller’s Permit or a Resale Certificate. In California, this is an important distinction because only one may be required, but using both may save you a significant amount of money.

If you are formed as a corporation, whether you are a small start-up or a larger business, you will almost certainly need to hold an annual meeting of shareholders. An annual meeting of shareholders is a statutorily required meeting to be held once a year subject to the laws of the state of incorporation.

One of the first questions to ask when starting a company is what type of entity it should be. Tax implications, potential for investment, and management structure are just a few of the many factors to consider.

With Title III equity crowdfunding finally taking effect this month it’s worthwhile to take a peek into what a startup may face in costs to execute a successful raise.

Typically, a company’s actions are guided by the need to increase profits for its shareholders. That outlook will certainly contribute to financial success and longevity, but it can significantly limit the scope of a company’s social impact.

Entrepreneurs have more options than ever to raise capital for their new business ventures. However, with an increase in options comes the difficulty of choosing the best way to fund the business.

Once a new company is registered with the California Secretary of State, the business address becomes public and easily accessible on the Secretary of State’s website. As a result, the entity will likely begin receiving solicitations from private companies trying to sell unnecessary corporate services or outright scams.

Bend Law Group has helped close dozens of seed rounds for startups raising investment capital, the vast majority of which are still completed using convertible notes. Here are the top seven provisions investors should be on the lookout for when negotiating convertible notes with startups.

Entrepreneurs can generally choose from a number of different entities when incorporating their business. Due to the fluid nature of businesses, however, the advantages and disadvantages are not always clear at the time of formation.