Legal forms for starting & running a small business

Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
Your Small Business Legal Companion
	Four Practical Ways to Use the Forms in This Book
	Do You Need a Lawyer?
1: Contract Basics
	Names Clause: Identifying the Parties to a Contract
	Signature Clause: Signing a Contract
	Standard Clauses
	Resolving Disputes
	Attachments
	Amendments
2: Forming Your Business
	Form 2A: Checklist for Starting a Small Business
	Form 2B: Partnership Agreement
	Form 2C: Preincorporation Agreement
	Form 2D: Corporate Bylaws
	Form 2E: Stock Agreement
	Form 2F: LLC Operating Agreement for Single-Member LLC
	Form 2G: LLC Membership Certificate
	Form 2H: Stock Certificate
3: Running Your Corporation
	Form 3A: Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting
	Form 3B: Notice of Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3C: Shareholder Proxy
	Form 3D: Minutes of Shareholders’ Meeting
	Form 3E: Minutes of Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3F: Minutes of Telephone Conference Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3G: Consent of Shareholders
	Form 3H: Consent of Directors
4: Borrowing Money
	Understanding Promissory Notes in General
	The Promissory Notes in This Chapter
	Form 4A: Promissory Note (Amortized Monthly or Annual Payments)
	Form 4B: Promissory Note (Balloon Payment)
	Form 4C: Promissory Note (Interest-Only Payments)
	Form 4D: Promissory Note (Lump-Sum Payment)
	Form 4E: Security Agreement for Borrowing Money
5: Buying a Business
	Form 5A: Contract for Purchase of Assets From an Unincorporated Business
	Form 5B: Contract for Purchase of Assets From a Corporation
	Form 5C: Corporate Resolution Authorizing Sale of Assets
	Form 5D: Contract for Purchase of Corporate Stock
	Form 5E: Bill of Sale for Business Assets
	Form 5F: Seller’s Affidavit—No Creditors
	Form 5G: Security Agreement for Buying Business Assets
6: Leasing Space
	Form 6A: Gross Lease
	Form 6B: Net Lease for Entire Building
	Form 6C: Net Lease for Part of Building
	Form 6D: Sublease
	Form 6E: Landlord’s Consent to Sublease
	Form 6F: Assignment of Lease
	Form 6G: Notice of Exercise of Lease Option
	Form 6H: Extension of Lease
	Form 6I: Amendment to Lease
	Form 6J: Attachment to Lease
7: Purchasing Real Estate
	Beware of Possible Environmental Problems
	Form 7A: Contract to Purchase Building
	Form 7B: Option to Purchase Building
	Form 7C: Contract to Purchase Vacant Land
	Form 7D: Option to Purchase Vacant Land
	Form 7E: Attachment to Real Estate Purchase Contract
	Form 7F: Amendment of Real Estate Purchase Contract
	Form 7G: Removal of Contingency
	Form 7H: Extension of Time to Remove Contingencies
	Form 7I: Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Estate
8: Buying, Selling, Manufacturing, Renting, and Storing Goods
	Form 8A: Sales Contract (Lump-Sum Payment)
	Form 8B: Sales Contract (Installment Payments)
	Form 8C: Bill of Sale for Goods
	Form 8D: Security Agreement for Buying Goods
	Form 8E: Contract for Manufacture of Goods
	Form 8F: Equipment Rental Contract
	Form 8G: Storage Contract
	Form 8H: Consignment Contract
9: Hiring Employees and Independent Contractors
	Form 9A: Employment Application
	Form 9B: Authorization to Release Information
	Form 9C: Offer Letter
	Form 9D: Confidentiality Agreement
	Form 9E: Covenant Not to Compete
	Form 9F: Contract With Independent Contractor
10: Extending Credit and Getting Paid
	Form 10A: Credit Application for an Individual Customer
	Form 10B: Adverse Action Letter
	Form 10C: Credit Application for a Business Customer
	Form 10D: First Collection Letter
	Form 10E: Second Collection Letter
	Form 10F: Third Collection Letter
Appendix A: How to Use the Downloadable Forms
	Editing RTFs
	List of Forms
Appendix B: Forms
	Form 1A: Attachment
	Form 1B: Amendment
	Form 2A: Checklist for Starting a Small Business
	Form 2B: Partnership Agreement
	Form 2C: Preincorporation Agreement
	Form 2D: Corporate Bylaws
	Form 2E: Stock Agreement
	Form 2F: LLC Operating Agreement for Single-Member LLC
	Form 2G: LLC Membership Certificate
	Form 2H: Stock Certificate
	Form 3A: Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting
	Notice 3B: Notice of Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3C: Shareholder Proxy
	Form 3D: Minutes of Shareholders’ Meeting
	Form 3E: Minutes of Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3F: Minutes of Telephone Conference Directors’ Meeting
	Form 3G: Consent of Shareholders
	Form 3H: Consent of Directors
	Form 4A: Promissory Note (Amortized Monthly or Annual Payments)
	Form 4B: Promissory Note (Balloon Payment)
	Form 4C: Promissory Note (Interest-Only Payments)
	Form 4D: Promissory Note (Lump-Sum Payment)
	Form 4E: Security Agreement for Borrowing Money
	Form 5A: Contract for Purchase of Assets From an Unincorporated Business
	Form 5B: Contract for Purchase of Assets From a Corporation
	Form 5C: Corporate Resolution Authorizing Sale of Assets
	Form 5D: Contract for Purchase of Corporate Stock
	Form 5E: Bill of Sale for Business Assets
	Form 5F: Seller’s Affidavit—No Creditors
	Form 5G: Security Agreement for Buying Business Assets
	Form 6A: Gross Lease
	Form 6B: Net Lease for Entire Building
	Form 6C: Net Lease for Part of Building
	Form 6D: Sublease
	Form 6E: Landlord’s Consent to Sublease
	Form 6F: Assignment of Lease
	Form 6G: Notice of Exercise of Lease Option
	Form 6H: Extension of Lease
	Form 6I: Amendment to Lease
	Form 6J: Attachment to Lease
	Form 7A: Contract to Purchase Building
	Form 7B: Option to Purchase Building
	Form 7C: Contract to Purchase Vacant Land
	Form 7D: Option to Purchase Vacant Land
	Form 7E: Attachment to Real Estate Purchase Contract
	Form 7F: Amendment of Real Estate Purchase Contract
	Form 7G: Removal of Contingency
	Form 7H: Extension of Time to Remove Contingencies
	Form 7I: Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Estate
	Form 8A: Sales Contract (Lump-Sum Payment)
	Form 8B: Sales Contract (Installment Payments)
	Form 8C: Bill of Sale for Goods
	Form 8D: Security Agreement for Buying Goods
	Form 8E: Contract for Manufacture of Goods
	Form 8F: Equipment Rental Contract
	Form 8G: Storage Contract
	Form 8H: Consignment Contract
	Form 9A: Employment Application
	Form 9B: Authorization to Release Information
	Form 9C: Offer Letter
	Form 9D: Confidentiality Agreement
	Form 9E: Covenant Not to Compete
	Form 9F: Contract With Independent Contractor
	Form 10A: Credit Application for an Individual Customer
	Form 10B: Adverse Action Letter
	Form 10C: Credit Application for a Business Customer
	Form 10D: First Collection Letter
	Form 10E: Second Collection Letter
	Form 10F: Third Collection Letter
	IRS Form SS-4: Application for Employer Identification Number
	IRS Form W-4: Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
	IRS Form 2553: Election by a Small Business Corporation
	IRS Form 940: Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return
	IRS Form 8594: Asset Acquisition Statement Under Section 1060
	USCIS Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification
Index
Book Registration and Updates
Additional Small Business Resources at Nolo.com