Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business

Table of Contents......Page 10
Introduction: How to Use This Book......Page 14
A. Four Practical Ways to Use the Forms in This Book......Page 16
B. Do You Need a Lawyer?......Page 17
1 Contract Basics......Page 20
A. Names Clause: Identifying the Parties to a Contract......Page 21
B. Signature Clause: Signing a Contract .......Page 23
C. Standard Clauses......Page 30
D. Resolving Disputes......Page 33
E. Attachments......Page 35
F. Amendments......Page 37
2 Forming Your Business......Page 42
A. Form 2A: Checklist for Starting a Small Business......Page 45
B. Form 2B: Partnership Agreement......Page 53
C. Form 2C: Pre-Incorporation Agreement......Page 59
D. Form 2D: Corporate Bylaws......Page 64
E. Form 2E: Stock Agreement......Page 68
F. Form 2F: LLC Operating Agreement for Single-Member LLC......Page 71
3 Running Your Corporation......Page 76
A. Form 3A: Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting......Page 78
B. Form 3B: Notice of Directors’ Meeting......Page 80
C. Form 3C: Shareholder Proxy......Page 82
D. Form 3D: Minutes of Shareholders’ Meeting......Page 83
E. Form 3E: Minutes of Directors’ Meeting......Page 84
F. Form 3F: Minutes of Telephone Conference Directors’ Meeting......Page 86
G. Form 3G: Consent of Shareholders......Page 88
H. Form 3H: Consent of Directors......Page 89
4 Borrowing Money......Page 92
A. Understanding Promissory Notes in General......Page 93
B. The Promissory Notes in This Chapter......Page 98
C. Form 4C: Promissory Note (Amortized Monthly or Annual Payments)......Page 99
D. Form 4D: Promissory Note (Balloon Payment)......Page 101
E. Form 4E: Promissory Note (Interest-Only Payments)......Page 103
F. Form 4F: Promissory Note (Lump-Sum Payment)......Page 105
G. Form 4G: Security Agreement for Borrowing Money......Page 106
5 Buying a Business......Page 112
A. Form 5A: Contract for Purchase of Assets From an Unincorporated Business......Page 115
B. Form 5B: Contract for Purchase of Assets From a Corporation......Page 125
D. Form 5D: Contract for Purchase of Corporate Stock......Page 128
E. Form 5E: Bill of Sale for Business Assets......Page 132
F. Form 5F: Seller’s Affidavit: No Creditors......Page 134
G. Form 5G: Security Agreement for Buying Business Assets......Page 136
6 Leasing Space......Page 140
A. Form 6A: Gross Lease......Page 142
B. Form 6B: Net Lease for Entire Building......Page 149
C. Form 6C: Net Lease for Part of Building......Page 152
D. Form 6D: Sublease......Page 157
E. Form 6E: Landlord’s Consent to Sublease......Page 162
F. Form 6F: Assignment of Lease......Page 163
G. Form 6G: Notice of Exercise of Lease Option......Page 165
H. Form 6H: Extension of Lease......Page 166
I. Form 6I: Amendment to Lease......Page 168
J. Form 6J: Attachment to Lease......Page 169
7 Purchasing Real Estate......Page 172
A. Beware of Possible Environmental Problems......Page 174
B. Form 7B: Contract to Purchase Building......Page 175
C. Form 7C: Option to Purchase Building......Page 184
D. Form 7D: Contract to Purchase Vacant Land......Page 187
E. Form 7E: Option to Purchase Vacant Land......Page 189
F. Form 7F: Attachment to Real Estate Purchase Contract......Page 191
G. Form 7G: Amendment of Real Estate Purchase Contract......Page 192
H. Form 7H: Removal of Contingency......Page 193
I. Form 7I: Extension of Time to Remove Contingencies......Page 194
J. Form 7J: Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Estate.......Page 195
8 Buying, Selling, Manufacturing......Page 196
A. Form 8A: Sales Contract (Lump-Sum Payment)......Page 197
B. Form 8B: Sales Contract (Installment Payments)......Page 202
C. Form 8C: Bill of Sale for Goods......Page 204
D. Form 8D: Security Agreement for Buying Goods.......Page 205
E. Form 8E: Contract for Manufacture of Goods......Page 207
F. Form 8F: Equipment Rental Contract......Page 209
G. Form 8G: Storage Contract......Page 211
H. Form 8H: Consignment Contract......Page 214
9 Hiring Employees and Independent Contractors......Page 216
A. Form 9A: Employment Application......Page 220
B. Form 9B: Authorization to Release Information......Page 221
C. Form 9C: Offer of Employment......Page 222
D. Form 9D: Confidentiality Agreement.......Page 223
E. Form 9E: Covenant Not to Compete......Page 225
F. Form 9F: Contract With Independent Contractor......Page 228
A How to Use the CD-ROM......Page 234
B Tear-Out Forms (Print-Only)......Page 240
Attachment to Contract......Page 244
Amendment to Contract......Page 246
Checklist for Starting a Small Business......Page 248
Partnership Agreement......Page 252
Pre-Incorporation Agreement......Page 256
Corporate Bylaws......Page 258
Stock Agreement......Page 262
LLC Operating Agreement for Single-Member LLC......Page 264
Notice of Shareholders’ Meeting......Page 266
Notice of Directors’ Meeting......Page 268
Shareholder Proxy......Page 270
Minutes of Shareholders’ Meeting......Page 272
Minutes of Directors’ Meeting......Page 274
Minutes of Telephone Conference Directors’ Meeting......Page 276
Consent of Shareholders......Page 278
Consent of Directors......Page 280
Promissory Note (Amortized Payments)......Page 282
Promissory Note (Balloon Payment)......Page 284
Promissory Note (Interest-Only Payments)......Page 286
Promissory Note (Lump-Sum Payment)......Page 288
Security Agreement for Borrowing Money......Page 290
Contract for Purchase of Assets From an Unincorporated Business......Page 294
Contract for Purchase of Assets From a Corporation......Page 300
Corporate Resolution Authorizing Sale of Assets......Page 306
Contract for Purchase of Corporate Stock......Page 308
Bill of Sale for Business Assets......Page 312
Seller’s Affidavit: No Creditors......Page 316
Security Agreement for Buying Business Assets......Page 318
Gross Lease......Page 322
Net Lease for Entire Building......Page 328
Net Lease for Part of Building......Page 332
Sublease......Page 338
Landlord’s Consent to Sublease......Page 342
Assignment of Lease......Page 344
Notice of Exercise of Lease Option......Page 346
Extension of Lease......Page 348
Amendment to Lease......Page 350
Attachment to Lease......Page 352
Contract to Purchase Building......Page 354
Option to Purchase Building......Page 358
Contract to Purchase Vacant Land......Page 362
Option to Purchase Vacant Land......Page 366
Attachment to Real Estate Purchase Contract......Page 370
Amendment of Real Estate Purchase Contract......Page 372
Removal of Contingency......Page 374
Extension of Time to Remove Contingencies......Page 376
Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Estate......Page 378
Sales Contract (Lump-Sum Payment)......Page 380
Sales Contract (Installment Payments)......Page 384
Bill of Sale for Goods......Page 388
Security Agreement for Buying Goods......Page 390
Contract for Manufacture of Goods......Page 392
Equipment Rental Contract......Page 394
Storage Contract......Page 396
Consignment Contract......Page 398
Employment Application......Page 400
Authorization to Release Information......Page 404
Offer of Employment......Page 406
Confidentiality Agreement......Page 410
Covenant Not to Compete......Page 412
Contract With Independent Contractor......Page 414
IRS Form SS-4: Application for Employer Identification Number......Page 418
IRS Form W-4: Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate......Page 420
IRS Form 2553: Election by a Small Business Corporation......Page 422
IRS Form 940-EZ......Page 424
USCIS Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification......Page 426
Index......Page 430
Related Products......Page 436