Trust us, we’ve seen it. Y’all come into our office to sign the incorporation papers, super excited to start this business and make lots of money and change the world. It’s the start of your empire! But we don’t have money right now but I know we have to get to it. Time flies and a few months down the road, you email saying someone is not pulling their weight, or didn’t do what they say they would. Things have changed. Uh-oh. And things are about to get super duper expensive (lawyers, valuators, accountants, arbitrators, and the list goes on and on).
If you’re going into business with someone else, because of their expertise or money (or yours), then we highly highly recommend a Shareholders’ Agreement to sort out all the “what-if’s” so that just in case things don’t work out the way you had hoped or because something in life changes (winning the lottery, death or disability of one of you or a family member) or one of you just wants to move onto something else, then there’s at least some certainty to deal with those things more smoothly.
We know that there’s never enough money or a good time to get a Shareholders’ Agreement. We were a start-up once too and we know exactly how that is. But as your company grows, the stakes get higher and that causes some people to change or just treat others differently and so you need something legal in place.
Why Choose Us to Help you with This?
Well, you can go online and Google a Shareholders’ Agreement. We really can’t stop you. But, if you’re going to be pouring the sweat and the money (and the late nights) into building a great business, then why put all of that at risk? You all agree about how things will work now, but things can change and you want to protect what you’ve worked so hard to start and grow.
Email us for our Shareholders’ Agreement workbook to dive right in!
Lawyer-Founder,
Paperclip Law
