This is our second year to host our presentations at Center 61, a great co-working space for entrepreneurs and non-profits located on Austin’s East side and close to downtown Austin. See below for presentation and registration details.

Business Law Strategies for Startups & Social Entrepreneurship

April 15, 2013: 10:00am – 11:30am  Successful startup businesses and social entrepreneurs are shifting the paradigm to use business law tools to inspire trust, brand development, successful business operations, and secure business relationships. Find out how you can, too. Registration is FREE but there are limited seats available – Sign Up Here!

Jump Start Your Business Startup Strategy

April 22, 2013: 11:00am – 12:00am  Launching a business startup or social enterprise often involves an overwhelming amount of organizing and planning. This presentation will get you started with a roadmap for the business law preparations necessary for business formation, funding, contracts, and intellectual property development. Register Here!

Attendee participation is what makes these presentations most engaging and informative, so please come to both presentations prepared to ask questions and get involved in the conversation. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Both of these types of power of attorney provide for peace of mind, a complete estate plan, and helps loved ones take better care of you in the future. A Texas estate planning attorney can help you prepare effective powers of attorney as part of an estate planning package.

Financial Power of Attorney Estate Planning

A financial power of attorney or power of attorney over property allows a person that you appoint to handle all of your financial affairs.  A financial power of attorney is critical if you become mentally incapacitated because Texas law prevents an incapacitated person from entering contracts, buying or selling a home, etc.  Thus, a financial power of attorney is especially important for business owner estate planning.  With a financial power of attorney, your loved ones can handle your bank accounts, enter into contracts on your behalf, deal with your assets, and use your finances to provide for your care.

Durable Power of Attorney Over Person Estate Planning

A durable power of attorney over person is different from a financial power of attorney because a durable power of attorney over person does not give authority to manage your assets and finances.  Instead, a durable power of attorney over person allows a person you appoint to make decisions relating to your living situation and matters that affect your life.  For example, a daughter with a durable power of attorney over person for her father would be able to admit the father into a nursing facility.  Thus, a durable power of attorney over person is a very important estate planning tool for your physical care and living arrangements.

Without a financial power of attorney or durable power of attorney over person, your loved ones may have to go to court and spend lots of time and money just to have the right to take care of you.  Make it easier for your family and yourself with proper estate planning.  Our Austin business law firm regularly advises clients in estate planning, and we would be pleased to speak with you.  

Call a Texas Attorney for a Free Phone Consultation

512-651-3930

Many small business owners make contract negotiation mistakes when bargaining for services with independent contractors because they are focused only on price and the product. In addition to purchasing the actual service or product, you are also negotiating the production process, the payment structure, and other important aspects of the business relationship. A Texas business lawyer or contract attorney can help you draft and negotiate business agreements that will achieve your goals, protect your interest, and incentivize cooperation between the parties.

Negotiating Independent Contractor Agreements

When negotiating independent contractor agreements, it’s important to look beyond the present. Whether you will need the independent contractor’s services for maintenance or future service should influence your contract negotiation strategy. Thinking about your independent contractor agreement as the beginning of a relationship (instead of just a single transaction) can be a good approach in many cases. It’s also helpful to get a business lawyer’s advice and to keep these principles in mind during contract negotiation:

Low Bidder. Think twice before hiring the lowest bidder. Price should not be the main driver of contract negotiation. Think about future service, maintenance, warranties, credibility, the independent contractor’s business networks, payment options, and other value-add options. Also, remember that industry competitors talk among themselves about prospective clients. If you develop a reputation as a business with no loyalty to vendors, and a business that only cares about the lowest price, your strategy may backfire on you.

Due Diligence. Fully investigate the independent contractor. Do you know where the independent contractor’s materials and labor are coming from? Have you seen their service contracts with the individuals or organizations that provide services that could impact your project? Is there counter-party risk? Risks and problems that the independent contractor encounters can bring your project to a halt. A business lawyer can help you identify these risks, as well as draft and negotiate contracts to protect you.

Discounts and Spec Work. Don’t pressure the independent contractor for discounts. If you bargain for price cuts at the beginning of the relationship, an independent contractor is likely to cut corners and under-serve your needs thereafter. Also, if you are hiring a graphic artist, web developer, or other design professional, don’t ask for free “spec work.” You should be able to make a decision about whether a design professional is appropriate for you based on their portfolio of past work. Asking for free spec work tells the contractor that 1) you’re not confident in their ability based on their portfolio, and 2) you don’t value their time. Pay a fair price for fair work.

Contract negotiation with independent contractors is an important part of running a successful business. Our Austin business law firm regularly advises clients in all types of business contract agreements. Call us today to find out how we may assist your contract negotiation.

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512-651-3930

To maximize IT company business valuation for investment, business growth, business financing, selling a company, etc., your business should focus on building two types of value: intrinsic value and strategic value.

Intrinsic Value vs Strategic Value

Intrinsic value is a “sum of the parts” approach to the business valuation of an IT company or technology business’ assets, including equipment, intellectual property rights, revenue streams for products, services (ie, software as a service (SaaS)) or other revenue from intellectual property licensing. It might also include the company’s credit and ability to raise business financing or investment with intellectual property or other IT company or technology business assets. Intrinsic value is similar to liquidation value when selling a company.

Strategic value is a business valuation approach that adds a premium for intangible business assets, including the market advantages of an IT company or technology business, strategic partnerships and industry position, marketing and brand value, relationships with customers and vendors, and the structure of your business organization, its business contracts, skilled employees, and operations. When selling a company, the premium paid for some of the intangible business assets held by an IT company or technology business is attributable to goodwill and strategic value.

Business Law Strategy to Maximize Business Value

Focus on several business law principles can maximize intrinsic value and strategic value growth simultaneously:

• Business Organization: Company Formation for business tax efficiency; Business entity organization and growth with asset protection structures; Protection for shareholders in business partnership disputes; Investment agreements that provide security for your business financing.

• Business Contracts & Agreements: Designing business contracts for financial security and asset protection; Building collateral for investment capital and business financing: Hedging risks with insurance; Protecting intellectual property rights in IP licensing agreements, proprietary information and invention assignments (PIIA), employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, non-compete agreements, etc.

• Unlocking Intellectual Property Value: Developing intellectual property via a defined marketing, sales and licensing strategy; Structuring intellectual property into discrete units; Salvaging and repurposing abandoned intellectual property; Discontinuing underperforming “pet units.”

• Business Agility & Exit Strategy: Building an IT company or technology business that fully leverages its assets; Growing with a modular design for asset protection and business agility to emphasize fast iteration and revenue cycles; Structuring your tech business for efficiency in the process of selling a business, business succession planning, and other exit strategies.

Building a successful IT company or technology startup, selling a company, and pursuing other exit strategies requires careful business planning and precise execution. Our Austin Business Law Firm regularly advises IT company and technology business clients. Contact us today to engage a business attorney that will be a strategic partner committed to your success.

Call a Texas Business Attorney, Free Consultation!
512-651-3930

Small business owners often think about business expansion and growth in terms of increasing customers, product and service lines, or overall volume. Yet for many business ventures, increasing revenue and value growth is the result of improving your business planning to derive more value from your existing resources.

Small Business Formation Strategy

Some of the most important factors involved in growing a business are decisions you make when starting a business. Early stage business planning has a long-term impact on the trajectory of your company, and there are a number of important legal and business strategies for you to consider, including:

• Company Formation Structured for Business Tax Advantages
• Limited Liability to Protect Personal Assets
• Protecting Intellectual Property Rights
• Damage Control in Partnership Disputes & Employment Law Matters
• Risk Management in Business Contracts & Breach of Contract
• Modular Business Organization for Asset Protection and Exit Strategy
• Business Agility for Investment, Financing & Exit Strategy

Strategies for Expanding a Small Business

Expanding a business is often the make-or-break for small business owners. This stage is a true test of your company formation, business organization and operations, business strategy, and the execution of leadership and decision making. To maximize value growth while expanding a business, consider how you will tackle these questions:

•How will you create more revenue from your existing customers?
•How will you identify and eradicate areas where you are losing value?
•How will you increase efficiency and bargaining power by expanding a business?
•What’s your business strategy to penetrate new markets?
• How must you change your business organization, management, and business strategies to serve new markets, larger volumes, or new products and services?
• How can your small business renegotiate contracts or to create economies of scale?
• How can you forge strategic partnerships while expanding a business?

Building and expanding a small business goes hand-in-hand with the need for better management and employment policies, improved business contracts, implementation of useful technologies, and expertise from outside consultants. Our Austin business law firm provides comprehensive business law and corporate attorney services to overcome small business challenges.

Call an Austin Attorney, Free Phone Consultation!

512-651-3930