Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Digg it UP - Keeping Your Corporation Healthy: Why Not to Avoid Your Next Legal Checkup
Have you ever wondered why candy bar fundraisers always seem so popular? It is because Americans love to eat chocolate. Billions of pounds of candy bars are consumed each year in America so why not employee Americas obsession with candy in your next fundraiser.Candy bar fundraisers can be either direct selling fundraisers or indirect selling fundraisers. You can even customize your fundraiser and employ both direct and indirect selling techniques.Direct selling candy bar fundraisers requires lots of people to help sell your candy bars. You can customize your candy wrappers to advertise your fundraiser and help promote your cause or organization. You can also reach large numbers of people because each of your volunteers can go out and make contact with all of there friends and neighbors.Indirect selling as a method of fundraising does not requires as many volunteer
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record boo
Event Marketing – Ever see those plaza store events, like when a new Harry Potter book is released? All the stores get together and celebrate the launch of the book in different ways. Obviously there’s the bookstore release, but the local video and game rental store gets in the act. So does the family restaurant, ice-cream vendor, and arcade. Even the dry cleaning store can get involved and pump up their business, if they stick to a common theme. And this is all announced ahead of time (with appropriate press releases, etc.) so people coming down know what to expect. “Oh, great, we can get the book for little Sally, I can drop off my suit at the cleaners, my wife can go to the apparel store. What a great time this will be for the whole family!”Start a Talk Show – If you have regular content to deliver that your target market wants, your own local talk show may be another avenue to c
Don’t let my bad dental health mirror the legal health of your corporation. Often times officers of a corporation will avoid legal help at all costs, until it is too late. Then they miss filing dates, acquire late fees and penalties, and have a corporation that appears as unorganized and decaying as a row of rotting teeth.
So how can you avoid this scenario? You can steer clear of an unorganized and penalized corporation by getting regular legal check-ups. Basically this means having your records examined by an experienced corporate lawyer. But if this still is as agonizing to you as getting your teeth pulled you can simply follow the steps below in order to perform a do-it-yourself check up on the health of your corporation.
1. Organize
Gather and organize your corporation’s articles of incorporation, bylaws, actions of incorporator, meeting minutes, statement by domestic stock corporation, record of shareholders and securities filings. Do you have all of these documents? If the answer is “no,” then the do-it-yourself check up is probably not right for your corporation. If the answer is “yes,” then good for you, and continue on. These documents should be kept organized year-round since the shareholders have a right to look at these documents at any time. Think of it like flossing—it’s a pain to do everyday, but the benefits are great.
2. Go Over Each Section Carefully
Just like brushing your teeth, you should go over each section of your documents carefully and slowly. Rushing through your do-it-yourself check up means missed diagnoses. Start with your articles of incorporation and work your way to securities filings.
Articles of Incorporation:
Every corporation is formed when articles of incorporation are filed by the Secretary of State. Once filed, a certified copy is returned to the corporation. This certified copy should have a front-page standing in your record book, as it is the most important document in your records. Article amendments should also be included here.
Bylaws:
The bylaws of your corporation should be referred to by employees often, so they come next in your record book. Because the bylaws are the laws that govern the conduct of your corporation, employees and shareholders often look here for information on directors, officers, elections and meetings.
The bylaws section of your records is the first place that you might run into an unhealthy legal state. Many corporations overlook the California law that caps the number of corporate directors. This is a complicated law that has many exceptions. For example, if the corporation has one shareholder, it may have one or two directors. But, if the corporation has two shareholders it may have two directors. Examine whether or not your amount of shareholders has increased since incorporation. You may need to consult a lawyer to amend your bylaws.
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record boo
Is a Leather Office Chair really your best choice of Office Chair? A lot of Office Chair users, particularly males believe that a Leather Office Chair is the best chair there is.Why is this? I think it's largely an image thing, if you see a top executive's office on TV, in the movies or in the news a very high percentage have Leather Office Chairs.Not surprisingly therefore people tend to have this belief that a Leather Office Chair has got to be the best choice because that's what all the top guns have.Nonetheless, there are certain drawbacks with Leather Office Chairs that you need to be mindful of before you rush out and buy one.First, there are some truly appalling office chairs that are upholstered in leather and people become blinded by the thought that it must be a quality chair because its in leather. Nothing could be further from the truth, there are an
1. Organize
Gather and organize your corporation’s articles of incorporation, bylaws, actions of incorporator, meeting minutes, statement by domestic stock corporation, record of shareholders and securities filings. Do you have all of these documents? If the answer is “no,” then the do-it-yourself check up is probably not right for your corporation. If the answer is “yes,” then good for you, and continue on. These documents should be kept organized year-round since the shareholders have a right to look at these documents at any time. Think of it like flossing—it’s a pain to do everyday, but the benefits are great.
2. Go Over Each Section Carefully
Just like brushing your teeth, you should go over each section of your documents carefully and slowly. Rushing through your do-it-yourself check up means missed diagnoses. Start with your articles of incorporation and work your way to securities filings.
Articles of Incorporation:
Every corporation is formed when articles of incorporation are filed by the Secretary of State. Once filed, a certified copy is returned to the corporation. This certified copy should have a front-page standing in your record book, as it is the most important document in your records. Article amendments should also be included here.
Bylaws:
The bylaws of your corporation should be referred to by employees often, so they come next in your record book. Because the bylaws are the laws that govern the conduct of your corporation, employees and shareholders often look here for information on directors, officers, elections and meetings.
The bylaws section of your records is the first place that you might run into an unhealthy legal state. Many corporations overlook the California law that caps the number of corporate directors. This is a complicated law that has many exceptions. For example, if the corporation has one shareholder, it may have one or two directors. But, if the corporation has two shareholders it may have two directors. Examine whether or not your amount of shareholders has increased since incorporation. You may need to consult a lawyer to amend your bylaws.
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record boo
The other day I was driving my wife to the super Wal-Mart that she likes to visit. On the way I said, "Let me show you a short cut that will cut off about 2 miles and maybe 5 or 6 minutes of driving time each way."I then proceeded to turn down this obscure road and in just a few seconds we re-entered the main road. We had indeed cut off about 2 miles of driving. My wife said, "Do you just drive around looking for strange roads and follow them to see where they go." "No", I said, "But I do pay attention to road signs and when I see two that appear to be the same road, I will make an educated assumption that the road will lead to the same place where I saw the other sign."Business is much like this. We must keep our eyes open and look for the relationship between signs. When we see them we can feel reasonably sure that the two are connected. By looking for these short c
2. Go Over Each Section Carefully
Just like brushing your teeth, you should go over each section of your documents carefully and slowly. Rushing through your do-it-yourself check up means missed diagnoses. Start with your articles of incorporation and work your way to securities filings.
Articles of Incorporation:
Every corporation is formed when articles of incorporation are filed by the Secretary of State. Once filed, a certified copy is returned to the corporation. This certified copy should have a front-page standing in your record book, as it is the most important document in your records. Article amendments should also be included here.
Bylaws:
The bylaws of your corporation should be referred to by employees often, so they come next in your record book. Because the bylaws are the laws that govern the conduct of your corporation, employees and shareholders often look here for information on directors, officers, elections and meetings.
The bylaws section of your records is the first place that you might run into an unhealthy legal state. Many corporations overlook the California law that caps the number of corporate directors. This is a complicated law that has many exceptions. For example, if the corporation has one shareholder, it may have one or two directors. But, if the corporation has two shareholders it may have two directors. Examine whether or not your amount of shareholders has increased since incorporation. You may need to consult a lawyer to amend your bylaws.
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record boo
Which is a better way to do marketing? Using direct-mail advertising or concentrating on word-of-mouth advertising to spread the word? Well, for word-of-mouth advertising to truly work you must first have customers who are completely satisfied with the product or service and believe they were given excellent customer service in the process of their purchasing. Then those happy customers will go tell other people about your great business and service creating the word-of-mouth advertising.With direct-mail marketing advertising you concentrate on those customers who have not heard about your services or products yet. You send them something in the mail enticing them and propelling them to come in to your store and make a purchase.You can therefore see that you need to do first things first. First you need to get customers in the door using direct-mail advertising and then
The bylaws of your corporation should be referred to by employees often, so they come next in your record book. Because the bylaws are the laws that govern the conduct of your corporation, employees and shareholders often look here for information on directors, officers, elections and meetings.
The bylaws section of your records is the first place that you might run into an unhealthy legal state. Many corporations overlook the California law that caps the number of corporate directors. This is a complicated law that has many exceptions. For example, if the corporation has one shareholder, it may have one or two directors. But, if the corporation has two shareholders it may have two directors. Examine whether or not your amount of shareholders has increased since incorporation. You may need to consult a lawyer to amend your bylaws.
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record boo
Apart from being the fastest, easiest, and most profitable strategy for attracting clients and boosting profits in any small business, there are so many other advantages of joint venture marketing for all parties involved. So, why aren’t all small business owners implementing joint ventures?Here’s a partial list of the most common mistaken beliefs about joint venture marketing. I’ve picked the top five to shorten your reading time, but you can listen to more mistaken beliefs when you tune in to hear me being interviewed by Doug Hudiburg at http://tinyurl.com/cov4d.Mistaken Belief #1: That There’s A High Risk Of Losing Money.If you’re like most small business owners, then the fear of losing money is inevitable because you’re probably on a shoestring budget to start with. However, you can’t lose money when you’re paying for results only. You only pay out a commission
Statement By Domestic Stock Corporation:
After filing your articles of incorporation, you have 90 days to file a statement by domestic stock corporation. If your corporation was formed after the year 2000, then you should have biennial records of your filings (before 2000 filings should be recorded annually). Keep you records of these filings, plus all amended statements due to information changes. Failure keep up with your filings will result in a $250 fee and suspension of your corporation. This is an office visit you don’t want to forget!
Actions By Incorporator(s):
After the articles of incorporation are filed by an incorporator, he or she generally adopts the bylaws and appoints the directors. This should be documented and placed before the meeting minutes in your record book.
Meeting Minutes:
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this is where your corporation’s health usually deteriorates. When looking at your minutes records are there large gaps of time like looking into a mouth full of missing teeth? It is easy to not record the minutes of your meetings, or to lose those minutes in the hustle and bustle of a busy office. It is also easy to forget your dentist appointment. Neither one is okay.
The meeting minutes should appear as an unbroken history. All business activities should be documented. The history should begin with important actions taken by directors regarding incorporation. The beginning of your history should include:
1. Electing officers
2. Adopting Bylaws
3. Appointing a permanent agent for service of process
4. Approving the form of share certificates
5. Establishing the office location
6. Statement of intent to qualify stock for treatment under the IRS code section 1244
7. Adopting employment agreements
8. Establishing a banking relationship
The rest of your history should include every meeting, as outlined in the bylaws. Extra care should be taken to properly document all important decisions like insider transactions and all meeting votes.
Record of Shareholders:
This is another section that can get legally interesting. All shareholders are entitled to a share certificate and the corporation must keep records of the certificates issued. Where this becomes a headache that could vie with any toothache, is that it is California law to keep up-to-date records of these certificates.
Each record should include the shareholder’s name, address, and the number and class of shares held. The most important thing to remember is that the number of shareholders must never exceed the amount authorized in the articles. If you notice this serious violation, then it is time for you to contact an attorney experienced in corporate matters.
Securities Filings:
The last thing that needs to be in your records to keep up with your legal health is your securities filings. A notice of transaction must be filed with the California Department of Corporations for each issue of shares. Therefore there should be a section in your records that covers share issuance and transfers as they are regulated by state and federal law. If your corporation has qualified for an exemption, the exemption notices go here. Don’t forget, that even for exemptions, you must file every time a share is issued.
***After the securities filings you should have all other documents that pertain to the actions of your corporation, such as seller’s permits, D.B.A.s, employer identification numbers, etc.
So now you are at the end of your do-it-yourself check up. How did you do? Is your corporation in need of a major root canal, or is it shining like the glow of freshly cleaned teeth? If you are anything short of a bright white smile, we are here to help.
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.diggitup.net/article/40984/diggitup-Keeping-Your-Corporation-Healthy-Why-Not-to-Avoid-Your-Next-Legal-Checkup.html">Keeping Your Corporation Healthy: Why Not to Avoid Your Next Legal Checkup</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.diggitup.net/article/40984/diggitup-Keeping-Your-Corporation-Healthy-Why-Not-to-Avoid-Your-Next-Legal-Checkup.html]Keeping Your Corporation Healthy: Why Not to Avoid Your Next Legal Checkup[/url]
Related Articles:
Information on Shipping Containers
Hotel Chains are adding Fake Plants and Trees to Rooms
Bookmark it:
|