Seven Rookie Mistakes Startups Make When Raising Money

1) Working with the Wrong Kind of Investors There’s a saying in the startup world: “the first money that goes in determines how much money, if any money at all, comes in after.” Regular startup investors are an incestuous lot, and they’re usually a pretty sophisticated group, too. If you look at the resumes of superstar … Read More

friends and family

21 Ways to Raise Money for Your Business

Too often, startups lock themselves into thinking that there are only a few ways to raise capital. But that’s not true. There are plenty of different ways to raise money if your business if promising and if you’re creative. VCs and angel investors might have certain vehicles they return to repeatedly, but there’s no reason … Read More

How the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) Affects You

This article is the first in a series of articles that will be written on Internet Privacy Policies. This article is intended to succinctly communicate the important legal issues of CalOPPA. The purpose of this article is simple – to notify website owners of whether they should be CalOPPA compliant. What is CalOPPA? The California … Read More

Startup Checklist

The Ultimate Startup Checklist

By combing the Interwebs, poring through my personal library, and applying my own experience in working with more than 100 startups, I’ve compiled this checklist of 25 items to review and consider as you launch your startup. I hope you find it useful. Decide whether starting a business is right for you and what kind … Read More

When Does an S Corp Make Sense?

An S corporation is a business entity that combines many of the advantages of an LLC with the advantages of a corporation. Practically, the biggest hurdle for someone looking to start a corporation is the problem of double taxation. That is, paying taxes for the activities of the corporation and also for profits that are … Read More

Denver Startup Week Event – September 19th, 2013

Instead of the meetup at our normal time, in September, Legal Issues for Startups and Entrepreneurs will be hosting an event this year at Denver Startup Week. On Thursday, September 19th, at the offices of Polsinelli, PC, at 1515 Wynkoop, Suite 600 in LoDo, at 9 am, there will be a presentation and panel on … Read More

Delaware vs. Colorado Corporation: What Makes Sense for My Business?

Delaware vs. Colorado Corporation: What Makes Sense for My Business?

(Updated June 14, 2017) If you’re in the startup world, you may be at least vaguely aware that most hugely successful startups are Delaware corporations. Indeed, there are many smart people who say this is the only right answer to the question, “What type of entity should I form for my startup?” I don’t think this is true, however. There … Read More

The most expensive legal documents

The most expensive legal documents are the ones you never knew you needed until it was too late. For one example, filing a timely 83(b) election can be the difference between paying no taxes on an appreciating ownership interest in a startup and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time when you don’t … Read More