I was recently interviewed on the Entrepreneur Iowa Podcast by Dan Tooker. Dan is with the Des Moines Radio Group and is also the owner of Franchising Done Right. Dan’s franchise related business helps displaced executives and budding entrepreneurs find franchise opportunities. Dan and I discussed franchising, what it takes to be successful in business,
Don’t Keep Your Corporate Name a Secret
Gavin Craig in his new Twin Cities Business Litigation Blog has an excellent post on the importance of making sure the world knows you have a corporate entity. Craig is convinced that many small business owners (especially contractors) do not know how to properly operate a corporation or LLC. Craig says,
When a person incorporates their business, it
Where to Incorporate?
Indiana civil and business lawyer Sam Hasler recently expressed his view that the place to incorporate your business is generally in your home state.
I agree with Sam.
Delaware or Nevada may offer viable options for some companies but in general most Iowa small businesses are probably wise to incorporate here in Iowa.
Buy-Sell Agreements Resource
Is your business in need of a buy-sell agreement? Don’t know how to get started?
An excellent resource worth considering is a book from Z. Christopher Mercer called Buy-Sell Agreements: Ticking Time Bombs or Reasonable Solutions? A blog post from Mercer worth reading also raises an excellent point regarding buy-sell agreements:
If you are in the process of
Where Should You Incorporate Your Iowa Small Business?
Where should you incorporate your Iowa small business? This question is asked a lot by 
many prospective small business owners. The question used to be surprising but after seeing and hearing numerous advertisements for Delaware and Nevada corporations on the Internet and on satellite radio it is definitely a legitimate question.
Delaware has reputation and
Do You Need A Lawyer to Incorporate in Iowa?
It is possible to form your own corporation without a lawyer’s help. Every day, many entrepreneurs do exactly that by using online incorporation kits. I have written about such companies in the past. There is definitely a segment of the market these incorporation companies serve.
The most obvious motivating factor for setting up a corporation
Ten Tips for New Small Businesses
I ran across this list of tips for new small businesses. Some terrific advice. Here are the ten tips as listed:
- Save up as much money as possible before starting.
- Start on a shoestring.
- Protect your personal assets.
- Understand how–and if–you will make a profit.
- Make a business plan, so matter how short.
- Get and