1. Watch Out for Your Advice

When I first started speaking professionally and coaching individuals, I never thought that I needed special insurance. It is rare, but I have seen some people take advantage of well-intended “advice” by claiming it destroyed their life and then suing the communicator. If you are in the business of providing advice, look into getting some liability insurance.

2. Consider Vesting Your Equity Over Time

It is extremely difficult to find the right co-founders for your business. You need to have a similar work ethic and timeline for the investment, your chemistry has to match, and you have to make sound decisions for the company. Instead of getting all of your shares at once, consider vesting your equity over time so you have a fair solution if these factors do not line up, as is often the case.

3. Get Protection From Deadbeat Clients

I wish I’d had an ironclad contract that allowed me legal recourse against a client who refused to pay. I never realized that so many people use your products and services, and then just walk away. Now, my contract states that I can go after them for the money owed and any associated legal costs.

4. Beware the Costs of Hiring Contractors

We started Modify with one employee and a litany of contractors. This seemed like a “cheap” way to grow–we had few payroll taxes and few benefits. However, the definition of a contractor is quite strict. A company loses “behavioral control” with contractors; you cannot set fixed hours or define the role with granularity. Mis-classifying employees creates significant risk for a business.

5. Establish a Buy-Sell Agreement

What happens when one of the partners wants to exit? What do they get, and under what terms? What happens if a partner gets hit by a bus? If their ownership interest goes to a spouse, does the spouse have a say in management decisions? Uncomfortable questions, but it’s much easier to address these up front than it is when you’re making lots of money. Get it on paper in the beginning.

6. Limit the Company Transparency

When incorporating your business, some places keep your LLC information private, while others do not. If you have a large platform with a customer service aspect, its important people are not call your cell phone with issues, you must design the operations to encompass all related services. Keep your information safe, especially when scaling your platform.

7. Harness the Power of Documentation

Documentation is essential. Taking the time to get your paperwork in order ahead of time pays off big as your company grows, so make sure that you get all of your initial legal work correctly pulled together. This includes offer letters, confidentiality agreements, option agreements and, most importantly, your initial customer contracts.

8. Take Notice of Trademarks

Don’t get two years into your business and then find that you have to change the name of a popular product or even your entire company because someone has just realized that you’re using a variant of their name and wants to sue you. It happened to us and at least three others that I know. Do your homework (most can be done online) and get a trademark before you start rolling with it.

9. Prepare for Employee Issues

Inevitably, some of your most favorite employees today will not always work out in the long run. Be sure to you have well-written offer letters with non-competes, mutual agreement to arbitrate clauses, and other protective addendums. Keep counter-signed copies on file and formally document reviews and disciplinary write-ups. Diligence upfront will save you a lot of time and money in the future.