On July 11, 2017 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is temporarily delaying the effective date of the International Entrepreneur Final Rule (the IE Final Rule). The
Continue Reading Effective Date of Final Rule on Parole for Startup Entrepreneurs Delayed to March 14, 2018
How Well Do You Know Your Co-founder?
Two co-founders, one CEO and one EVP. One owned more than the other, got paid better, had bigger bonuses. How did this happen?
“We were always very clear with each
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Hatching New Ideas, from Tech Transfer to Incubation
Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to be more entrepreneurial and improve their impact on economic growth, job creation, and competitiveness. Additionally, higher education institutions face greater recruiting challenges,
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How Big Pharma Taps Outside Ingenuity
Economics in getting a compound approved and commercialized are evolving. Drug companies have reduced budgets that historically funded vast R&D teams. Innovators are chasing tight investment dollars. The two camps
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Financing Basics for Entrepreneurs: Borrowing for Working Capital and Long-Term Capital Needs
Working capital is the lifeblood of a successful business. When running a startup, entrepreneurs sometimes rely on their own personal resources to fund the business. An alternative may be to
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Israeli Startups Continue to Fare Well in 2016
In what has become a staple of lists that review the top startup hubs in the world, a recently published list by Sparklabs Global Ventures has listed Tel Aviv as
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U.S. Market Entry Top 10
Over the last few months I have had the chance to speak to entrepreneurs from Brazil, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Norway, Singapore and Ukraine seeking to operate and solicit investment here in the U.S. As an attorney, I’m expected to focus on best legal practices. They’re indeed important, but perhaps not worth quite so much energy if the company isn’t on a course to succeed as a business.
Among my first questions, I’m curious to know what a company has, why it’s great, who’s willing to pay, and how much. Then, I explore other challenges facing the business.
For start-up companies that still want to talk, here’s my simplified rundown of business and legal items (for information purposes only, not legal advice):
Incubator or Accelerator Program: Which Is Right for Your Business?
The past few years have seen an uptick in new accelerator and incubator programs that are focused on helping startups launch and grow. Participating in one of these programs can
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SEC Permits Companies to Sell Securities Through Crowdfunding
The SEC has adopted new rules which would permit companies to offer and sell securities through online crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a method of raising capital by monetary contributions from a large number of people, usually through the Internet. The new rules will allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to more easily raise capital, and will permit average citizens to invest in startups and early stage businesses. Companies are no longer required to offer securities only to accredited investors; now, anyone can participate in an equity offering, subject to certain investment limits. The new rules were enabled by the 2012 JOBS Act, which created an exemption to the existing securities laws to make equity crowdfunding possible. The SEC has been working on crafting new rules since that time. (These new crowdfunding rules should not be confused with, and do not replace, other rules adopted pursuant to the JOBS Act several years ago that expanded the ability of issuers to raise capital using Rule 506 0f Regulation D.)
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SBA “STEP” Program Opens up Borders for U.S. Small Businesses
The world marketplace often seems out of reach to small businesses. Accessing foreign markets for the export of goods and services is sometimes not even on the radar for some
Continue Reading SBA “STEP” Program Opens up Borders for U.S. Small Businesses