Governance refers to the “governing” or “decision-making” of a company. It helps ensure a company runs smoothly, but also that it operates equitably and appropriately to benefit all stakeholders.
A common misconception is that governance is an issue for large companies and something that startups can address in later stages of development. While startups tend to be more focused on growth and viability than structure and management, establishing a governance framework is essential to manage expectations of early investors, partners, owners, and other interested parties that have an interest in the company’s success. Below is a list of items to consider when forming your legal entity and defining roles and responsibilities.
When forming your legal entity:
- Choose an appropriate legal entity early that considers present and future growth, long-term structure and business goals. For example, LLCs and LPs can be problematic for a company anticipating venture capital funding
- Avoid exposing founders to personal liability (i.e. partnerships have unlimited liability)
- Ensure that business activities are conducted through the entity and not in a personal capacity.
When defining roles and responsibilities:
- Formalize relationships and avoid casual business relationships (even between family and friends)
- Formalize in writing the roles and responsibilities for each founder and owner (i.e. day-to-day operation)
- Record all ownership percentages (i.e. of the founders, and other owners)
- Create a mechanism for dispute resolution (i.e. how to break a tie)
- Address the possibility of a founder’s or other owner’s departure from the company
Important legal documents for establishing roles and responsibilities:
- Charter or Articles of Organization
- Bylaws or Operating Agreement/Founder’s Agreement
- Stockholder Agreement
- IP Assignment Agreements
- Non-Disclosure Agreements
- Meeting Minutes and Board Resolutions
Decisions made now will impact and shape decisions made in the future. Defining structure and roles and responsibilities early on will save time, define, and maintain company culture (i.e. ideas, goals, brand, etc.) and decision-making, and make the company attractive to investors.
If your startup or business has questions about governance and entity formation, our team is happy to help you navigate these decisions based on your unique situation.