Small Business Startup Plans
For New and Emerging Small BusinessesHelping You Get Unstuck & Move Forward
Ready to Upgrade Your Business?
You’re starting a brand new business, or you’ve been doing what you love for a few years, as a coach, consultant, artist, or e-commerce business owner, and now you’re finally making money. You’re ready to turn this casual-business into a real business, and want to set things up right to avoid problems later. You need someone who is on your team, so you can get things done right the first time around.
The thing is, you’re a smart and capable business owner. You could do a ton of research and find answers about contracts, incorporation, trademarks, copyrights, liability, compliance, and other small business legal issues on your own.
But doing it yourself may not be the best use of your time and energy (and legal research may not be your thing). My clients bring me onto their team to reduce this burden and help them set up & structure their business, so they can get to work on what they love, helping their clients and growing their work.
Through the Small Business Startup Plans, we work together for four months to get your business set up right. As we work together, you can ask unlimited questions via email so you don’t get stuck, and we will create the framework to support you in your new or growing business for the next few years.
What Do You Receive in a Startup Plan?
Get unstuck and free from undecided legal issues, so you can keep moving forward on what’s really important.
Undone tasks drain energy from you every day. Remove these tasks from your to do list so you can focus on your work.
Stop overwhelm from all of the legal to-do’s on your list, by handling the legal ones for you and teaching you what else you need to do, in what order.
You receive a Client Guide to help you implement your new LLC or Corporation as you move forward through the years.
Create legal contracts and frameworks that are in alignment with your business type, personality, and style.
Yes, you can have contracts that work for you, even if you are virtual, alternative, caring, spiritual, or artistic.
Keep a legal eye on your business, looking for what you “don’t know that you don’t know,” so you can avoid getting into an accidental legal mess.
No one can know everything. It makes sense to focus on your zone of genius and only get involved in the legal issues strategically.
Structure your business and projects to protect your intellectual property, your money, your people, and yourself.
Every business needs some structure to protect what’s importantt–the relationships with people you care about and the future of you and your business.
Get your business set up right, quickly, and efficiently, so you can get your work started or continue to grow.
These projects can take forever if they are not a priority. Get help so you can finish your legal structures and move forward.
LLC or Corporation Formation
You’re ready to turn your informal business into a real business, and want to set things up right to avoid problems later. No point in spending money on setting up a business to have it be done the wrong way.
Contracts
You’re a business owner who needs straightforward, non-legalese contracts for your business. You want to work with an attorney to create a custom legal agreement, tailored for you and your particular situation.
Website Terms & Policies
You have a website and need a Privacy Policy to comply with the law and basic set of Terms & Disclosures to cover the basics. Now that people can buy directly from your website, you need Terms & Conditions to protect your business online.
Trademarks
You have a Big Idea, and you want to protect it. The name of your services, products, or business itself are innovative. Do you need to register a trademark with the United States Patent & Trademark Office?
Who is a Good Fit for a Startup Plan?
Startup Plans are designed for businesses in two situations. The Brand New Business and the Emerging Business. Emerging Businesses are typically newly profitable, are transitioning to higher growth, or are casually-set up businesses that the owner wants to treat more seriously.
1-3 Business Owners
We work with many solo business owners as well as partnerships of 2-3 business owners.
Zero to 15 Employees/Contractors
If you have more than 15 employees/contractors, your needs may be beyond the scope of a Startup Plan. Please message Elizabeth to discuss a custom project or see General Counsel Services.
Comfortable Working an Attorney Primarily via Email
We will work together mostly via email. We may also work together via Google Docs collaboration. You can always schedule a Quick Call ($100 for 15 minutes) or ask for calls to be added to your plan.
Not Sure What You Need or Should Know
Most non-lawyers “don’t know what they don’t know.” Elizabeth will help you figure out what you need and provide a Client Guide at the end so you know what to expect in the future.
Want Advice, Not Just Forms
Not only will we work together to create custom documents for you, but Elizabeth will be there for four months answering questions as you implement your Startup Plan and move forward in your business.
Who is NOT a Good Fit ?
We are not going to “sell” or “push” you to work with us. If you don’t resonate with the materials on this website, then it is not likely you are going to want to take the advice of the lawyer who created those materials.
🚫 Want an "attack dog" attorney.
Elizabeth is not that kind of lawyer.
🚫 Want an attorney who wears a suit & who you can meet in person.
Elizabeth works remotely and only meets with clients via phone, video conference, and email.
🚫 Want an attorney to also handle your lawsuit.
Elizabeth does not handle litigation.
🚫 Need help with venture capital, MLMs, or franchising.
EPW does not form companies who are planning to pitch venture capital; they have very specific needs. We also do not give advice about MLMs or franchises–that is a specialty.
🚫 Want an attorney to do your work for free for a share of your company.
No, that is not the EPW business model. There are other law firms who do that, typically if you are looking for venture capital investment for your project.
Elizabeth’s Approach
Elizabeth founded EPW Small Business Law to help her fellow small business owners find ease and simplicity in all of the legal requirements of owning a small business.
You will be working directly with Elizabeth, able to email her and ask her questions throughout the process.
Each Startup Plan is customized for your individual business and situation. While she may work with many other businesses in your same location or industry, every business owner is unique. If a document or process doesn’t work for you, feel free to let her know so it can be adjusted.
How It Works
Message Elizabeth
You and Elizabeth with discuss your needs and your business situation via email to determine whether a Startup Plan is a good fit for you. If you’d rather discuss by phone, schedule a Quick Call ($100) and the fee is applied to your Plan.
Begin Your Startup Plan
After you sign the contract and make your payment, Elizabeth will send you a list of questions to answer to get started. She’ll ask you about your top priority and any upcoming deadlines. Each month you’ll check in together on progress. You’ll work together primarily via email.
Your Startup Guide
As we complete each item in your Startup Plan, they will be added to your Client Guide. The Client Guide includes explanations about how to implement your LLC or corporation and what you need to do each year to keep your business valid. Elizabeth will keep a copy of your documents in a Google File, just in case.
Basic Startup Plan
Includes setting up your new LLC or Corporation, drafting a contract, setting up your website terms & conditions, creating your website privacy policy and disclosures, and four months of unlimited email advice. You’ll leave with a Client Guide specifying how to care for your new LLC or Corporation.
$2000
Or 4 payments of $520
More Details
- LLC or Corporation Formation Documents
- LLC Operating Agreemetn & initial Resolutions or Corporation Bylaws and initial Minutes
- Business License
- DBA/Trade Name Registration
- Federal Employer Registration Number (EIN) registration
- S-Corporation election (if desired)
- Home Occupation Permit
- One Contract
- Online Sales Agreement or Website Terms & Conditions Agreement
- Website Privacy Policy
- Website Disclosures
- Review Website for Compliance
- Create Client Guide for LLC/Corporation Compliant
- Four Months of Unlimited Email Advice re Business Legal Matters
Full Startup Plan (includes one Trademark)
Includes filing a trademark registration application and prosecuting the trademark application before the USPTO, setting up your new LLC or Corporation, drafting a contract, setting up your website terms & conditions, creating your website privacy policy and disclosures, and four months of unlimited email advice. You’ll leave with a Client Guide specifying how to care for your new LLC or Corporation.
$2750
Or 4 payments of $715
More Details
- Trademark Counseling Session (30-minute call)
- Informal Trademark Search
- Trademark Registration Application Preparation & Filing
- Non-Substantive Responses to Office Actions from USPTO
- 18 months of Email Advice re Trademark Application
- LLC or Corporation Formation Documents
- LLC Operating Agreemetn & initial Resolutions or Corporation Bylaws and initial Minutes
- Business License
- DBA/Trade Name Registration
- Federal Employer Registration Number (EIN) registration
- S-Corporation election (if desired)
- Home Occupation Permit
- One Contract
- Online Sales Agreement or Website Terms & Conditions Agreement
- Website Privacy Policy
- Website Disclosures
- Review Website for Compliance
- Create Client Guide for LLC/Corporation Compliant
- Four Months of Unlimited Email Advice re Business Legal Matters
What if I need more contracts or trademarks than included above?
Startup Plans may be customized:
- Contract Add-On $650
- Trademark Add-On $750
If you have other needs (additional business entities, multiple websites, etc.), please message Elizabeth to determine pricing.
What happens after four months?
If you need ongoing advice, you can choose to go on an Email Advice Only Quarterly Plan for $150 per quarter, which includes unlimited email advice and contract review. This plan is only available for Startup Plan clients.
Are there a lot of other expenses besides your Startup Plan fee?
There will be fees paid to various government agencies to set up your company. Fees paid to governments include corporation/LLC formation, annual reports, business license, permit fees, franchise fees (flat-fee taxes), publishing, and DBA registration. The fees can range from $20 to $800, but I’ll always tell you any fees ahead of time. Typically, I pay the fees and then invoice you to reimburse me. I also occasionally need to send documents on your behalf via Priority Mail or an express mail service, and I’ll invoice you only for the actual amount that I paid for the shipping.
Client Testimonials
"Elizabeth went above and beyond"
“I hired EPW Small Business Law for two purposes and was very happy with the service for each. One was to create a contract template I could use for a course I co-founded, Social Media Manager School, and the other was to draw up a legal letter I needed for a business dispute I had with someone I had done business with in the past.
Elizabeth went above and beyond with her service and communication. She also spent time on an interview for the course that we were able to use for our members. She explained everything clearly and gave different options for the two scenarios. I would highly recommend EPW for your legal matters!”
~ Andrea Vahl, Author, Speaker & Consultant. Co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies and Co-founder of Social Media Manager School.
"brought us so much peace of mind"
“Elizabeth’s expertise and professionalism brought us so much peace of mind as we navigated the unfamiliar territory of joint venture agreements.
She was prompt with her responses and always had the answers we needed. We look forward to working with her again in the future!”
~ Dayna Abraham of LLA Media, LLC & Claire Heffron of The Inspired Treehouse LLC, two of the authors of Sensory Processing 101.
"She’s so much more than a lawyer."
“I’m so happy to have Elizabeth Potts Weinstein as my legal counsel because she really gets me and my business! Not only is she able to think through complex situations or processes that are specific to digital businesses, but she’s able to give me the best legal perspective, too.
She’s so much more than a lawyer. She’s helped put together contracts, protect my business, and answer some of my most pressing legal questions. She helped me incorporate my business and has been there through every step of the company’s growth and expansion!
I love having her on my team and if you resonate with her, I highly recommend hiring her, too!”
~ Nathalie Lussier, founder of AmbitionAlly, a software startup.
"my business was started on the right foot"
“I am so happy I had Elizabeth’s help through my first year of business. Anything that I needed from a legal stand point, she was there to walk me through it or answer any of my questions. It put me at ease knowing that I had Elizabeth there and that my business was started on the right foot.
Elizabeth also saved me a ton of time! After spending hours on the computer trying to figure out which forms to fill out and in which order, I realized it was not a good use of my time, and that if I had the right help it would be extremely beneficial to my business. That is where Elizabeth came in and I couldn’t have done it without her!”
~ Maddie Spoto, Folk Dreams. Folk Dreams offers handmade nature inspired jewelry for the explorer, dreamer and believer. http://www.folkdreams.com