Startup Archives - Wiss & Company, LLP

What is the Angel Investor Credit Program?

Written on March 15, 2022. Posted in Early Stage, Small Business, Startups, Tax.

What if there was a way to guarantee a return on an investment? If your business operates in one of the 29 states currently offering Angel Investor Tax Credit Programs, it may be possible. These programs are popular avenues by which states incentivize innovation, job creation, and economic growth in their region and, in some instances, encourage the development of growing neighborhoods and minority-owned businesses. Parameters of angel investor credit programs vary drastically from...

Can I Raise Cash Flow for My Small Business With Government Money?

Written on February 23, 2022. Posted in Early Stage, Small Business, State & Local Tax Services, Tax.

There’s nothing worse than finding out you could’ve qualified for government funding after it’s too late, especially when your business is in its infancy and you could use all the cash you can get your hands on. Most of the founders we advise aren’t aware of the financial help that’s out there, or which programs are available for their business. We introduce two specific opportunities for government funding that are important for startups to know about: national tax credits and...

The Truth About Stock Options: What You and Your Employees Should Know

Written on January 26, 2022. Posted in Early Stage.

By Matthew Barbieri, Partner It’s becoming more popular to offer stock options to new hires as an incentive, especially if you’re on a limited startup budget. While you may not be able to offer new hires a world-class salary just yet, you can throw stock options into a compensation package to sweeten the deal. However, it’s easy for both you and your employees to be blissfully unaware of some key details about holding and converting stock options. To avoid confusion down...

How To Distribute Authorized Stock to Startup Stakeholders

Written on January 19, 2022. Posted in Early Stage, General Business.

It’s not often that you hear entrepreneurs tell the truth about what it takes to get a startup rolling, especially about the nitty-gritty details of how to authorize shares of stock. In this article, we’re taking away the mystery of share distribution. If you’ve already decided to set up a C corporation and learned about initial valuation, the next step is to figure out how to split shares of the company fairly amongst stakeholders — and wrestle with the math behind those decisions. Determining...

How To Raise Capital Without a Startup Valuation

Written on January 11, 2022. Posted in Early Stage, Tax.

An exciting part of early-stage startup ownership is bringing on investors who believe in your mission. But before you offer them equity in your business, you have to figure out how much it’s worth. Every startup is unique and, as with many other factors of entrepreneurial life, there’s no one-size-fits-all way to complete a valuation. However, there are some best practices you should follow when assigning a reasonable value to your company and appealing to investors with convertible...

What type of entity should my startup be (a C-Corp or LLC)?

Written on February 1, 2021. Posted in Early Stage, Financial Planning, General Business, Small Business, Startups.

CPA and Partner at WISS & Co., Matt Barbieri discusses the reason he’s doing this podcast (basically to answer all those questions he gets over-and-over) and then answers a question he gets ALL THE TIME from startup founders, which is, What type of entity should our company be? Listen to the episode here… Still need more guidance? No problem! Reach out to a Wiss expert for answers. Contact Us

The 5 Proofs to Ensure Investment Readiness

Written on June 16, 2020. Posted in Early Stage, General Business.

By Mark Brenner, CEO and Co-Founder, WEST Growth 1. Progressive milestones Most early-stage companies don’t have much money unless the founders are independently wealthy. So when most companies come to us, they have maybe ten different things they’re working on, but they don’t have the resources to do those ten things. It’s a priority to identify how much the next raise should be and what needs to happen to get that raise. Those raising capital will need to tell that group of investors...

Launching A Business: What to Consider When Beginning Your Startup

Written on June 13, 2017. Posted in Early Stage.

By Wiss Associate The first step toward launching your own business is having an idea. But even if you have an idea for a business, you may have no idea about the legal and tax obligations that await you should you put that idea into practice. Here are several things to keep in mind before getting your startup off the ground. Separate yourself from the business Running your business through your personal bank account might seem easy and convenient, but unless you keep your business...

A Startup’s Guide to Seeking Investments

Written on October 27, 2015. Posted in Early Stage.

By Matt Barbieri Updated 7/30/2019. With every investment deal comes risks and questions waiting to be answered. If you are seeking investments, it is important you are as prepared as possible when it comes time to present your case. The following recommendations will increase confidence, but more importantly, make sure you are prepared for anything investors throw at you. Be prepared to discuss the numbers To an investor, your story matters, but ultimately every investment boils...

How to Assimilate Millennial Employees into your Workplace Culture

Written on June 30, 2015. Posted in Human Resources.

By Wiss Associate This year, the 34-and-under generation will surpass baby boomers as the largest slice of the U.S. population — and they are a steadily growing segment of the business startup class. As their influence expands in entrepreneurial America, it becomes important to understand how they differ from the boomers and Generation X workers who preceded them. Studies have shown that millennials want to think of their work lives as furthering a purpose, not just bringing home...

Six Ways to Tell if Your Company is Ready for Series A Funding

Written on March 10, 2015. Posted in Early Stage, Technology.

By Ryan Silva It’s an exciting — and nerve-wracking — time as your young company prepares to draw investor interest in Series A funding. It’s most likely your company’s first in-depth contact with the venture capital world, but how do you know your business is ready to take such a step? Here are some things to consider: You’ve put out feelers. VC firms don’t just show up on your doorstep when you need them most. Start your meet and greets long before your company is ready for that...

Tag: Startup