The mistake many make is that they think they should incorporate to protect their personal finance/liabilty from the business. Well, actually, its the opposite. A business needs to be protected from personal finance/liabilty. The government is smart enough to understand why a grant or loan recipient needs to be protected from one's personal finance and liabilty. Thus the need to be a LLC, Corp, or S-Corp. Other than simplicity, a Sole Proprietar does not offer anything a LLC and Scorp cant, and for that reason, I'd agree, that if someone wants to be treated like a safe sound business, from a financier, they should move beyond a Sole Proprietorship. I'm not saying Sole Propritorship does not have its place, jsut saying, the second third party money is needed, the business has evolved beyond the purpose of a SoleProprietor in my opinion. The beauty of it though is.... A Sole Proprieorship can easilly be converted to one of the other type businesses at any time.
Also, Travis, being a Corp is not the only thing necessary to get beyond the personal guarantee. From my experience, lendors have asked that the borrower employ at least 6 employees, and show proof of their payroll in the financial reports, and/or do over 1 million dollars a year in revenue, to be considered large enough to bypass personal guarantee. As well, many times have asked for atleast three unique stockholders or principle in the Corp. Its much harder for a Corp owned in full by a single stockholder/founder to bypass a personal guarantee requirement. I think this is one of the reasons sometimes small WISPs stay a Sole Proprietorship longer than expected. If they know they dont meet the other requirements to bypass personal guarantees, or to secure loans by business financials alone, (revenue, diversity in ownership, # employees), whats the point? They might as well make their accounting life easier. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marlon K. Schafer" <o...@odessaoffice.com> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 11:54 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Quesiton on Funding / Financing / Capital Availability > One more thing. I don't agree with your definitions per se'. > > We all have businesses. A proprietorship is a TYPE of business. We are a > proprietorship because I'm not incorporated (incorporating is over rated > and > expensive to do right). I'm still a business though.... > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_proprietorship > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset > > marlon > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Charles Wu" <c...@cticonnect.com> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 10:03 PM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Quesiton on Funding / Financing / Capital > Availability > > >> Hi Marlon, >> >> I think it's appropriate to make a few definitions and distinctions on >> things so everyone is on the same page >> >> Specifically, for purposes of making my point, I define >> >> Proprietorship: A commercial activity engaged in as a means of livelihood >> or profit >> >> Business: A unique system of processes and procedures that documents and >> codifies a specific method of proprietorship >> >> Asset: cash, inventory, equipment, infrastructure, customer contracts, >> brand, marketing, etc >> >>>Grin. Sure it is. That's what a LOT of small business people do. It's >>>also kind of common for doctors, dentists, plumbers etc.... Sometimes it >>>sucks, >> >> Now, everything you stated above is just a method of proprietorship, and >> in most cases, from a sale perspective, a proprietorships isn't worth >> anything more than the depreciated value of its assets >> >> Say you were buying out the local plumber's office -- what would he have >> of value? His truck? Some old tools? A customer list / brand perhaps >> (but the reality of things is that customers do business with him because >> of him, and if you bought him out and he moved out of town, those >> customers would probably go back to being on the open market) >> >> Now, in comparing the WISP 'proprietorship' vs. the plumber, it's worth >> noting that the WISP is somewhat unique in that it results in the >> creation >> of an independent asset that holds onto a lot of value (e.g., the >> recurring revenue and everything that goes to support it); in many ways, >> this is akin to real-estate >> >>>Not >>>everyone out there even wants to get that big (if I had a nickle for >>>every >>>business owner that's told me the most fun they had and the most money >>>they >>>made was when it was just them, no employees......) But then again, >>>that's >>>one of the really cool things about this buisness, it's big enough and >>>flexible enough to allow many different business models and operator >>>dreams >>>to bear fuit! >> >> True...and you have the added benefit of building an asset that has value >> (be happy we're not plumbers =) >> >> -Charles >> >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
