Surgent's Starting a Small Business: What Every Trusted Advisor and Entrepreneur Needs to Know

Overview

Starting and owning a small business has often been referred to as the “Third Pillar of Wealth,” right behind investments and owning real estate. Essentially, all businesses start off as “small businesses.” Small businesses, however, require a large amount of preparation in order to successfully launch and grow. Starting a business requires the owners and managers to address a host of issues, including an understanding of applicable laws, appropriate financing, staffing requirements, marketing, liability protection, and many more.

This course provides a broad overview of the critical issues business owners, as well as their professional advisors, must consider when starting and growing a small business. There is extensive research regarding best practices in this area, and this webinar is intended to distill down such information and focus on what is critical to get a small business up and running as seamlessly as possible.

Highlights

Understanding the time commitment required to start and run a business
Selecting a corporate structure to protect your personal assets
Building your product or service
Sales and marketing in your business
Establishing your owners, investors, managers, and employees
Accounting, recording-keeping, and other software programs
Leases, contracts, and employee agreements
Protecting intellectual property
Insurance
Business plans
Financing
Market position

Prerequisites

General familiarity with accounting and business principles

Designed For

Anyone in the accounting or financial services profession who seeks to understand proven strategies to establish and grow a small business or who counsels individuals who own, or are considering owning, a small business

Objectives

Understand how to successfully start and grow a small business or advise clients who are starting a small business
Understand basic legal issues that need to be addressed when forming a business
Explore marketing and financing plans to launch and develop a business
Recognize ways to protect business assets and owners from different forms of liability