Do I need a lawyer to sell percentages of my company and set up a formula for how my investors get?

By Tim Berry • Sep 11, 2007

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We've been in the clothing business as a side project for 3 years. We are in 40 stores and are growing rapidly. Until this time we have funded everything ourselves however we are looking to sell a small percentage of the company to raise the capital it will take to grow our business. It will lower some of our debt and be beneficial in a lot of ways. We have numerous people interested however I am hesitant to pull the trigger on getting anyone else involved in this crazy business, especially friends. Are there any books that you guys reccomend?

Yes, selling shares in your business definitely requires very detailed legal help. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has strict rules related to selling shares.

Tim

Tim Berry

Entrepreneur, Business Planner and Angel Investor

Tim Berry is the chairman of Eugene, Ore.-Palo Alto Software, which produces business-planning software. He founded Bplans.com and wrote The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, published by Entrepreneur Press. Berry is also a co-founder of HavePresence.com, a leader in a local angel-investment group and a judge of international business-plan competitions.

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