How do you document a family members investment in your small business?
106739
There must be some kind of paper trail to show that there was an investment.  A contract to loan money or a letter of capital will show the relationship.  Money to start a business does not come except from a person.  Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK
1025812
To do a real assessment of worth you'll have to value the business based on cash-flow and bring each year to present value. There are spreadsheets available on-line to do this. Just plug expenses, sales, projected growth, etc. and you'll get your answer. If you want the quick and dirty: you'll recuperate the investment in a little over 3 years. Plug the interest you want for your money, (say 7%). Bring it to present value and you'll still recoup in 5 years or less with the growth you mentioned. That is really good. If you like what the business is about and you don't mind doing the work in case one of your guys gets sick and have the ability to make it grow, then go for it.
382229
The easy answer is to ask family to back the idea with private loans.  Remember to treat it professionally rather than personal, money makes enemies out of friends.\n\nYou could also incorporate and give your family stock and by that partial owner ship in the business, but retaining a larger majority of stock than was given out so that you retain control, especially since I imagine you would be involved in day to day operations, but incorporating has rules that has to be followed and may be too complicated for your situation.\n\nAnd, when all else fails you can always try to get financing from a bank.
139533
I recommend going over to the National Center for Employee Ownership at http://www.nceo.org . They have several informative articles and resources focusing on how employee ownership works. \n\nOne article is entitled "A Conceptual Guide to Employee Ownership for Very Small Businesses" http://www.nceo.org/library/verysmall.html, which outlines the idea behind employee ownership and how a business can be structured using this business model. They also have articles on an introduction and overview  of employee ownership. \n\nThey also have a list of companies using or testing employee ownership, which you can find at:\nhttp://www.nceo.org/nceo/links_member_companies.html\n\nHope this helps\nIsabel Isidro\nFor information on starting a home business visit http://www.powerhomebiz.com
526303
Its not something that can be explained completely in a small space, but the basic idea is that you're carefully keeping track of all money coming in and going out.  \n\nYou might consider taking a class at your local community college if you want to learn some of the techniques that have been used in the past.\n\nBut, the easiest way of doing it in the modern age is to get a bookkeeping computer software program like QuickBooks, which is the standard for most small businesses in America.  Best of luck to you.
297981
Footnote to the footnote, unless you are continuing to work and are a 5% owner or greater including family attribution, then you still have to take the RMD.\n\nGood luck!
404213
You can open up a DBA (doing business as) account using any person's information and the company name.  That way you can deposit and write checks with the company name on it.  You'll only need proof of business.  International business liscenses would suffice.
1141298
If you go to the company website, you should find what you need in their investor relations pages.  Otherwise, they might have their latest annual report online, which you can check too.\n\nFailing that, if it is a public company, you can search their filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at SEC.GOV.  They have a database called Edgar where they keep all filings, which are public record.\n\nIf it is a private company, try www.hoovers.com.  They have some free information, which could include basics like the officers names.  Most other information costs money though.
449683
Explain to the family what you would like to do and ask what their thoughts are on the idea. You can't go wrong getting the info "right from the horses mouth".
43751
first know exactly what the funds go for and tell them when you call/contact them, also give them suggestions of what they may contribute, tell them how successiful it was in past years. Hope this helps
757717
Look around. You are surrounded by businesses - and every one is a potential money-maker for you. The stores and restaurants on the street are obvious, the apartment buildings and single family homes somewhat less obvious as businesses (as opposed to investments), the other assets in the community may be even more obscure. Check out, for example, the utility conduits under your feet: phone services, cable TV, internet service, electricity, gas, water, waste water, etc. Each is a business. \nThis page explains the fundamentals of how each of these businesses works. Part of being an entrepreneur is knowing how a lot of different businesses work, what the essence of each enterprise is. We discuss the most important 4 - 5 numbers for determining whether a business is viable in your area, who you need to talk to if you do seem to have a workable proposal, and terminology you will need to discuss that business intelligently. \n\nBe sure to experiment with the Interactive Business Plan Applets that use your basic assumptions to prepare a summary business plan that can be used to discuss an idea with potential investors and operators. These applets can be run in under a minute, and go a long ways towards helping you understand the fundamentals of the business in which you are interested. A famous real estate investor, Sam Zell, has commented that "If a deal doesn’t work on the back of the envelope, it’s not going to work on the ground". Our business plan applets are designed to be your "back of the envelope". Current Applets available: \n\nPurchase and Operate An Office Property \nPurchase and Operate A Single Family Property \nPurchase and Operate A Multi Family Property \nPurchase and Operate A Data Services Business \nWe have also provided them in a downloadable PKZIPped Microsoft Excel 5.0 format. \n\nHere's a listing of other businesses you can Start In Your Own Backyard: \nCommunity Ventures - Which Would Work in Your Neighborhood?\nBusiness ventures in the community can be subdivided into those that "export" goods and services to the outside world, and those that serve the community internally. A data management enterprise that sells services to downtown businesses is "export" oriented. It brings cash and knowledge of current business practices into the community. Internal community ventures can be just as valuable. They prevent outsiders from pulling cash out of the community (as with a laundromat operated by a company from another state). And they build a sense of local community as residents visit each other more often.\n\n\nGovernment Reengineering - It IS Possible, and Everyone Benefits\nPrograms run by government agencies push cash and services into the community, and suck cash and services out again. Reengineering these flows (everything from primary schools to recycling routes) has the same aim as taking over physical assets: improve the quality of life, and increase the net cash flow to the community.\n\n\nCommunity Assets - Buying and Improving Them\nGetting control of a community’s physical assets means you have to know how to make the purchase, and also what to do with the asset once you find it. In a typical inner city neighborhood, for example there may be an abandoned and decaying 10-unit multifamily structure. Say the city housing authority is offering it for sale, but you do not know how to estimate the cost of buying and operating the property. A quick software analysis (click the "Multifamily" tool below) shows that a purchase could probably be done with no money down and would pay for itself.\nThe goal with community assets is twofold. First, fix them up so that they are truly an asset. Run-down bus shelters are not optimized: they may keep rain off waiting passengers, but they also advertise "crummy neighborhood" to outsiders passing through. And they get residents used to sub-standard facilities. The second goal is to make money for peop
970459
You could write about crafting the application to secure the loan from the SBA(small business association). What goes into the process, the information you need, other sources of funding, etc.\n\nA sort of 'How To' for actually getting the money.
868035
Ask them for a copy.  They should have it on file.
55137
Ask your family or check with BIA
1010450
Go to an accounting service and ask. You're going to have to get one anyway. He or she will set you up with a package.\nMine was $800 up-front to incorporate with her sevices and $300 a month after that. It was well worth it and saved my butt many times.
708698
If it is a public company, they are required to file quarterly financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov).  Look for your Company and their Form 10-Q or Form 10-K filing.\n\nIf it is a private company, you can not other than by getting a look at the bank statement or asking accounting.  There is no publically available information for a private company's cash account.
87599
contact a stock broker or your bank, they should help you out with the documentation.\n\nlook at ratios such as P/E ratio and EPS mainly, and also read the investor prospectus as thoroughly as you can.\n\ninvesting in indices - will diversify away some risks - so look into that...