3. • Choice of Suitable form of ownership –
A Crucial Decision
• The form of ownership determines the •
•
•
•
•
•
Division of Profits
Extent of liability
Extent of Risk
Division of Power
Control of Owner
Long term commitment, cannot be altered easiliy
5. Sole Proprietorship
• A sole proprietorship has only one owner and is
an extension of its owner
• It is not a legal entity and cannot sue or be sued,
so creditors/claimants sue the owner
• Advantages: no formalities, taxes flow to owner,
owner takes all profit and control
• Disadvantage: owner bears all risk of loss
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6. Advantages of the Sole Proprietorship
•
•
•
•
•
•
Simple to create
Least costly form to begin
Profit incentive
Total decision making authority
No special legal restrictions
Easy to discontinue
7. Disadvantages of the Sole Proprietorship
•
•
•
•
Unlimited personal liability
Limited access to capital
Limited skills and capabilities
Feelings of isolation
Lack of continuity
10. Partnership
• An association of two or more people who coown a business for the purpose of making a
profit.
• Take the time to create a written partnership
agreement!
11. Advantages of the Partnership
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Easy to establish
Complementary skills of partners
Division of profits
Larger pool of capital
Ability to attract limited partners
Little government regulation
Flexibility
Taxation
13. Non-Partners Not Liable
to Third Parties
• If a third person deals with two or more people
who seem to be partners and is harmed, the
third person may sue to recover damages from
both of the apparent partners
• RUPA Section 308(e): “persons who are not
partners as to each other are not liable as
partners to other persons.”
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16. The Corporation
• A separate legal entity from its owners.
• Types of corporations:
– Domestic - a corporation doing business in the
state in which it is incorporated.
– Foreign - a corporation chartered in one state and
doing business in another state.
– Alien - a corporation formed in another country,
but doing business in the United States.
18. Disadvantages of the Corporation
• Cost and time of incorporating
• “Double taxation”
• Potential for diminished managerial
incentives
• Legal requirements and regulatory “red
tape”
• Potential loss of control by founder(s)
21. Limited Liability Company (LLC)
•
The LLC is a relatively new type of hybrid business structure that is now permissible in most states.
•
It is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and
operational flexibility of a partnership.
•
Formation is more complex and formal than that of a general partnership.
•
The owners are members, and the duration of the LLC is usually determined when the organization papers
are filed. The time limit can be continued, if desired, by a vote of the members at the time of expiration.
•
LLCs must not have more than two of the four characteristics that define corporations: Limited liability to
the extent of assets, continuity of life, centralization of management, and free transferability of ownership
interests.
22. Limited Liability Company
• A limited liability company (LLC) combines the
nontax advantages of corporations with
favorable tax treatment of partnerships
• An LLC is owned by members, who may manage
themselves or retain a manager to run the
business
• Members have limited liability for the obligations
of the LLC
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25. Ideal Form of Ownership
1. Ease of Formation
2. Sufficient Finances
3. Limited Liability
4. Transferability of Interest
5. Efficient Management
26. Ideal Form of Ownership – Contd.
6. Continuity and Stability
7. Flexibility of Operations
8. Minimum Govt. Control
9. Retention of Business Secrets
10. Low Tax Burden
27. Factors to Choice of Ownership
1. Nature of Business
2. Size and Area of Operations
3. Degree of Control Desired
4. Amount of Capital Required
5. Degree of Risk Involves
28. Factors to Choice of Ownership –
Contd..
6. Division of Surplus
7. Duration of Business
8. Government regulation and control
9. Managerial Requirements
29. Role of Small Business –
Indian Economy Perspective
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Generation of Employment
Balanced Regional Development
Optimization of Capital
Mobilization of Local Resources
Exchange Earnings
Development of Entrepreneurship
Egalitarian Society
Social Advantage
31. Measures taken by Govt.
1. Protective Measures
•
•
•
Products reserved for exclusive production
Concessions in excise, sales tax
Govt. gives preference to products by SSI
2. Promotional Measures
•
•
•
•
•
•
Imported raw materials are provided at reasonable rates
Development of industrial estates to provide sheds to SSI
Extension of price preference to products by SSI
Preference given to SSI in land allocation
Technical assistance by Central Small Industries Orgn
Financial assistance by banks and public financial
institutes.
33. Factors to Consider
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tax considerations
Liability exposure
Start-up capital requirements
Control
Managerial ability
Business goals
Management succession plans
Cost of formation
34. Learning Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Choosing a form of business
Creation of partnership
Purported partners
Partnership capital and property
Partnership interests
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35. Overview
• Choosing a form of business is important
because the business owner’s liability and
control of the business vary greatly among the
many forms of business
Which form you
choose depends on
where you want to
go
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36. Business Forms Worldwide
• Though details vary widely, business forms similar
to U.S. forms exist worldwide
– Example: Commercial Companies Law of the
United Arab Emirates provides for the LLC form,
but limits shareholder number to 50
• No such limitation exists for LLCs in the U.S.
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37. Southex Exhibitions v.
Rhode Island Builders Assoc.
• Facts:
– 1974: RIBA and show producer SEM entered a 5-year
contract; RIBA agreed to sponsor and endorse only
SEM shows with net show profits shared 55% to SEM
and 45% to RIBA
– During negotiations, SEM and RIBA discussed
agreement’s use of the term “partners” and SEM’s
president claimed “no ownership”
– 1994: Southex acquired SEM’s interest in the
agreement and RIBA contracted with another show
producer
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38. Southex Exhibitions v.
Rhode Island Builders Assoc.
• Procedural History and Legal Reasoning:
– Southex sued RIBA to enjoin the 2000 home show
claiming the 1974 agreement established a partnership
and RIBA breached fiduciary duties by wrongful
dissolution
– Trial court found for RIBA and Southex appealed
– Appellate court reviewed partnership law basics and
noted first that the 1974 agreement simply titled
“Agreement” rather than “Partnership Agreement”
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39. Southex Exhibitions v.
Rhode Island Builders Assoc.
• Legal Reasoning and Holding:
– Agreement was for a limited term
and plaintiff Southex entered
contracts with third parties “in its
own name, rather than in the
name of the putative partnership.”
– Court concluded partnership did
not exist and affirmed the
judgment for RIBA
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40. Thought Questions
• Do you want to start a business?
If you wanted to start a business
(snowboards, for example),
would you choose partnership
as the form of business?
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41. Test Your Knowledge
• True=A, False = B
– The Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA) is
a model partnership statute.
– Partnership is an “association of two or more
persons to carry on as co-owners a business
for profit.”
– Partnership capital belongs to the individual
partners in equal shares.
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42. Test Your Knowledge
• Multiple Choice
– The partnership interest includes a
partner’s:
(a) Management and other rights participation
(b) Share of profits and losses and right to receive
partnership distributions
(c) Ownership interest in partnership capital
(d) both A and B
(e) none of the above
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43. Things to consider
•
Your vision regarding the size and nature of your business.
•
The level of control you wish to have.
•
The level of structure you are willing to deal with.
•
The business' vulnerability to lawsuits.
•
Tax implications of the different ownership structures.
•
Expected profit (or loss) of the business.
•
Whether or not you need to reinvest earnings into the business.
•
Your need for access to cash out of the business for yourself.
Sir Richard Branson, created and applied the “Virgin” brand to music recording and distribution, airlines, telecommunications ventures, and in 2004, a space tourism venture. His first venture at age 16 was a magazine entitled, Student. Opportunity to discuss fact that all business start as entrepreneurships.