SESSION 5: ORGANIZATIONAL AND PEOPLE ISSUES & LEGAL MATTERS
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
6:00pm to 9:00pm, Room: 6-120

Part 1: "Organizational and People Issues"

Most ventures which fail do so because of people issues, not technology, market or funding issues. What people are needed to take the Business Plan from paper to reality? How do you identify good team members and avoid problems? Building an External Team and an Internal Team. Developing and implementing a philosophy for the business.

Reading:
Timmons, Jeffrey A., New Venture Creation- Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century, Chapter 7 "The New Venture Team".

Speaker:    Diane Darling, Founder and CEO of EffectiveNetworking.com
Presentation Slides:    Networking Chart

Part 2: Legal Matters
Identifying and dealing with legal issues in the Business Plan. Securities laws and the Business Plan- How to avoid Going to Jail without passing Go and without Collecting $200. Intellectual Property Law-Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks and Tradesecrets. Major hidden tax traps in starting a business-how to avoid generating phantom income and taxes.

General questions and answers on legal issues for the entrepreneur - What you always wanted to know about the law but were afraid to ask/pay for.

Reading: Read Articles from the Boston Business Journal "Starting Up" column:

• Considerations for Founders: Issues in Structuring Relationships Among Members of the Founding Team
• "Steer Clear of the Tempest: A Start-Up Tragedy in Three Acts"
• "Ten Commandments Of How To Work Effectively With Lawyers"
• "Questions of Copyright: Another Weapon in Property Arsenal"
• "Of Kleenex and Cheez Whiz: Trademarks Are Nothing To Sneeze At"
• "The Importance of Patents: It Pays To Know Patent Regulations"

Speaker:    Joe Hadzima
Presentation Slides:  Legal Issues