Students Of Success

You could save hundreds of dollars by incorporating yourself
without a lawyer. How? Is it advisable to do so?

1. This is Not Legal Advice!

The only ones who should be giving legal advice are those
licensed to practise law (in other words, only lawyers). This
article is not legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult a
lawyer.

This article is being written simply to inform you that it is
possible to form a corporation or limited liability company
without a lawyer.

2. Why Use a Lawyer?

First of all, if you make a mistake incorporating yourself, who
do you sue? You only have yourself to blame. On the other hand,
a lawyer has insurance to cover errors and omissions.

Secondly, you could benefit from the expertise of your lawyer.
Perhaps a corporation isn`t the right vehicle for you under your
circumstances. Be aware that there can be disadvantages as well
as advantages to incorporating. Your lawyer can consider
commercial law, securities legislation, limited liability, tax
factors, estate planning, share structure, and a myriad of other
business considerations. Sometimes the advice of a good lawyer
can save you thousands of dollars.

3. Is it Advisable to Incorporate Yourself?

Is it advisable to perform surgery on yourself? It is illegal to
perform surgery on someone else unless you are licensed to
practise medicine, but perhaps in a wilderness survival
scenario, self-surgery might be your only option. However, is
performing surgery on yourself really a good idea in most
instances?

Likewise, just because it is possible to incorporate yourself
without a lawyer doesn`t mean it is always a good idea.

In some jurisdictions, only lawyers can incorporate others. For
a paralegal or other person to incorporate a company for you
could be considered unauthorized practise of law. Thus, it may
be legal to incorporate yourself but not others.

Some factors you might consider are: Am I really that short of
cash that I can`t spend the extra money for good legal advice
that may save me thousands of dollars? Am I confident that my
situation is one that really doesn`t need the services of a
lawyer to incorporate? Can the money saved on legal fees be
better utilized in financing other aspects of my business?

Each person will have to make their own decision on whether or
not to seek the services of a lawyer in forming a corporation.

“He who has himself as a lawyer has a fool for a client.” I have
often thought that perhaps a law firm originated this common
expression.

4. How To Incorporate Yourself

Many books have been written by lawyers on how to incorporate
yourself.

For example, in Canada, M. Stephen Georgas, LL.B., has written
books on the subject of forming your own corporation. Published
by International Self-Counsel Press Ltd., he has authored
“Incorporation and Business Guide for Ontario” (”How to form
your own corporation Includes tax advantages to incorporating”)
and “Federal Incorporation And Business Guide” (”How to form
your own Federal corporation under The Canada Business
Corporations Act”).

The same publisher sells forms and minute books as well as
titles for incorporating in other provinces of Canada.

Forms, corporate supplies, name searches, and kits are available
from legal stationers and other sources.

In the United States, there are likewise many manuals available
for incorporating yourself in various states. “Incorporating
Your Business For Dummies” by The Company Corporation and “How
To Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $75.00″
by Ted Nicholas are two such books.

Sometimes helpful information on this subject is available from
federal, provincial and state governments for free or nominal
cost.

You can sometimes locate incorporation manuals at your local
library for free. Be careful. Legal manuals become outdated very
rapidly. You might consider very seriously purchasing the most
up-to-date manual available; it might also include helpful
reference material on maintaining corporate minutes and other
helpful suggestions on operating your corporation.

Buy the appropriate manual and supplies and then follow the
instructions. With a little effort, you could save hundreds of
dollars incorporating yourself without a lawyer.

Selling a Home: Remove Clutter! By Julie Jalone

Most sellers understand keeping a house clean and picked-up but
have difficulty understanding how to really remove clutter. It
is more than keeping the house neat. Try some of the following
and impress your agent and, more importantly, potential buyers.

The first task I suggest it to pretend you are not the owner or
even that you have ever seen the house before. Tour your
property both inside and outside and make a list of anything you
see that catches your eye and takes away from the homes appeal.
These will be offensive to your eye such as toys in the front
yard, hoses that are not put away, busy shelves and too many
items on the mantel. It could also be stacks of magazines or
newspapers. Make the tour several times and keep adding to your
list. The more you notice the less the potential buyers will.

Most home owners, including myself, are attached to our home,
how we have decorated it and our possessions we proudly display.
Sellers must accept the fact they will not be in the house much
longer and be willing to repaint rooms with neutral colors,
remove pictures and put away those souvenirs from last years
vacation. A good idea is to start by removing most of your
personal items from each room. Get boxes or storage containers
to store your items. Approach the removing clutter as if you are
staging or preparing a model home for viewing by buyers.
Remember you want the buyers to be able to imagine their
belongings in the house.

You will know if you have successfully removed clutter in your
home by the number of boxes or storage containers you have when
you are done. Your first thought may be to put all these boxes
neatly in a closet. Resist the temptation and consider closet
space can be a selling feature. They too should look as good as
possible. Not overly packed closets will help create a spacious
feeling in your home. If your closets are packed full or messy,
the potential buyer may get the feeling the house is not big
enough.

Don’t overlook your garage as this is the place most of us
consider as a storage area. Find a friend, neighbor or family
member willing to store your boxes and containers. If this is
not possible consider renting a storage facility on a short term
basis. Selling your home quickly and at a higher price will more
than cover the cost.

After making your tours, list and removing your personal item I
suspect your real estate agent will still think you have too
much in the house. Don’t be timid about asking your agent to
help point out these final few items. We spend a fair amount of
time in homes and have a good feel for which ones show best and
why. If you ask, be prepared to accept their suggestions. We are
here to help you sell your house, not be critical of your
possessions.

If all of this seems more than you want to cope with, consider
using a professional stager. They can remove clutter and even
help you bring in items that will make your house look like a
model home. Again selling quickly and for the best price
possible can more than pay for this service. Like above, consult
your agent, they can help you make this decision.

If you like this article or have comments please let me know.
You can contact me via my web siet at http://www.jalone.com.