Start with the decision, not the product
Startup setup should align founder rights, funding plans and the actual operating model.
This service is offered to early-stage founders. That audience description is not a legal eligibility test. Identify your actual objective, such as a suitable business structure, reliable reporting, a specific registration or a response to a notice.
The facts your adviser needs
Prepare founder contributions, roles, business model, ownership intentions and planned fundraising.
Explain your entity, activities, locations, relevant period and any planned changes. Also disclose existing applications, filings or advisers so duplicated work and conflicting instructions can be avoided.
Ask about alternatives and trade-offs
Ask whether a narrower engagement, a different structure or better internal records would meet the same objective. Compare ongoing obligations as well as the first task. If a requirement is statutory, ask the adviser to identify the applicable official rule and relevant exceptions.
Recognition does not automatically create a tax holiday or substitute for ordinary compliance.
Make the readiness assessment concrete
Prioritise structure, founder agreements, records and applicable recognition or registration work.
Separate items you can resolve internally from those needing professional judgement or external approval. Record the dependencies and consider whether your team has enough capacity to maintain the resulting process.
Choose a next step you can verify
Which decisions should be settled before we incorporate or approach investors?
Separate strategic advice from legal drafting, recognition applications and ongoing finance implementation.
Request a written recommendation that explains assumptions and the proposed scope. Where current eligibility or regulatory interpretation is uncertain, obtain case-specific advice before spending money or acting.
How to use this resource
