It is truly starting to feel like summer in downtown Grand Rapids! This was the scene today from my office.
Summer is coming fast and so is Detroit Startup Week. Scheduled from June 18-22.
According to its website, Startup week is:
“A week long celebration of Detroit’s entrepreneurs. Volunteer-led and completely free for attendees, we are aiming to create a community driven event that builds a stronger startup ecosystem. Startup Week is held in dozens of cities around the world.”
Crain’s Detroit reported this week that the venue will be moved to outdoors where a crowd of 8,000 – 10,000 is expected, up from last year’s 6,500.
Crain’s reports that Startup week will consist of similiar “weeklong collection of panel discussions, speeches, activities, networking and competitions is bringing back its women-tailored entrepreneur events.”
Last year the week kicked off with Detroit’s Small Business Legal Academy.
I think it is no secret – that startup businesses would do well to get some basic legal during their business startup
I had a client just yesterday send me this e-mail, below (unprompted) which I was given permission to share – it is extremely on point:
“I don’t think you understand how valuable your assistance is. A small guy like me, without you, would sign whatever they put in front of me and get into big trouble because of that someday. The problem is that most small businesses don’t understand how critical legal review is either.” – client
The reality is that there are a host of legal areas that can turn into pitfalls for startup businesses – over the years I have written on quite a few of those areas, including:
Terms and Conditions in Contracts
Entity Formation and Personal Liability
Cash flow is a barrier for startups. This doesn’t mean you should avoid educating yourself on the legal issues affecting your business.
Take advantage of the resources available.
Consult with an attorney – Particularly law firms friendly to startup businesses.
e-mail: Jeshua@dwlawpc.com
twitter: @JeshuaTLauka
Purpose Driven General Counsel 