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What Documents Should I Have to Hold a Private Stock Offering?

You’ll want to organize a few things before offering stock:

 

  • Operating Agreement: First and foremost, you need to make sure your company is incorporated and that you have an Operating Agreement. Legal status and a plan that shows how your business runs will be crucial in securing the sort of savvy investors your small business will want.

  • Private Placement Memorandum: A Private Placement Memorandum outlines the terms and conditions upon which you are offering interests in your business. You can think of it as a brochure for your business, where you alert potential investors to the facts they’ll need to know about your company. You can set the amount of stocks you’re offering overall, the price for each, how many an investor can purchase, when that investor will receive stocks, and pertinent information about your company (such as its founders, age, projected profit, etc.).

  • Subscription Agreement: A Subscription Agreement is just that: an agreement. When a private investor decides to purchase securities in your small business, a subscription agreement is the contract you use to put the investment in writing. It should note the price and amount of stocks being purchased, in addition to information about the company itself.

  • Accredited Investor Questionnaire Form: An accredited investor questionnaire is used by companies and individuals to validate that they are in fact an accredited investor, as defined by the SEC. Making sure your investors are accredited investors can save you a lot of hassle down the road, when your business is growing even faster. Rocket Lawyer provides this form as part of our Subscription Agreement.

Why Do I Need All Those Documents?

While it might sound like a lot of paperwork, it’s not as bad as it seems. You’re simply showing potential investors how great your company is (via a Private Placement Memorandum) while they prove that they’re legally allowed to invest (via an accredited investor questionnaire form). When you agree, you both sign a contract (the Subscription Agreement) and you receive the funding you need to push your small business to the next level.