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Business incorporation! It’s not the sexiest topic — but it’s very important. So let’s take a look at one type of business incorporation — LTDs — and see how they compare to a couple others. Bear with us, here. We promise you’ll be glad you paid attention.

1. What is an LTD?

LTD stands for “limited,” and it’s a type of business incorporation used primarily in the UK, Canada, and Australia. When you see it — or “LTD” — as a suffix to an official company name, it indicates that it is a private “limited company.” That means that if anything happens to the company — like bankruptcy or getting sued, for example — then the investors are only responsible for the capital that they originally invested. This arrangement protects the personal assets o...

What do Karl Marx and Monday mornings have in common? Considering how most people feel on Monday mornings, Marx and Mondays are more connected than you’d think.

Marx predicted that as skills became more specialized, the personal contributions of workers would become less distinct, leading them to lose sight of the results of their efforts. Without a sense of accomplishment at the end of a task, workers would eventually become apathetic to their roles.

This is a sentiment that’s grown increasingly strong in today’s digital world.

In contrast to the industrial age, the digital age provides a far less structured work environment that often lacks fixed schedules, the need for offices, and tangible products. On top of that, it deals in the curre...

What is a convertible note (aka Convertible Debt)?

A convertible note (otherwise called convertible debt) is a loan from investors that converts into equity. It’s a common way for investors to invest in early stage startups, particularly ones that are pre-valuation.

Here’s how it works:

An investor loans a startup a certain amount of money, but instead of expecting their money back in the form of payments with interest, their “payment” comes in the form of equity.

That conversion from the balance of the loan to preferred stock happens at a specified point — usually a new valuation at the conclusion of a new funding round.

When a company accepts investment in the form of a convertible note, notes are issued instead of priced equity.

Key par...

If you’re involved in the startup world, you’ve probably heard the term “lean startup” thrown around. No, it’s not a new weight loss plan — although I wouldn’t doubt that there are health and fitness apps out there who have used lean startup methodology.

It’s a system for creating a business that was first introduced by entrepreneur Eric Ries in 2008 and then outlined in his 2011 book The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Business.

In our article 19 Startup Books Every Founder Should Read, Lauren Foundos, Founder & CEO, FORTË said the following:

“Damn, I’m going to have to part company with Debbie – how do I even do that?”

Firing a co-founder isn't like an employee termination, it's more like a divorce. It's messy, it's complicated, and it usually involves both parties being poorer for it.

But unlike a divorce, there's not a lot of discussion out there about what is even possible or where to turn.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Can I legally "fire" a co-founder?

As an employee, almost anyone can be fired, although there may be jurisdictional laws in your area of the world that require certain steps or conditions.

But co-founders are typically not just employees – they own stock (usually, a lot of it) – so these conditions become far more complicated. Plus, some of these issues may exi...

Update (12/7/17): The previous video lesson is no longer available and we’ve since removed it. However, you can still see more from Jenny Lefcourt including her lesson on Fundraising Series Seed.

Pitching to investors can be the make or break point for startups. The impression you make on them can be the difference between getting the funding you need to continue to the next stage of startup success, or finding your product, research, and ideas on the chopping block.

In this short video, Jenny Lefcourt teaches the science behind pitching: start big and broad and dive into specifics as the investor asks more involved questions. Treat investment meetings like a dialogue instead of a speech and hit the essentials before getting more gra...

When you're in charge of a business, you're all too familiar with that feeling of racing to catch up. But no matter how hard you push or how much you work, you never seem to reach the finish line.

There's always more marketing to do, more emails to send, another meeting around the corner, more prospects to qualify…

Terminal “behinderness” is an affliction that generates heart-pounding stress and makes you wonder how the most successful founders and leaders manage to be so productive while you feel like you're constantly drowning.

A lot of it comes down to how they structure their days.

Curious about how some of the top business leaders spent their time, John Rampton (CEO of Due) and Chris Stowell (VP of the In...

It’s a war of attrition, it really is. Most entrepreneurs in most industries just give up. So the question is — how long can you last? How long can you survive?

When I ask Derek Andersen about the biggest challenges of building his company, Startup Grind from the ground up, his response is refreshingly blunt: “All of it.”

“We didn’t have any money, so we couldn’t really hire anyone. We worked out of my garage for a year, just to just try to save money and run really really lean. We had no documents or templates or process for onboarding or anything.”

And on top of all those logistical challenges, there was this tiny one: “We didn’t have a brand, so nobody knew who we were or why we should exist.”

Funnily enough, the challenges that St...

It’s one of the classic phrases of the startup universe. We’ve all heard it a million times. It’s so ubiquitous, it inspired a Cards Against Humanity card:

“I have a great idea for a startup.”

If you’re anything like the Startups team, chances are you’ve caught yourself saying this more than a few times. If you’re really like the Startups team, you find yourself saying it a few times a day.

But what exactly is a “great idea?” How do you know when that idea you scribbled down on a cocktail napkin or a post-it note has the makings of a full-blown business? Is it really just a matter of “you know it when you see it”? Or is there more to it than that – something structured and systematic, a template of sorts that you can follow, time and ...

What is an angel investor?

Angel investors are typically high net worth individuals who invest very early into the formation of a new startup company, usually in exchange for convertible debt or equity. The role of angel investors serves as a critical bridge between the startup financing needs of a company and their larger capital needs later on.

Who can be angel investors?

In order to be an angel investor, a person does not have to be an accredited investor. However, a lot of angel investors are accredited investors.

In order to be an accredited investor, according to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), a person must:

1. Have made at least $200,000 a year (or $300,000, for a couple) for the past two years and must have the expectation...