I have an idea for a financial product in Canada. Who would I need on my team to make it happen. Especially on the legal and structure side...

There shouldn't be any "magic" to this. It's stock standard: 1. Set the conversion cap 2. Give them follow on rights should you need another round (you never know) 3. No anti-dillution 4. No liquidation multiple, just preference 5. 7% interest rate That's as fair as fair can be. Don't reinvent the wheel. Also consider a YC safe note. Downloadable and usable straight out the box.

Yes. For USA based businesses – we consult on everything from conceptualization to completion, including federal, state, and local laws/regulations, etc. We even provide referrals for Branding (Logo/Product Packaging, etc.), Website Building & Security, SEO, Google Search, etc. If you know what you want to sell (and it is not prohibited by law), we are able to provide clarity to have you up and running within 30-days on average.

I'm assuming you're talking about yourself, working for another company? The first thing to consider is that a "1099" is NOT an employee, rather an "independent contractor". The IRS takes it seriously when a company claims 1099 contractors, when in fact, these contractors are treated as employees (the IRS wants payroll tax and will fine companies that miscategorize). To be a 1099 contractor, rather than an employee (W-2), you must have complete control over your schedule - when you work, how much ect. There are other criteria, but this is the main one - you must clearly not be treated the same as an employee. The other thing to consider is that if you are a 1099 contractor, you are responsible for paying and submitting your own income tax and self employment tax to the state and the IRS. It is more advantageous for a company to pay you as a 1099 contractor as they save paying employer portion of payroll taxes. Also you will not count as an employee for the Affordable Care Act (which impacts companies with over 50 employees). Hope this helps. Kathryn

The return is due March 15 for the previous year. Your S-corp doesn't pay taxes, it files a form 1120S informational return. The 1120S produces a form k-1 that states your share of the companies income and other items. You report that k-1 on Schedule E of your Form 1040 in April. You have to file the 1120S every year whether you made money or not. Definitely find a professional, the 1120S is not easy to do.

If your looking for financing and not wanting to give up equity you could try to get venture debt. Check out Hercules http://www.htgc.com/ and their competitors these companies can provide big loans. Be ready to provide a lot of info on your company and your financial health. Be aware these companies exist to make money so make sure you end up with payments you can handle. You'll also have loan covenants which will outline certain financial performance metric you'll need to hit. If you miss covenants your loan terms will change for the worse and it can even end up with bank taking control of your company. Obviously a worst case scenario, but you need to be aware and make sure you are very comfortable with the covenants you agree to. - mike