Building A Solid Foundation - Knowing Your Options When It's Time To Issue Shares

Once your startup begins to see success, discussions often turn to shares – namely, the amount that should be issued and who should gain equity in your company. Cassels has partnered with  Zeifmans, a full-service tax, accounting and business consulting firm, to author this guide to help your startup with considerations around issuing shares and creating a solid share structure.

You and a friend have a brilliant idea for a company. You pool your savings to personally fund the initial research and development and operational activities, and create an innovative startup. To build your future equity in your startup, you should reach out to your legal and business advisors to discuss issuing shares through a shareholders agreement. Here's what you should know before making any decisions.