Company Foundational
For-Profit Corporation Charter - State of Tennessee
The charter is the "skeleton" of an organization and specifies the most critical structural elements of an entity including name, contact information, and the # and type of shares.
Secretary of State Business Forms - State of Tennessee
City of Chattanooga Business Licensing - Forms/Guide
Hamilton County Business License - Standard (Gross > $100k) / or Minimal Activity ($3-$100k)
-Requires Application + $15
By-Laws Template - Simple For-Profit C-Corp - State of Tennessee.
Bylaws include: Governance Structure, Meetings and Voting Procedures, Roles and Responsibilities of Officers, Membership or Shareholder Provisions, Financial Management and Record Keeping, Amendment Procedures, Conflict of Interest Policies, Dissolution Procedures, Other Regulations
By-Laws Template - For Simple Non-Profits - State of Tennessee
*Board Governance is of high priority for the WBV collective. By-Laws are of the utmost importance creating a strong business, foundation, and trust within the collective and the community
Cap Table / Equity Management
CARTA is the Vendor of Preference (both for us and the industry) for managing capitalization tables online.
This gives existing shareholders transparency, confidence to new investors, and allows the company to run various investment scenarios, have 409a valuations created affordably, and to create and manage Employee Stock Incentives
(Employee) Incentive Stock Options - Options typically vest over a set period, meaning employees earn the right to exercise them gradually over time, often through a schedule like four years with a one-year cliff.
Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). SPVs provide flexibility in financial and legal structuring, allowing companies to manage risk, finance projects, transfer assets, and comply with regulations more effectively
409a Valuations this is used to determine the fair market value of a private company's common stock, ensuring that stock options are issued to employees at a price that is compliant with IRS regulations and avoids unnecessary taxes.
Equity/Debt Agreements
Common Stock Shareholders Agreements
Preferred Shareholders Agreements
SAFE Agreements (Y-Combinator Standard Templates)
Raising Debt (loans)
Debt financing fundamentals and types
SBA Loan Program Charts
Note Agreement (loan agreement)
Board Governance
Board Fiduciary Responsibilities & Expectations
What Every Board Member Should Know (Tennessee Non-Profits)
Committee Charters
Audit & Finance Committee
Compensation Human Capital Management Committee
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee
Board Meeting Minutes Template
Roberts Rules of Order - Non-Profits (getting grounded running and participating in a board meeting)
Note: Note that Roberts Rules of Order are foundational to conducting board/committee meetings
CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS
*above is a partial collection of resources that may be used for reference, and does not constitute any legal or financial advice for your particular business or situation
Just Getting Started With a New Business Tennessee?
WBV focuses its efforts on established businesses. If you're just getting started Chattanooga/Tennessee has great resources, coaching, and multi-week classes to help you you start your business and tighten your business plan. If you're new to the startup community - we recommend you start with INCubator first to get your business up and going in the right direction
The Company Lab (Co.Lab)- a 501c3 nonprofit based in Chattanooga that accelerates early-stage startups in the "sustainable mobility" space.
