Several months ago I saw a commercial with a woman talking about starting her toffee business with her mother's secret recipe and incorporation documents from an internet site. You know the one. I like the commercial because it highlights her entrepreneurial spirit and her story, she took what she thought was a small idea and, with hard work, made a successful company, is always a good story to hear. But because you are what you do, I wondered if the internet site helped her decide on the type of entity to use for her business and whether it addressed potential liability and tax issues, ownership structure, minority owner issues, profit and loss allocation, and transferability of ownership interest. I suspect it did not

I previously discussed the importance of LLC operating agreements. Let's now examine three specific provisions that you should consider for inclusion into your agreement.

Deciding on the entity form to use for your business depends on a number of factors, but for many entrepreneurs, an LLC is the best fit. An LLC is a hybrid entity as it provides liability protection similar to a corporation and favorable income tax treatment similar to a partnership. If you are starting or currently operating a business through an LLC, your most important organizational document is the agreement between you and your partners: the Operating Agreement. An operating agreement establishes the internal operations of the business in a way that suits the specific needs of the business owners. Once signed by the members of the LLC, it is an official binding contract.