You Have More At Risk Than you Think!

Not incorporating is like going into battle everyday stark naked when you could easily be protected by full body armor.

You may have seen the provocative title we chose for our Confidential Client Brief:

“Armored Or Naked, You Decide!” We admit, the title is meant to get your attention. But this is no laughing matter: Not having the right asset protection or liability protection is like taking off body armor on the battlefield.

We’ve all heard stories of our troops being sent into harm’s way, without the proper armor to protect them. Yet everyday, millions of business owners open the doors to their business without even the most basic and affordable asset protection to protect themselves and their families from the vultures of society.

America is lawsuit crazy. 1 in 5 people will be sued this year, many by litigants seeking their own “Jury Jackpot!” Teachers get sued for failing poor students and schools get sued for expelling troublemakers. Cities get sued when kids get hurt in softball games at city parks or people walk in front of cars and get hurt on public streets. Coaches are sued for not choosing someone’s kid for the team, and businesses are sued by their own shoplifters for emotional distress. People sue for injuries that are their own fault, where no one is to blame, and for reasons completely frivolous and bogus.

Think you’re immune? Think again!

The minute you put out your “Open For Business” sign you’re a target. If you have a sole proprietorship or a simple partnership, anyone who goes after your business has every legal right to go after your personal assets as well, including your home, your car and your life savings. And if you’re sued personally (instead of your business) – say your daughter is involved in a car accident – everything in your business is equally up for grabs. Game over. You lose IF you’re not insulated by having the right entities in place ahead of time.

Juries award vast sums on cases like this every day. In our Confidential Client Brief “Armored Or Naked, You Decide!” you’ll read a tragic real-world story that happened to an honest family who literally lost everything through no fault of their own… all part of the “Joy of Teenagers!” Ever hear of Stella Liebeck? Sure you have! In 1992, 79-year old Stella drove off from a local McDonald’s with her cup of hot coffee between her knees. She spilt the coffee and burned herself, sued McDonald’s and was awarded $2.9 million in damages. In fact, there’s a whole website dedicated to giving out “Stella Awards” to all sorts of wild, outrageous, or ridiculous lawsuits… and there are plenty to go around!

• The kook arrested for shooting innocent people… suing the store that he stole the gun from and the manufacturer!
• A man who sued the restaurant he’d eaten at for 25 years because their food caused his heart attack.
• When the drunk at a party (at a rental house) who drove off in his girlfriend’s car, wrecked it and was killed, his family sued the mother of the girlfriend (who’d bought her the car), the landlord (not the tenant’s holding the party, they didn’t have any money), and of course the beer company that made the beer (the deepest pockets of all!).
• A man hit by lightning in a parking lot who sued – of course – the owner of the lot.
• Johnny “Sue-Nami”, an inmate recognized by Guinness for having filed over 4000 lawsuits… and so he sued Guinness for defamation.
• The dry cleaners sued for $65 million for losing a pair of pants… by a judge! … even after they tried to return them to him. How would you like to deal with the nightmare of a $65 million lawsuit hanging over your head for two, three years?

We can all laugh at the insanity of these, but according to the US Federal News, the “lawsuit tax” we all pay as taxpayers in the U.S. to handle all these hundreds of thousands of cases is almost $1000 a year. America already has more attorneys than any other country, and new law schools are being opened all over the country to handle the demand for even more attorneys. In spite of this, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, fewer than 30% of business owners have ANY layer of legal protection at all… that means over 18 MILLION businesses are fair game.

It’s not just that people are suing for anything and everything… juries are awarding settlements that are nothing short of insane:

• A Los Angeles jury awarded $370 million for defamation AND $25 million in punitive damages, to five former employees of Guess Jeans
• A $70 million verdict against an insurance company for recklessly failing to pay the litigant’s workers’ compensation benefits in a timely manner
• A Texas water drilling company had to pay $71 million after one partner claimed the other two tried to shut him out.
• In New York City a jury awarded $60 million to a woman for a bad thigh lift.
• $986,000 was awarded to a woman who claimed she “lost her psychic powers” after a CAT scan
• A litigate won $60,000 claiming that the defendant’s cursing caused “emotional distress.”

(Ref: http://lawyersusaonline.com/)

The ONLY thing you can safely assume is that every asset you own is on the line

Even if you don’t own a business and get sued as a private individual (say, a delivery man slips in your driveway or the kid mowing your lawn cuts his foot), everything you have is still up for grabs IF you – as an individual – don’t have the proper legal structures in place to prevent it. You do NOT have to have a business to get strong asset protection, tax savings and guarantee your privacy!

Here Are FIVE Reasons Why This Is True (and there are lots more):

If you own a business and DON’T have the right business structures in place…

1. Everything You Own Is “Naked” To The World, Making You MORE At Risk For A Lawsuit!If you and your business are the same, you have NO privacy. It’s ridiculously easy for unscrupulous individuals to sift through easily-accessible public information to find out who owns your business and how much your personal assets may be worth. Everything big is just out there for the entire world to see — real estate, vehicles, you name it.Anything they can’t find out with a little research is easy enough to get during the “discovery” process in a suit, where you have to list every single detail of your life. Everything from that new 50″ flat screen TV to your house, stocks, bank accounts, might as well be out on the front lawn. You’re essentially naked to the world with your doors and windows open. That’s how vulnerable your personal assets are.Without sounding paranoid, the fact is unscrupulous people will actively seek out a juicy target and fabricate a lawsuit. And even if they don’t think about it right away, when they turn on the TV a half dozen attorneys will be telling them they have rights and are stupid not to sue! Do NOT Assume that as a sole proprietor or partner, or as a private citizen, you have ANY legal right to privacy! You MUST take specific steps establish those rights IN ADVANCE of any lawsuit to be protected! The ONLY way to have any privacy recognized by the courts in a lawsuit is to proactively take the necessary steps to set up the right entities to protect you, your business and your family today.

   

   Get Your Complementary Copy Of Our Confidential Client

2. You Risk Losing Everything in a Lawsuit!Every new lawsuit is like rolling a dice in a game of craps… even if you win, you lose! You could spend tens of thousands of dollars and months of your time — not to mention endless sleepless nights and added stress and worry… it’s just not worth it! A lawsuit against an unprotected business (or individual), it can drag on for months, even years. Is it any wonder most lawsuits are “settled out of court?” That’s sort of a legal phrase for extortion and payoff! And you know if the press gets a hold of the case, the person being sued ALWAYS is assumed guilty, often unfairly damaging their reputation and potentially costing them business, their employment or even more. People hear about it, read about it, and always the assumption is that you did something wrong. Even if you win or the case is thrown out or dropped, the stain is still there. Better to have established the boundaries and protections well in advance so the litigant thinks twice before proceeding with the case in the first place. Again, your decision now is what makes the difference!

   Sure, but how does incorporating change any of that?

   Simple. By having the right legal structures in place, your personal assets are separate from your business assets. That immediately changes the number in your favor. The fact is, many cases are pulled or settled well before they reach a courtroom, simply because the litigant’s attorney has decided it’s pointless to pursue you:

   a) If they can’t easily discover your available assets and tie them into the case, they’d often rather settle out of court. You save money, and more importantly time.

   b) Since most lawsuits are handled on a “contingency” (the legal word for commission) basis, the attorney has to pay for everything leading up to and including the trial. If she feels there’s not enough there to make it worth her while, the litigant’s only option is to come out of pocket themselves… and that’s enough to cause most freeloaders and golddiggers to back off!

3. You Are Needlessly Giving Away Thousands More In Taxes Than Legally Required— If you and your business are the same your tax bill can be thousands more than if your business is taxed as a separate entity. Maybe you like giving away money to Uncle Sam — after all, he spends it so efficiently, right? Most people like to keep as much as they can. And the worst part is, if your business has an especially great year, you could owe more in taxes than you personally made in income… because the tax bill is on the TOTAL revenue, not just your portion. Plus, with the right combination of entities you’ll be able to pay for many of the everyday needs of your life tax-free. That’s because some entities have different advantages and benefits over others. We all know as individuals we’re taxed on our income, but a business entity is taxed only on its profits… AFTER all expenses (such as health insurance for you and your family, auto, travel, and other expenses to name a few)… oh, and after you’ve paid yourself your salary!You’ll be shocked and amazed at how much money you can save in taxes with just a few simple, inexpensive steps. In fact, the constantly bleeding costs of overtaxation alone are more than the modest cost of proper protection. Be sure to check out the Special Section on Taxes and Tax Sheltersfor small businesses when you read the Briefing Paper we’ve attached as a courtesy.

   “The folks at YES Business Solutions really know their stuff. They marry your business strategy and tax strategy with the appropriate entity to meet your specific needs. They stay current on state and federal case law on entities so that knowledge also gets incorporated into your planning. To boot, the quality of service is truly world-class”. — Deniz Tunc, San Francisco

1. In case of a bankruptcy, death of a partner or spouse, a divorce or the dissolution of your partnership, everything is on the table.Without the right structures and clear documentation, the spouse or partner or their legal team can finger everything you have for their “fair” share. Is that how you want it all to end? With your hard work being stripped away, like so much furniture sitting on the curb, for the vultures of society and greedy associates to fight over?It doesn’t have to be this way. Simple steps, step by step, and simple documentation can eliminate this as an option. Your business structures clearly define each partner’s share and the legal steps available to dissolve the partnership. Likewise, the issue of death or divorce (not just your divorce, but a partner’s divorce can leave you in a bad place financially) can be spelled out in advance. You have control, but ONLY if you take it now!
2. You Cripple Your Business In Hidden Ways.Not only do many of your potential clients prefer to deal with established businesses, many outside vendors such as banks, distributors and other suppliers are more willing to give key lines of credit when you are an established company (i.e., incorporated) and not just a sole proprietorship or loosey-goosey partnership. If potential customers pass you by because you look small time or less solid, it could cost you dearly in money, potential new business and your reputation. Most small businesses never even know the handicap they bring on themselves. Think how much you can gain simply by being professionally structured.

These are only a few of the reasons people take the time and effort to protect themselves with the armor of business entities. There are as many reasons as there are people and types of businesses.

It’s absolutely essential to read this briefing paper if you fall into any of these categories…

• You’re starting a business and you want to avoid any legal pitfalls.
• You own a business now that is a sole proprietorship or simple partnership.
• You have a personal assets that you don’t want to risk in a lawsuit.
• You want to reduce your taxes liabilities and keep more of what you earn.
• You invest in real property or have a business that exposes you on a daily basis to litigation.
• You’ve inherited a business and you want to know if it needs to be restructured.
• You want to buy a business and you’re not sure if its current setup is right for you.
• You have an idea for a business and you don’t know how to set it up properly.
• Your business is expanding and growing so it’s time to update the legal structure to fit the new perspective.
• You’re concerned about what could happen to the business in the event of a divorce, dissolution, failed partnership or death.
• If you’re not sure you qualify or need to think about taking these steps yet.
• You’ve been told you need to incorporate (or, that you don’t) and you don’t understand 100% of the advantages and disadvantages involved.

In our Complementary Confidential Client Brief, “Armored Or Naked, You Decide”, we cover situations like these and give you specific direction and tools to eliminate the uncertainty and begin protecting yourself, your family and your assets.

Get Your Complementary Confidential Client Brief Now: “Armored Or Naked, You Decide”

One Warning: Just reading this Confidential Brief will open your eyes and answer most of your questions. It will give you specific steps to take and the tools to get this level of protection for yourself. However, reading and understanding the importance of entities and asset protection will do NOTHING UNTIL you take action and begin to implement these strategies in your own life and business. Make the decision to take your financial future into your own hands, and create the appropriate asset protection structures as soon as possible. Remember, these have to be established IN ADVANCE of any lawsuit or tax issue!

Your First Step: Get The Brief!

Get Your Complementary Confidential Client Brief Now: “Armored Or Naked, You Decide”

Why Come to YES Business Solutions? Read what others say:

“I’ve known and worked with Gary and Wendy since early 2006. I currently have 7 entities that I have established through Your Entity Solution. Their customer service, professionalism, expertise and willingness to help keeps me coming back time and time again. My businesses have grown over the course of the last 5 years and Gary and Wendy and YES have been there to advise me every step of the way. They are key members of my success team and have contributed to our growth. I’m thankful that I found them and made them a core part of my team. Thanks Gary and Wendy!!

Janet Fish
International Land Developer

This site is hosted by