So often, owners of closely held corporations (Sub S or C) or LLC’s are excellent at running their business but fail to keep up on the paperwork required by their own by-laws or by state law. Every corporation we have created has a set of by-laws requiring an annual meeting of the directors and shareholders. The meeting has to include new election of officers and directors and should memorialize major purchases, expenditures or decisions the CEO and/or board has made in the past year.
OK, at this point you’re probably saying why? I’m a one (or two, or three) person business and I just incorporated to establish a legal business identity. Well, here’s why. If you want to enjoy the legal immunity a corporation provides you, you need to act like a corporation. That includes written minutes of an Annual Meeting. Look at your by-laws. They should spell out exactly what business you need to conduct and what needs to be written down as Minutes of the meeting. Additionally, if you ever want to sell your business, get a loan or have to deal with the IRS, they are all going to ask to see your corporate record book. So, take a minute and create annual Minutes. You’ll be glad you did.
OK, at this point you’re probably saying why? I’m a one (or two, or three) person business and I just incorporated to establish a legal business identity. Well, here’s why. If you want to enjoy the legal immunity a corporation provides you, you need to act like a corporation. That includes written minutes of an Annual Meeting. Look at your by-laws. They should spell out exactly what business you need to conduct and what needs to be written down as Minutes of the meeting. Additionally, if you ever want to sell your business, get a loan or have to deal with the IRS, they are all going to ask to see your corporate record book. So, take a minute and create annual Minutes. You’ll be glad you did.