I’ve been doing some research on starting a company as I seriously begin to explore the world of entrepreneurship. What I’m finding is that it’s easier than ever to get your own business up and running. The paperwork, legalities, and payment systems used to be such a hassle that it would deter many interested in getting their own business going. Services like PayPal have made the payment conundrum a near non-issue. But those pesky legal issues persisted, until now.
Today, I saw a television ad for a company called LegalZoom. It is an internet-based company that claims to make filing legal paperwork such as LLC, 501(3)(c), trademarks, patents, copyright, etc. easy as filling out a simple questionnaire. I was skeptical but curious because the prices quoted on the commercial were so affordable.
Well-organized and straight-forward, LegalZoom has everything a new entrepreneur needs to get going and keep going from a legal perspective. (They also have personal legal services as well such as will and trust set-up.) They also have an education center on-line and there are customer service reps on-hand as well, real live people you can call without worrying about billable hours. If I was a lawyer, I’d be worried.
There will always be attorneys for complicated legal issues that require personal attention from an expert. If we’re just talking about moving paper, mostly of the boiler plate variety, the days of $500 an hour attorneys may be over.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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