PRELAUNCH CHECKLIST
The following issues must be considered before the launch of a startup. Some steps have to be carried out father than others.
1. Selection of Business Plan and Professional Firms
- Selection of Law Firm
- Selection of Accounting Firm
- Selection of Management Team
- Selection of Board of Directors
- Business Plan, Projections and Capital Needs
- Key Milestone Targets (e.g., product development, sales levels, profitability)
- Marketing Plans
2. Protection of Intellectual Property
- Selection and Clearance of Business Name
- Selection and Clearance of Domain Name(s)
- Selection and Clearance of Trademark(s)
- Protection of Copyright - Protection of Patent(s)
- Other
3. Choice of Legal Entity
- Sole Proprietorship
- General Partnership
- Limited Partnership
- Corporation - Other
4.Choice of Jurisdiction
- Selection of Jurisdiction to Do Business (Provincial/Federal/International)
5. Tax Identification Numbers
- Completion of HST Form with Revenue Canada
- Other Required Federal, Provincial and Local Filings
6. Corporate Documents
- Preparation of Articles of Incorporation
- Preparation of Other Charter Document (e.g. Limited Partnership Agreement)
- Preparation of Bylaws, Regulations or Similar Documents
- Preparation of Organizational Resolutions
- Preparation of Shares or Other Equity Interest Certificates
- Preparation of Corporate, Partnership or Other
- Preparation of Seal
- Preparation of Equity Ledger
7. Selection of Board of Directors
- Inside Director Candidates
- Outside Director Candidates
- Establish Committees
- Establish Policies (e.g., employment, affiliated party, securities trading)
8. Preparation of Equity Related Agreements
- Pre-emptive Rights
- Rights of First Refusal
- Rights of Tag Along or Take Along
- Restrictions on Transfer
- Voting Provisions
- Succession Planning
- Other
9. Preparation of Employment Agreements
- Founder Employment Agreements
- Non-Founder Employment (or Standard) Agreements
10. Confidentiality Issues
- Employee Confidentiality Agreements
- Vendor and Customer Nondisclosure Agreements
- Non-Circumvention Agreements
- Non-Solicitation/Non-Disparagement Agreements
- Inventor Assignment of Rights and Related Policies
- Other Agreements
11. Patent Committee and Policies (if appropriate)
- Patent Committee and Policies (if appropriate)
- Establish Patent Committee
- Develop IP Harvesting, Retention and Exploitation Policies
- Engineer Training and Seminars
12. Employee Benefits Methodology
- Outsourced (e.g., administrative staff; other)
- Retained (e.g., individual company plans)
13. Equipment/Software/Other Licenses Required to Operate
 - Identification - Negotiation - Ongoing Compliance Process
14. Shares/Equity Option Plans
- Percent Equity Reserved
- Qualified Incentive Option Agreement
- Non-Qualified Option Agreement
- Vesting Period
- Other
15. Insurance and Risk Management
- Identify Vendor/Agency
- D&O
- Key Man
- General Liability and Casualty
- Other
16.Selection of Sources of Capital
- Family, Friends and Fools
- Angels
- Venture Capitalists
- Private Equity
- Mutual Funds
- Strategic Partners
- Commercial Banks
- Other Sources
17. Preparation of Investor Presentations
- Sixty-Second Overview
- Detailed Power Point
- Other
18. Preparation of Agreements with Financing Source
- Convertible Promissory Note
- Warrants
- Collateral Security Agreements
- Assignment of Rights
- Other Lender/Inventor
- Required Documents
- Preferred Shares Designation
- Investor Rights Agreement
- Co-Sale Agreement
- Other