Ask what the structure needs to do.

The appropriate arrangement depends on the actual people, activity and operating picture. Use these questions with qualified legal and tax advisers rather than deciding from a template.

Open a founder folio.

Three fictional starting points. Each has a different set of broad notes and unanswered questions, with no official documents or eligibility decision.

Choose a sample starting point

Sample conversation folder

One founder, new idea

A founder is exploring a new service business and wants to understand the provider’s formation and ongoing support scope.

Notes prepared

The intended activity

A broad description of the service and who it is for.

Noted for discussion

The people involved

The broad ownership and management picture, without personal records.

Noted for discussion

Where work happens

Broad operating locations and the questions they raise.

Noted for discussion

0 of 3 broad notes marked for discussion

Questions still open

Who will assess the proposed activity and operating locations? What falls within the provider’s own scope, and what needs another qualified adviser?

Put one question first

The next conversation

Ask the provider to outline the assessment, the information route and the scope to agree before work begins.

One founder, new idea / Provider responsibilitiesBring this folio to my founder brief

A preparation aid only. Real requirements and responsibilities come from the provider. No legal or tax route is recommended.

The discussion desk.

How does the planned activity affect the options?

Explain the actual work, customers and expected operations. Ask the adviser which facts matter and what further review is needed.

What do ownership and management mean for the proposal?

Describe the broad intended roles and decision-making arrangements. Ask how they should be documented and which issues need specialist advice.

How should cross-border activity be reviewed?

Say where the business and its people expect to operate. Ask the relevant qualified advisers to explain the implications for the specific situation.

What changes if the business grows or changes?

Discuss likely future needs and ask how changes would be assessed, documented and administered.

What alternatives should I understand?

Ask the adviser to explain the proposed route, relevant alternatives and the reasons for their view in your actual circumstances.

What should be confirmed before I proceed?

Ask for a written proposal that distinguishes the formation service from professional advice, ongoing work and any separate provider responsibilities.

Keep assumptions visible.

If a business plan is provisional, say so. A change in activity, people or operating location may need the proposal to be reviewed. Your brief should preserve those uncertainties rather than fill them with guessed facts.

Write the questions beside the facts.

Your founder folio is a starting point for advice.

Make a founder brief