Activity 1: Locate an article in the Small Business Administration's library (www.sba.gov/lib/library.html) that assists business owners in determining the legal form of their business organization. What factors are identified in the article as important in selecting a business form?
Activity 2: Create a fictional partnership. What employment-based taxes will you need to pay? What accounting systems will you need to implement. Aside from federal taxation, what state taxes and regulations will apply? Consult www.irs.gov (regarding federal taxes) www.nass.org to link to your Secretary of State and http://www.municode.com/Resources/online%20Library.asp or municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/ to locate applicable local codes.
Activity 3: Choose a company with publicly traded shares. Locate its most recent 10K filing on www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Identify whether they have identified any compensation benefit. Summarize it: how are the benefits earned? Is the benefit open only to employees? To non-employee directors?
Activity 4: Create a fictional company. What form of business organization would you choose. Prepare the necessary (fictional) filing with your Secretary of State. The following Web site may prove helpful: www.nass.org/.
Activity 5: Using the SEC's website, locate the agency's suspensions. Choose one of the suspensions and analyze it. Why was the person or company suspended? What are the terms of the suspension? Is the matter civil or criminal? What is the cost of this suspension (in terms of both fines and in lost goodwill or future business)? www.sec.gov/
