Business documents for Lima businesses
The papers a small business signs, grouped by when you need them. Each one is a template you fill in yourself. Nothing here is legal advice, and the DBA filing itself is a government form rather than a template.
Paid partner links
Starting
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LLC Operating Agreement — Sets out who owns what share of an LLC and who can decide what. Open
Partnership Agreement — The same, for two or more people trading together without a company. Open
Articles of Incorporation — What you file with the state when the business is a corporation. Open
Corporate Bylaws — The rules a corporation runs itself by, adopted after it is formed. Open
Running
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Service Agreement — What you agreed to do for a customer, by when, and for how much. Open
Non-Disclosure Agreement — Before you show someone your numbers, your recipe or your client list. Open
Invoice — A bill that names the work, the amount and the due date. Open
Independent Contractor Agreement — For someone you pay for a job rather than employ. Open
Employment Contract — For someone on your payroll: the role, the pay and the terms. Open
Premises
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Commercial Lease Agreement — Renting the shop, the unit or the yard you trade from. Open
Protecting
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Bill of Sale — Proof that a vehicle, a tool or a piece of equipment changed hands. Open
Loan Agreement — Money lent to or by the business, with the repayment terms written down. Open
Promissory Note — A shorter promise to repay a fixed sum, often for a one-off debt. Open
Release of Liability — Closing out a claim or a dispute so neither side can reopen it. Open
Personal, for owners
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Last Will and Testament — Who inherits the business, and everything else, if you die. Open
Power of Attorney — Who can sign for you while you cannot. Open