Building a startup means making dozens of critical decisions with incomplete information. Should you incorporate as a limited company or start as a sole trader? How do you structure equity splits with co-founders? What legal documents do you actually need before approaching investors? These aren’t just administrative boxes to tick – they’re foundational choices that ripple through everything you build.
The reality is that most founders learn these lessons the hard way, often discovering what they should have done differently only after it becomes expensive to fix. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
Here are four tips for building a successful startup:
- Develop and communicate a clear vision – Your vision drives everything else, so make sure it’s compelling and that every team member understands how their role contributes to achieving it.
- Protect your intellectual property early – Register trademarks and patents before you need them – IP protection not only safeguards your innovations but also makes your startup more attractive to investors.
- Stay compliant from day one – Ensure your products meet consumer guarantee standards, your marketing is honest under the Fair Trading Act, and you handle customer data properly under privacy laws to avoid costly legal issues later.
- Plan your capital needs realistically – Understand your true funding requirements and explore all options, from bootstrapping to angel investors.
Building a Strong Startup: Ask a Lawyer and Founder Your Tough Questions
As a founder or startup owner, you’ve probably got countless questions about these very challenges – setting up your business structure, raising capital, or managing legal risks. What better way to get practical, actionable answers than from two experts who’ve been exactly where you are?
Join LegalVision on Tuesday, 14 October at 12 pm NZDT for a free webinar to get your questions answered directly. You can pre-submit your questions or ask them live during our interactive Q&A session.
Startup experts Georgina Toomey (Managing Director, LegalVision) and Jovan Pavlicevic (Co-Founder, Emerge) will answer your questions and explore:
- structuring your business for growth and success;
- capital raising dos and don’ts; and
- avoiding common legal pitfalls for startups.
If you are unable to attend, you can still register, and LegalVision will send you a copy of the recording. You are also eligible to receive a free legal consultation.
Register for free today.
About Georgina Toomey
Georgina is the Managing Director for LegalVision New Zealand. She specialises in corporate and commercial law. She has significant experience, having previously worked in the specialist corporate teams at a number of top-tier firms in New Zealand and acting for clients in a variety of industries.
About Jovan Pavlicevic
Jovan is a veteran founder with a track record of building and scaling businesses across New Zealand and the UK. He’s currently Co-founder of Emerge, a challenger to the banking status quo with the goal of reshaping the way Kiwi businesses manage money, and SquareOne, a financial app helping equip the next generation with modern money skills. Before launching in fintech, Jovan founded and exited Forest Group. He grew the London-based agency from scratch to a 25-person team and seven-figure revenue, navigating investment rounds, a management buyout, and an eventual acquisition.
About LegalVision
LegalVision is a commercial law firm transforming legal services. The firm’s unlimited legal services membership provides businesses with a faster, better quality and more cost-effective client experience. Visit legalvision.co.nz or call 0800 005 570 to get in touch with our team.
