About this workshop:

This one‑hour workshop is designed for retail and service‑based businesses navigating early funding decisions when cash is tight. From a practical legal perspective, the session examines common financing paths for new businesses – including bootstrapping, loans from friends and family, small‑business banking, equipment financing, alternative or high‑interest lenders, and situations where landlords effectively act as lenders through rent deferrals, guarantees, or security arrangements.

Particular focus is given to legal risk areas that frequently catch business owners off guard, including personal guarantees, indemnities, security interests over equipment or inventory, and lease‑related financing provisions.

The workshop also explores how lenders, suppliers, and landlords allocate risk when a business lacks leverage, and what legal priorities founders should focus on when capital is limited and decisions must be made quickly.

Participants will leave with practical legal tips to help identify red flags, understand where personal liability can arise, and make more informed financing choices that protect both the business and the owner.

About the speakers:

Naomi Morisawa De Koven is the managing lawyer of Navio Law. She and her co-presenter Evan Young regularly advise entrepreneurs and knowledge-based businesses on legal issues relating to corporate, commercial, employment, financing and M&A transactions.