Phase 1 · Discovery · Clarity Begins Here
Legal Entity Setup & Structure
The legal structure you choose at incorporation follows the business for decades. Changing it later is possible but expensive. Getting it right at the start costs almost nothing.
Legal entity setup and structure is the advisory on which business entity to incorporate, how to structure the shareholding, what constitutional documents to put in place, and how to ensure the legal foundations of the business support rather than constrain its future commercial, tax, and investment ambitions. We guide the founder through the decisions that matter — entity type, jurisdiction, shareholder structure, and essential legal documents — before they become complicated to change.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The aspiring founder who does not know whether to incorporate a limited company, set up as a sole trader, or use another structure
The options are confusing, the tax implications are unclear, and the consequences of the wrong choice — for liability, for investment, for future sale — are not understood until they become a problem that requires expensive professional advice to resolve.
Scenario 2
The founder who incorporated quickly to start trading and now has a structure that does not support investment
The company was set up in a hurry. The shareholders agreement was never done. The share structure is not suitable for investment. The SEIS/EIS eligibility was lost by a structural decision made without advice. Correcting these things now requires time, money, and investor patience.
Scenario 3
The co-founding team that split shares equally without vesting, shareholder agreements, or leaver provisions
One co-founder is now underperforming. Another wants to leave. The shares they hold — which are fully owned, unvested, and unconstrained by any shareholder agreement — cannot be recovered without expensive legal action or a negotiated settlement the business cannot afford.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Legal structure right from the start — appropriate for the business model, the tax position, and the growth ambition
Shareholder structure with proper vesting and leaver provisions that protect the business
Essential constitutional documents in place before they are needed in a dispute
SEIS/EIS eligibility preserved for the fundraising conversations ahead
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Entity type advisory — limited company, LLP, sole trader, or other structures
- Incorporation and Companies House setup
- Shareholder structure design — classes of shares, vesting, and leaver provisions
- Shareholders agreement advisory
- Articles of association review and amendment
- SEIS/EIS advance assurance application advisory
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The business is incorporated correctly, structured for investment and growth, and protected by the constitutional documents that prevent the co-founder and shareholder disputes that destroy early-stage businesses before they have the chance to succeed.
Primary Focus
Advising on and implementing the legal entity structure, shareholder framework, and constitutional documents that support investment, growth, and protection.
KPI Measurement
- Legal structure appropriateness for growth stage
- Shareholder disputes attributable to structural gaps
- SEIS/EIS eligibility maintained
- Time to correct structural issues vs comparable businesses
- Investment process friction attributable to legal structure
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£50K – £500K avoided in misdirected launches and bad bets
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£250K – £2M of better-informed launch decisions and faster market traction
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£1M – £25M in strategic pivots de-risked and new categories validated
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£5M – £100M+ in optimised market entry, M&A diligence, and category positioning
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The legal foundation of a business is invisible when it is right and enormously expensive when it is wrong. We make it right from the beginning — so the founder's energy goes into building the business, not correcting the structure.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 1