The abbreviation, L.L.C or LLC refers to a limited liability company allowed by state statutes. A legal form of business company, an LLC provides limited liability to its owners. Most companies in the United States of America (USA) are of this nature. An LLC has certain characteristics of a corporation as well as of a partnership or sole proprietorship. Generally, it is deemed an `unincorporated association` and is not considered a legal corporation. The primary characteristic an LLC shares with a corporation is the protection of limited liability, and the primary characteristic it shares with a partnership is the availability of double taxation avoidance. As such, it is more flexible than a corporation and it is well-suited for companies with a single owner or few owners.
LLC members are the owners of the LLC just like shareholders to a corporation or the partners of a partnership. Like shareholders of a corporation, a member`s liability to repay the LLC`s obligations is limited to his or her capital contribution. Members may be natural persons, corporations, partnerships, or other LLCs. LLC funding is limited by its shareholders share contribution. Hard money can be in the form of loans it can take from the banks and for cash flow, LLCs can be helped if they can get long credit repayment period offered by its friendly creditors and suppliers.
Compared to corporations, LLCs do not find it easy to access easy market funding. Investors are more comfortable investing funds in corporations with a promise of an eventual IPO and not in any LLC. So how does an LLC obtain the required funding it needs What are the sources and funding solutions As such, to circumvent this difficulty, a long-term solution would be to form a new corporation and then merge into it or by dissolving the LLC and converting into a corporation. Another way is to take loans from creditors by LLC members being personally made liable for the debt of the LLC. If the LLC has made substantial profits and acquired properties in the course of their business, these can be mortgaged to banks to raise additional working capital. For examples, LLCs that are involved in high technology research and develop can attract venture capitalists such as angel funds for start up money. The amount of money given up front in hard cash could be very generous as angel funds are mostly tax-deductible in many states. A profitable LLC with a healthy bank account can borrow money from banks by taking bank overdrafts on a dollar to dollar gearing basis.
The nature of business that is operated by a LLC is very important. If it is an area where it is monopolistic, then there is likelihood that it can raise funds quite easily. A fund raising exercise can be conducted where the LLC will invite new members to join it. Founding members will be given bonus issues in specie as well as rights issue before new members can be allowed by join the LLC as members.