Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Irving Business Owners -- What You Need to Know About Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Most small businesses that experience financial trouble turn to Chapter 11 bankruptcy for help. Unlike Chapter 7, which liquidates all of your assets and pays off secured creditors only, Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Irving and elsewhere will allow the business owner the opportunity to turn the it around and make their businesses profitable again.

Under Chapter 11, your company undergoes reorganization. You continue to run the business, while its taking part in bankruptcy proceedings. If the company is public, its stock continues trading, and your accountants must continue filing reports with SEC.

If you decide to file Irving Chapter 11 bankruptcy, your business will remain a going concern. At the same time a committee appointed by the U.S. Trustee will work with your creditors to develop a plan that will get you out of debt and your business back on its feet. Essentially, the court will tell all of your creditors of your decision to file Chapter 11, and will negotiate a plan with you to help you repay your debts. If your company is public, the US trustee will choose a shareholder's committee to represent interests of the stockholders, so they are not at risk of losing their entire investments.

Once the managers, the creditors and the other stockholders (if applicable) agree, the court will review the documents to assure their legal compliance with bankruptcy laws. In bankruptcy proceedings, the secured creditor, like a bank that has helped finance your business, receives payment first even though they have risked the least in the business dealings with you. The unsecured debt receives payment next; this is the debt that you owe your vendors, your private financiers, your customers, and so on. The stockholders, any individuals legally owning shares of the company, will divide the remaining assets after secured and unsecured debt receives payment in full.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Irving

Take the time to understand the agreement with your creditors. While Chapter 11 will impose some controls on how you run your business, you will remain in charge and will have to report all your financial matters to the committee representing your creditors. Don’t presume that Chapter 11 is an easy way out of a financial difficulty. Most often, personal collateral and personal guarantees, such as your house, your other assets, or inventory of your business backs your business loans.

You stand to lose a lot more than your business if you do not take these bankruptcy proceedings seriously. Since this is the case, it is always best to consider all possible avenues before filing bankruptcy, even Chapter 11. Before committing to Chapter 11, explore choices to fix your business without bankruptcy.

Seek advice from professionals who have managed to turn their businesses around. Be practical about what you can do on your own to make your business profitable again before filing for Chapter 11.


http://www.chapter11bankruptcy.biz/chapter-11-bankruptcy-irving.html