The Rollover for Business Start-Ups Founder Orientation30 pages of founder-focused orientation, designed to give you the map without turning into a textbook$47
A Note from the FounderI created this orientation because I went through the ROBS process myself and learned that there's a big difference between completing a standard ROBS transaction and building a startup around one.Most ROBS providers are set up to make the rollover process as standardized and straightforward as possible. This can work well for many owner-operated businesses and franchises, but startups often come with additional questions: founder salary, cap tables, equity, stock options, future investors, reimbursements, etc.In my case, many providers didn't just find those things complicated, they told me they would not support them. I was told, for example, that I couldn't pay myself a salary through their structure, and I was encouraged to postpone decisions like forming a Delaware C-Corp until after the rollover was complete. That was when I realized I needed to understand the difference between what a provider's standard system allowed and what my startup actually needed.I spent roughly 100 hours researching and talking with providers and professionals. One of the hardest parts was that I often got different—and sometimes conflicting—answers from different people, which made it difficult to determine what was an actual ROBS requirement, what was a provider's policy, and what was simply one professional's interpretation. I also had to figure out which questions belonged to the ROBS provider and which were really legal, tax, or startup-structure questions.I ultimately completed my ROBS, used it to capitalize my startup, The Open Ring, and have been paying myself a W-2 salary while building the company toward a fall 2026 launch.See the startup I funded with my ROBS →I'm not a ROBS provider, attorney, CPA, or financial advisor. I'm a founder who had to understand how ROBS fits into the realities of building a startup.This orientation is the resource I wish I'd had at the beginning: a clear map of the landscape, the players involved, and the questions founders should understand before assuming the process is as simple as completing a rollover.Nichole Barnes
Founder, The Open Ring
Creator, ROBS Founder Orientation
[email protected]