If you recently experienced DUI charges over the holidays and plan to start up a new company in the near future, you may wonder if the charges will hurt your ability to obtain funding for your business.
The answer may depend on a few factors, including whether or not this is your first DUI charge, or if you need to make reparations for any damages you caused during your DUI. Financial backers may wonder if you're trustworthy enough to risk investing their funds and reputations into. In addition, you may need to work extra hard to regain your standing as a future business entrepreneur.
If you want to receive the funding you need, read more of the following information.
Receive Alcohol and Drug Counseling
A DUI charge isn't something you take lightly or ignore. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can hurt your ability to receive funding in the future for your startup company. Not only do you face the repercussions of your actions legally, you also need to prove to your potential financial backers that you won't drive intoxicated again. Backers won't invest in a company if the owner isn't ready to rectify his or her mistakes. To show your potential investors differently, you need to receive alcohol and drug counseling.
DUI counseling works in a number of ways, including getting you back on your feet as a future upstart entrepreneur. You obtain counseling from the DUI court, through your attorney or on your own. However, if received severe DUI charges, the courts may assign you counseling in order to meet your legal obligations to the community. Even if the court does, take it upon yourself to seek outside counseling once you meet your court-appointed obligations. It'll benefit you in three ways:
- You show financial investors that you are serious about repairing damage to your name.
- You increase your chances of not driving under the influence again.
- You receive the confidence needed to approach and apply for funding from other sources if your current investors back out on you. Your DUI may hinder your self-confidence and prevent you from moving forward with your startup dreams.
If you need additional guidance with finding alcohol and drug counseling services, ask your DUI attorney for help.
Volunteer in Your Community
Volunteering in your community as a DUI speaker may help you achieve your startup company's funding as well. A number of high schools work with law enforcement to educate young people about the repercussions and dangers of driving intoxicated with alcohol and drugs. You can approach different schools in your area by contacting the principals or administrators directly. Contacting DUI awareness groups, including state law enforcement programs, may also be a good option for you.
You may have the option of placing these volunteer programs on your funding applications when you contact different investors for help.
Extra Tips to Keep in Mind
A good number of financial investors perform criminal and financial background checks on their perspective candidates. Be honest about your DUI charges whenever you complete your applications to avoid losing any funding you receive from your investors.
Additionally, ask your DUI attorney if you can have your charges expunged from your records. If this is the very first time you obtained DUI charges, the court may remove them after you complete a certain amount of counseling hours, probation hours and other pertinent obligations. However, you must not have any other criminal charges, such as felony convictions on your records. This is something you must consult with your attorney about, so keep this tip on mind.
If you need more guidance about how to get your life back after a DUI charge, contact your attorney for a detailed appointment today.
Share