services-hub-setup

name: services-hub-setup version: 1.0.0 description: > Sets up a "Services Hub Model" — a central Services LLC that contracts bilateral MSAs with each independent Venture LLC in a multi-venture portfolio. Middle ground between serial-entrepreneur-with-Multi-LLCs and formal-venture-studio-with-holding. Generates MSA template + SOW template + transfer pricing methodology + IP assignment rider + billing calendar. Use when the user asks "services hub", "MSA template", "shared services setup", "central services entity", "transfer pricing methodology", "/services-hub-setup", or has chosen Services Hub pattern (patrón #6) via structure-decision skill. STRONG LEGAL DISCLAIMER — MSAs are legal contracts that require lawyer review.

Services Hub Setup

Implementa el Services Hub Model — una Services LLC central que provee shared services a múltiples Venture LLCs independientes vía Master Service Agreements (MSAs) bilaterales.

Es el middle ground entre:

• Serial entrepreneur con Multi-LLCs sin shared services formales (chaos)
• Venture studio formal con Holding + Fund atado (overkill hasta que sea necesario)

⚠️ DISCLAIMER LEGAL FUERTE

Los MSAs, SOWs, e IP Assignment Riders que este skill genera son templates de preparación. NO son asesoría legal. Antes de firmar cualquier MSA con una Venture LLC que tenga VC money o empleados, consultar:

• Corporate lawyer en la jurisdicción del Services LLC (Delaware típicamente)
• Corporate lawyer en la jurisdicción de cada Venture LLC (LATAM local)
• Tax advisor con experiencia en transfer pricing arm's-length (big 4 o specialist firm)
• IP lawyer si hay patents o trade secrets involved

Errores comunes en MSAs self-drafted:

• IP assignment ambiguo → dispute cuando Venture LLC raise VC
• Transfer pricing sin methodology documentada → tax reassessment + penalties
• Billing terms vagos → dispute entre entidades (aunque sean "tuyas")
• Liability caps insuficientes → Services LLC absorbe catastrophic loss

Uso correcto de este skill: generar drafts estructurados, llegar al abogado con material listo para revisión + customization jurisdiccional.

Regla de idioma

Español. Términos legales en "español (English)" primera vez.

Directorio de salida

./portfolio/{founder-o-studio-name}/services-hub/
├── services-llc-outline.md                 # Operating agreement outline del Services LLC
├── msa-template.md                         # Master Service Agreement base
├── sow-template.md                         # Statement of Work per engagement
├── transfer-pricing-methodology.md         # Arm's-length methodology + markup rationale
├── ip-assignment-rider.md                  # IP assignment rider (anexo al MSA)
├── billing-calendar.md                     # Cadencia mensual de facturación
└── venture-msas/                           # Copias firmadas per venture (cuando se generen)
    ├── {venture-1}-msa.md
    ├── {venture-2}-msa.md
    └── ...

Prerrequisito: elegir Services Hub como estructura

Antes de correr este skill, confirmar vía structure-decision que Services Hub (patrón #6) es la recomendación correcta para tu scenario.

Señales claras de Services Hub fit:

• 3+ ventures activas (menos → no justifica overhead)
• Shared services reales (mismos devs, designers, tools entre ventures)
• Plan de VC raises independent per venture (cada cap table separado)
• Sin plan de fund atado (si querés fund atado → usar attached-fund-structure)
• Ventures no-combinables por liability contagion (ver liability-contagion-analysis)

Si no tenés estas señales, probably Services Hub es premature optimization.

El flujo (7 pasos)

Paso 1 — Context del founder + ventures

SH-1: "¿Cuántas ventures voy a servir desde el Services LLC?

• Nombres legales (o codenames si pre-formation)
• Jurisdicción de cada una
• Stage (idea / MVP / revenue)"

SH-2: "¿Qué shared services voy a proveer? Marcar los que apliquen:

• Engineering / development (devs con skill set compartido)
• Design / UX
• Marketing / content / growth
• Legal retainer + compliance
• Finance / accounting
• Infrastructure / DevOps
• People / HR / recruiting
• Executive / strategy (tu time como founder)
• Otro (especificar)"

SH-3: "¿Quién vive en el Services LLC?

• Tú (founder) — % ownership
• Otros partners en el Services LLC — %
• Empleados full-time (no freelancers ni contractors) — typical roles?"

Paso 2 — Form Services LLC

SH-4: "Setup del Services LLC:

Jurisdicción recomendada: Delaware LLC (default).

• Razones: pass-through taxation, VCs familiar, Mercury banking, low cost
• Alternativas: Wyoming LLC (cheaper + privacy), US-TX LLC (Skip-CR pattern si founders son LATAM residents sin empleados US)

Setup vía Stripe Atlas / Firstbase / Clerky: ~$500-$800 Annual maintenance: ~$400 (franchise + registered agent) Banking: Mercury (default para founders internacionales)

Naming convention: '[Founder Surname] Services LLC' o '[Studio Name] Services LLC'. Importante: NO usar el mismo nombre que ninguna venture (confusión legal + branding).

Operating Agreement key terms:

• Member(s) + ownership %
• Capital contributions (minimum $1k initial)
• Management structure (member-managed default; manager-managed si múltiples)
• Distribution rules
• Dissolution + exit procedures"

Generar services-llc-outline.md con:

• Nombre legal propuesto
• Jurisdicción
• Operating agreement outline
• Banking setup
• EIN requirement (filing con IRS)
• Initial capital contribution

Paso 3 — Draft MSA template (framework)

Leer también: disclaimer legal al inicio del skill.

SH-5: "MSA es el contrato framework entre Services LLC y cada Venture LLC. Se firma una vez, vida multi-año, y después cada engagement específico se describe via SOW (Statement of Work) sin re-firmar todo.

Términos clave del MSA:

1. Parties: Services LLC + Venture LLC + legal addresses
2. Scope general: catálogo amplio de services que puede proveer
3. Pricing methodology: cost-plus markup (ver paso 5)
4. Billing cadence: mensual default
5. IP ownership: work product → Venture (excepto Services LLC tools/frameworks)
6. Confidentiality: 5-year NDA both ways
7. Liability caps: 12 months of fees per Venture (standard)
8. Termination: 60-day notice + transition plan
9. Dispute resolution: arbitration en Delaware (default)
10. Governing law: Delaware (match Services LLC jurisdiction)"

Generar msa-template.md con sección por término + placeholder sections para customization jurisdiccional.

Paso 4 — Draft SOW template (per engagement)

SH-6: "Los SOWs son addenda al MSA para describir engagements específicos.

Formato SOW típico:

• Reference al MSA de base
• Engagement name + description
• Deliverables + acceptance criteria
• Timeline (start + end date o ongoing)
• Pricing (fixed, hourly, retainer)
• Dedicated resources (qué personas/horas)
• Success metrics
• Dependencies (qué necesita la Venture proveer)

Ejemplos:

• SOW-001: 'Build MVP v1 de [Venture]. 40 hours/week × 12 weeks. $X total.'
• SOW-002: 'Marketing retainer para [Venture]. 20 hours/week ongoing. $Y/mes.'
• SOW-003: 'Legal review anual de TOS + Privacy Policy. Fixed $Z.'"

Generar sow-template.md con sección para cada campo + 3 ejemplos por tipo (dev, marketing, legal).

Paso 5 — Transfer pricing methodology

Este paso es el más crítico para tax compliance.

SH-7: "Transfer pricing entre entidades relacionadas (Services LLC ↔ Venture LLC con common ownership) requiere arm's-length pricing.

Metodología estándar recomendada: Cost-plus con 10% markup.

• Cost: todos los costos directos + indirectos de proveer el service
  • Salarios + benefits + payroll taxes de los team members
  • Tools + infrastructure allocated
  • Overhead general (oficina, admin, etc.)
• Markup: 10% sobre cost (defensible per OECD guidelines para services)
• Invoice: Services LLC bills Venture LLC monthly al Cost × 1.10

Alternativas (para casos específicos):

• Cost-plus 5%: para services de bajo valor agregado (data entry, admin)
• Cost-plus 15%: para services altamente especializados (engineering con rare skills)
• Flat rate: para shared infrastructure fácil de allocate (cloud hosting per user)
• ABC (Activity-Based Costing): para legal retainer where matters son discrete

Regla de oro: documentar la methodology BEFORE firmar el primer MSA. Re-evaluar annually. Tax authorities require Transfer Pricing Documentation en auditorías — tener methodology escrita es critical defense."

Generar transfer-pricing-methodology.md con:

• Methodology elegida + rationale
• Markup benchmarks (con fuentes OECD + industry)
• Cost calculation example
• Re-evaluation cadence (annual review)
• Documentation requirements per jurisdicción

Paso 6 — IP Assignment Rider

SH-8: "IP assignment entre Services LLC y Venture LLC es sutil:

Work product → Venture LLC: todo código, diseño, copy, marketing materials creado PARA la Venture se asigna a la Venture. El Venture pays la ownership via el MSA fees.

Services LLC retains: tools, frameworks, reusable libraries que Services LLC usó para hacer el work product. Ejemplo: Services LLC tiene un framework React customizado; usa ese framework para build Venture LLC's app; el app es de la Venture, el framework es de Services LLC.

Third-party IP: open source + third-party services (AWS, Stripe, etc.) con their respective licenses.

Pre-existing IP: cualquier cosa Services LLC o Venture LLC tenían ANTES del MSA keeps its original ownership.

Redactar rider anexo al MSA especificando esto."

Generar ip-assignment-rider.md con:

• Definición clara de work product vs. tools/frameworks
• Licencia recíproca (Services LLC licenses frameworks to Venture para usarlo en el work product)
• Exclusions (pre-existing IP)
• Third-party IP handling

Paso 7 — Billing calendar + accounting

SH-9: "Cadencia de facturación:

• Día 1 del mes: Services LLC calcula hours + costs del mes anterior
• Día 3: generar invoice per venture (detail hours + services)
• Día 5: enviar invoice a venture (email + PDF)
• Día 15: payment due (NET 15)
• Día 16+: late fee 1.5% monthly si no-paid

Si venture atraviesa cash crunch temporal, flag a service disruption antes de late fee.

Accounting setup:

• Services LLC: accounting software (Xero / QuickBooks). Cada cost categorizado por venture cliente. Revenue categorizado por venture cliente.
• Venture LLC: accounting software separado. Cost allocation = MSA invoice amount.
• Bank accounts separados: Services LLC uses Mercury account. Each Venture LLC uses own account. Intercompany transfers vía ACH (documented).

Documentation requerida para tax audit:

• MSA firmado
• Monthly invoices
• Time tracking data (Harvest/Toggl per team member per venture)
• Transfer pricing methodology doc
• Annual review notes"

Generar billing-calendar.md con:

• Mensual schedule + responsibilities
• Invoice template
• Escalation procedures
• Accounting software recommendation

Evolution path: Services Hub → Holding formal

El Services Hub es middle ground. Cuando sea el trigger correcto, migrar a formal Holding structure (ver skill structure-evolution-roadmap).

Triggers para upgrade a Holding:

• 2+ ventures hit Series A ($2M+ priced rounds)
• Planning de levantar FUND atado (LP capital)
• Tax optimization at holding level justifies complexity (accountant calcula $50k+/year savings)
• Exit plan del studio como entity (vs. exits individuales per venture)

Timeline de upgrade: planificado 6-12 meses ahead. No hacer durante term sheet negotiation.

Estructura destino:

Holding Company (Delaware C-Corp o Cayman)
├── Management Company (renamed from Services LLC o nueva)
├── GP Entity (new)
├── Fund LP (new, if attached fund)
└── Venture LLCs (unchanged, now owned by Holding)

MSAs pasan a intercompany agreements centralized via Holding.

Principios clave

• MSA first, SOWs after: siempre el framework antes de engagements específicos
• Transfer pricing documented: methodology escrita + re-evaluated annually
• Separate accounting: commingling kills the structure
• Bilateral relationships: cada Venture LLC sign MSA separately (not combined)
• IP explicit: "who owns what" clear desde día 1
• Lawyer review NO optional: MSA templates son drafts, no final

Anti-patterns

• Servicios ad-hoc sin MSA (transfer pricing audit nightmare)
• Venture LLC pays Services LLC via informal Venmo (no audit trail)
• Cost-plus con markup aleatorio ("cobramos 30% porque sí") — auditoría lo cuestiona
• Mismo IP assignment clause copy-pasted entre MSAs distintos (ventures tienen needs distintos)
• No re-evaluar methodology annually — costs + benchmarks cambian
• Services LLC bills en bulk ("$10k/mes por Services") sin detail — no defensible

Integración con otras skills

• structure-decision (prerequisite): debe haber elegido patrón #6 Services Hub
• liability-contagion-analysis: validar que las ventures NO son combinables bajo single-LLC (razón de Services Hub + Multi-LLC)
• shared-services-ledger: tracking operacional de hours + costs per venture (input del monthly billing)
• sweat-equity-agreement: si team members del Services LLC tienen equity en Venture LLCs, coordinar cap tables
• structure-evolution-roadmap: trigger para upgrade Services Hub → Holding
• cap-table-per-venture: cada Venture LLC mantiene cap table independiente

Recursos

• Cooley Go — MSA templates library
• Stripe Atlas — incorporation + standard contracts (Delaware LLC)
• Clerky — corporate housekeeping + document storage
• OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines — source of truth internacional
• Deloitte / PwC / EY / KPMG — transfer pricing advisors (big 4 para audit defense)
• Mercury — banking para Services LLC + Venture LLCs
• Xero / QuickBooks — accounting software con intercompany features
• Harvest / Toggl — time tracking per venture para cost allocation
• Carta — cap table management (separate per venture)

Case study: @lapc506 (reference)

Ver references/lapc506-services-hub-canonical.md para ejemplo completo del pattern aplicado al serial entrepreneur con 4 ventures personales (Altrupets, Vertivolatam, Habitanexus, Aduanext) operando desde Costa Rica.