Starting a Business in the U.S?

The main reason to incorporate or form an LLC is to minimize your personal liability. Once your business is incorporated (either by forming an LLC or Corporation), it exists as a separate business entity. Essentially, you put a wall separating your personal assets from anything in the business.

Yes you can help reserve your business name if you’d like. A business name reservation consists of a filing with the Secretary of State’s office to reserve a business name until you are ready to incorporate your business or form a Limited Liability Company. Generally, a name reservation will be effective and the name that you place on reserve will be on hold for 30-90 days. Once the name reservation expires, that name becomes available for use to the general public for anyone who wants to use it.

An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a hybrid of a sole proprietorship/partnership and corporation. This structure is very popular among small businesses, and for good reason. The LLC limits the personal liability of the owners, but doesn’t require much of the heavy formality and paperwork of the corporation. This makes it a great choice for business owners that want liability protection but don’t want to deal with exhaustive meeting minutes, addendum filings or other paperwork you’d need to file as a corporation.

A C Corporation is a standard corporation. It is considered a separate entity from its owners. This means that the corporation is responsible for any of its debts and liabilities. This is often called the “corporate shield” as it protects the owner’s personal assets from debts and liabilities of the business.

An S Corporation begins its corporate existence similar to a C Corporation: Articles of Incorporation must be prepared and filed with the state office. Once filed, a “general for profit” corporation has been formed.

You often hear of companies incorporating in Delaware, Wyoming, or Nevada. That’s because Delaware offers flexible, pro-business statutes, while Wyoming and Nevada feature low filing fees as well as no state corporate income, franchise, or personal income taxes.