Startup and Launch

While it may sound mysterious and intriguing, an anonymous LLC (also known as a private or confidential LLC) is like a regular Limited Liability Company, except its members are not publicly identified by the state. The names, addresses, and contact information for...

Entrepreneurs cannot succeed in business completely on their own. Successful business owners will leverage their talent, expertise, and skills, while also being quick to delegate tasks and responsibilities to others with the knowledge and proficiencies they lack....

A pass-through entity refers to a business that does not pay income tax of its own. Its income, losses, credits, and deductions “pass-through” to each business owner’s personal tax return, where its profits are taxed according to each owner’s individual income tax rate. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, and S Corporations are all pass-through entities. Corporations, and limited liability companies that elect to be taxed as a corporation, are not pass-through entities.

The United States of America holds 13.5% of the global GDP and is only second to China in its share of global revenue. This statistic, along with its strong economy, makes the United States an ideal location for foreigners to start a business and capture that...

If you have a high level of proficiency, expertise, and experience in a field, you may have thought about how to start a consulting business. Starting a consulting business can be a wonderful career option for individuals who want to leverage their knowledge and...

A single-member LLC can be taxed as an S Corporation if it meets the IRS’s eligibility criteria. In fact, both single-member and multi-member Limited Liability Companies can elect to be treated by the IRS as either an S Corporation or a C Corporation if they meet...

One of the essential steps new business owners must take when launching their companies is to apply for an EIN. An Employee Identification Number (also known as a Federal Tax ID Number or Tax ID Number) is a nine-digit number assigned to a business for filing...

Amazon sellers, like other entrepreneurs that sell products online, should think about how their business structure affects them professionally and personally. The business entity type chosen has an impact on income tax obligations, ongoing business compliance...

Want to buy an existing business? You’re not alone. BizBuySell.com, a marketplace for business buyers and sellers, reports continued strong business-for-sale activity in the second quarter of 2018. Small businesses sold for a median sale price of $239,000 in the...

Choosing the best state to start a business is an important detail in your overall business plan. When it comes to launching a small business, “Location, location, location” is part of the formula for success. If you’re wondering if a specific location would give...

One of the most exciting initial tasks to tackle when starting a business is brainstorming names for your company. It’s also one of the most critical to-dos; your company’s name will be the foundation of your brand, so you need to consider it carefully. As you...

Have you always dreamed of starting a nonprofit organization so you can give back to your community? Maybe you have a charity that’s close to your heart, such as research for autism or helping the homeless, and you’ve always wanted to have the same kind of impact...

Starting and running a farming business provides the opportunity and the freedom to forge your own professional path. There’s hard work involved and any seasoned farmer will tell you farming is a 24/7 commitment. And an agricultural business comes with many of the...

If you're considering forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Michigan, you're probably wondering what paperwork the state requires. For example, do you need Articles of Organization for a Michigan LLC? That's one of the common questions we field here at...

Uber drivers, even those doing rideshare driving as a side gig, are considered to be earning income through self-employment. Just like other self-employed independent contractors, they face some critical startup decisions—including what business entity type to...

Creating a business name is one of the most exciting and important startup tasks that entrepreneurs must tackle. The name you choose for your business will serve to distinguish you from your competitors and give customers insight into the experience they will have...

If you’re starting a new businessm adding new locations, or adding business lines, you are likely wondering if registering a DBA or forming an LLC is the best route to travel. A DBA is an assumed (fictitious) name that an existing business has received approval to...

Payroll deductions are monies that employers withhold from an employee’s pay. These deductions include withdrawals such as federal income taxes, state income taxes, local income taxes, FICA tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), medical benefits, retirement...

Have you been thinking about making your dream of starting your own business in the beautiful Pacific Northwest a reality but not sure how to begin?  This post will help guide you through the process of registering a business in Oregon. That said, let’s get started...

So you’ve decided to register your business as a Limited Liability Company or C Corporation. Kudos to you for thinking about the benefits of liability protection and possible tax advantages that come with formally establishing your company as a separate legal...

You spend time coming up with the perfect name for your business then you spend lots of money creating business cards, signs, and other marketing collateral. But what happens if someone else is already using that name or the name is soon adopted by another company?...

Starting and running a business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) offers some advantages to business owners who want liability protection, taxation flexibility, and credibility without complexity. Next to a Sole Proprietorship, it’s the business legal structure...

If you plan to start a skincare business, there are several things you'll need to do before you start scheduling customers to come in for facials, waxing, or consultation. Here's a checklist of what you need to know if you want to know how to start a skincare business.

If you’ve decided to form a corporation, congratulations to you! You’re on the right track to protecting yourself and taking your business more seriously. But the work’s not done yet. One of the steps you’ll need to do in the incorporating process is to appoint a...

If you've been exploring how to start a small business in Texas, this article is for you. Learn 10 steps to launch a business in the Lone Star state.

A Real Estate LLC (Limited Liability Company) business structure has become a preferred entity of real estate investors for holding title to investment properties. That’s not too surprising considering the advantages of forming an LLC: It limits personal liability....

The Series LLC is also known as a Series Limited Liability Company or SLLC for short. It allows multiple Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) within a master LLC to operate as separate entities with their own names, bank accounts, and record keeping. Each series can conduct business independently in this way because the series LLCs’ articles of formation explicitly allow them to have unrestricted segregation of membership interests, assets, liabilities, and operations.

Ready, set, launch! Here’s your starting a business in California checklist. This handy guide will help make sure you don’t miss a thing.