Category: Incorporation

In the beginning phases of any business, there are many things to consider that take up much of your time. Marketing, production, finances, personnel… these are all-consuming in the start-up phases of business.

Entrepreneurs are usually aware of the toll starting a business has on personal relationships. But they sometimes are unaware that the relationship with your business partner can suffer also.

If your business relationship has deteriorated to the point that continuing to work together is detrimental to the company, it’s time to dissolve the partnership. Preparing for this contingency is essential to ensure that the business suffers as little as possible.  The important thing to consider is whether you or your partner will forge ahead with the business.

For the sake of the company, and the partner who remains, a separation agreement is necessary. This is not unlike a divorce, and attorneys almost always have a role in these proceedings. This is no different. You should seek legal counsel to protect yourself, your partner and your business. Attorneys provide an objective point of view in what could be an emotional and trying situation.

We make it our mission to make it easier to start your business, from incorporation to trademark protection. If you’re thinking about starting a business, please give us a call!

For a startup, it’s not enough to have concept for a company or an idea of what the next big product will be.

You need a business plan.

The Internet is ripe with different viewpoints on what should go into a business plan.  The plan itself should be customized to fit your business and you, the business owner. A business plan is not just a tool to help you get a loan, although it’s almost always a requirement for any lending institution or financer.

The essence of the idea that will drive your business’s success should be contained amongst the executive summary, business model description, charts, graphs and analytics, executive team intro and anything else that the gurus say should be included in a sound business plan.

In short, you should write the business plan for yourself.

A business plan gives you a practical roadmap for the life of your business. It forces you to think about the future, including how your business will grow, how you’ll deal with competition and how you’ll deal with lulls in business.

As a communication tool, it helps you to express your ideas and goals with employees, vendors, customers and mentors. This can be vital to your success because it gives them a practical outline of how you intend to achieve success in business.

Entrepreneur.com has a page with a ton of information about business plan basics, including samples and how-to’s, perfect for someone just starting out in business.

Of course there are other issues you should look into before starting any business. We make it our mission to make starting a business as easy as possible.  If you need information on incorporating your business, visit our website.

Our state incorporation series today focuses on the Land of Lincoln. Our website includes summary of our services, and what you’ll need to know to incorporate a business in Illinois.

 

Did you know?

Quick facts about Illinois business:

• Illinois is the #1 state in machinery manufacturing.
• 33 of the companies listed on Fortune 500 are located in Illinois.
• 31.6% of all privately held firms in Illinois are owned by women.

Benefits of incorporating in Illinois

Illinois prides itself on business innovation and environmental issues, ranking #6 in installed wind power capacity, according to a report by Business Facilities.

According to the Small Business Administration, small business in Illinois accounts for 98% of the state’s employers and 48% of its private-sector employment.

Time and cost to incorporate in Illinois

The ease and speed with which a business is incorporated in Illinois can vary based on the company name and category of business activity. When incorporating an ordinary corporation or LLC, the average processing time is 15-20 business days. For an additional fee of $112, the state will expedite the process in three business days. The state’s fee to incorporate either an ordinary Illinois corporation is $175; an LLC is $500.

Direct Incorporation’s Illinois incorporation services

We offer three packages to assist you with incorporating in Illinois, with prices ranging from $149 to $773. For more information on our Illinois incorporation services, click on a link below.

• Standard Package
• Premier Package
• Venture Package

Do you have questions about incorporating your business in Illinois? Please leave a comment below and I will try to answer them. Thanks!

By Becky, Public Relations at Direct Incorporation

Today for our state incorporation series, we’re visiting The Garden State to learn about what you need to know to incorporate a business in New Jersey.

Discover the benefits of incorporating in New Jersey.
According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses in New Jersey account for 98% of the state’s employers and 51% of its private-sector employment. A state that prides itself on business innovation and environmental issues, New Jersey ranks #2 in installed solar capacity and #10 in biotechnology strength.

How much time and what is the cost to incorporate in New Jersey?
The ease and speed with which a business is incorporated in New Jersey can vary based on the company name and category of business activity. When incorporating an ordinary corporation or LLC, the average processing time is about two weeks. The state fee to incorporate either an ordinary New Jersey corporation or LLC is $125.

About Direct Incorporation’s New Jersey incorporation services.
Direct Incorporation offers three packages to assist you with incorporating in New Jersey, with prices ranging from $149 to $773. For more information on our New Jersey incorporation services, click on a link below.

• Standard Package
• Premier Package
• Venture Package

Do you have questions about incorporating your business in New Jersey? Please leave a comment below and I will try to answer them. Thanks!  – Becky

By Becky, Public Relations at Direct Incorporation

Although high-profile businesses started by twenty-somethings get a lot of press, boomers make up the fastest growing segment of new business developers in the U.S.

There are several reasons why a seasoned professional would want to attempt a venture in mid-career.

* They’ve been shut out of a business or industry due to economic downturn
* They’re victims of age discrimination
* They’re turning a hobby into a business
* They’ve discovered a new passion and a way to make money doing it

These new entrepreneurs may have the drive and know-how to make it happen, but they may not know exactly what goes into creating a new business from the ground up. This is especially true of people who are entering into a new industry.

New business owners are so involved in making their business go, they don’t have time to dedicate to some of the legal and research issues that are also vital to the success of the business. And not to scare you, but those are the things that you shouldn’t let slide when entering into the world as an entrepreneur.

While technology makes everything faster, it also makes it impossible to keep up with what’s trending in business; the intricacies of incorporating in each state; ensuring the business is protected; how to promote; and the list goes on and on.

Our company’s mission is to make it easier to start a business. If you’re one of those people in start-up mode and need some advice on incorporating your business, visit our website for a complete list of our services.

By Maryann Lawrence, Startup Rep, Direct Incorporation

Today for our state incorporation series we’re visiting the Peach State to learn about what you need to know to incorporate a business in Georgia.

Discover the benefits of incorporating in Georgia.
According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses in Georgia account for 98% of the state’s employers and 46% of its private-sector employment. It also ranks #5 in the Economic Growth Potential and #2 in Workforce Training Leaders, per a report by Business Facilities. The Georgia Department of Economic Development ranks Georgia #1 in the U.S. for Entrepreneurship, # 6 for best state in the U.S. in which to do business and #8 best state for business, careers and regulatory environment.

How much time and what is the cost to incorporate in Georgia?
The ease and speed with which a business is incorporated in Georgia can vary based on the company name and category of business activity. When incorporating an ordinary corporation or LLC, the average processing time is only 6-8 business days. The state fee to incorporate either an ordinary Georgia corporation or LLC is $100.

About Direct Incorporation’s Georgia incorporation services.
Direct Incorporation offers three package to assist you with incorporating in Georgia, with prices ranging from $149 to $773. For more information on our Georgia incorporation services, click on a link below.

• Standard Package
• Premier Package
• Venture Package

Do you have questions about incorporating your business in Georgia? Please leave a comment below and I will try to answer them. Thanks!  – Maryann

By Maryann Lawrence, Startup Rep, Direct Incorporation

Direct Incorporation CEO Shannon Stahlin is profiled in the most recent issue of DBusiness as part of their annual “30 in Their 30s” feature.

The inspiration of Direct Incorporation came to Shannon while he was in law school at Tulane University. Originally, our company focused on providing more economical and efficient alternatives to traditional law firms for common small business issues. But Shannon saw the need quickly to expand our services and advise new business start-ups about such matters as domain registration, logo and website design.

Shannon comes by this naturally: His father and both grandfathers were entrepreneurs. After eight years in business, Shannon is now a grizzled veteran at the ripe old age of 32. For more information, check out the article in DBusiness, on newsstands now.

If you own a small business, or have an idea for one, we can help with our small business legal services.

 

By Maryann Lawrence, Startup Rep, Direct Incorporation

Direct Incorporation is rolling out a new program to assist CPAs and Accountants nationwide with incorporating their clients’ businesses.

This B-to-B program provides CPAs and Accountants with all the necessary paperwork needed to incorporate or form LLCs, plus a commission for each incorporation package completed.

As a CorpAcct client, Accountants and CPAs will be able to provide their clients with the necessary Corporate Formality documents, such as Bylaws, Stock Certificates, Corporate Book and Seal. Additionally, they will be able to stay on top of their clients’ corporate formalities by running their corporate meetings, automatically creating Minutes and Resolutions and then storing them securely online.

Direct Incorporation is offering three packages, ranging from $149 (plus state fees) to $773 (plus state fees). All packages include the following services. The top tier package includes several add-ons such as website hosting and logo design, and trademark protection and monitoring.

* Articles of Incorporation
* Preliminary Name Check
* Real-Time Online Access to Client Resource Center
* Prompt Shipment
* Notice Documents
* Employer Identification Number
* Filing of State Franchise Tax
* S-Corporation Assistance
* Designated CorpAcct Rep
* Free Business Compliance Program

Learn more about the CorpAcct program.

By Maryann Lawrence, Startup Rep, Direct Incorporation

These days, having a good website is critical. According to eMarketer the number of consumers researching or shopping online will surpass 200 million by 2015! But how do you get people to visit your website? And, once there, how do you get them to stay?

How to bring people to your website.

To bring people to your website, you’ll need to make sure you rank high in the search engines. (When your target market performs a Google or Yahoo search, the goal is for your site to show up on the first page of the search engine’s results.)

To do this, you’ll need to do some on-page search engine optimization. This starts with brainstorming the key words for which people are searching and sprinkling those keywords throughout your website headlines and body copy.

Another way to attract more traffic is to tag your graphics. This means, naming your image files with the same relevant keywords mentioned above.

For more information on optimizing your website for search engines, downloadCopyblogger’s free guide: How to Create Compelling Content that Ranks Well in Search Engines.

How to get people to stay.

When a visitor jumps ship in less than eight seconds, it’s called click-off. Solving click-off can be a challenge. But there are some things you can do.

1. Get rid of slow-loading, high-resolution images.
2. Deliver high quality content that provides answers to what your target market is searching for. This includes providing a clear description of who you are and what you do.
3. Be sure your site can be easily navigated. For more tips on setting up your site navigation, see Entrepreneur’s article on 10 Things Every Small-Business Website Needs.

Need a new website? Contact Direct Incorporation for cost-effective website design and hosting services. Thanks!  – Maryann