Online Incorporation MaxBlog

Many of the entrepreneur guides today recommend forming an advisory board…but a surprising number of entrepreneurs ignore this advice according to an interesting article by Mary Sullivan at the First Year blog.

It’s hard to know why entrepreneurs ignore this advice – perhaps they don’t understand the role of an advisory board or think they can find everything online. While there’s a lot of useful information on the Internet, nothing takes the place of advice specific to your situation.

At a minimum, an advisory board should include a legal and financial/tax advisor and any other area you lack the necessary experience to make your business run.

After incorporating online, you’re not likely going to have a large management team in place so a group of people to float ideas with and get their perspective. It’s best to meet as a group, usually each month.

In addition to advice, your advisors will pass your name along to their friends and business associates, giving you support at a critical time.

Read Mary’s article for more tips on forming an advisory board…and once you are ready to form a corporation, take care of it easily online in as short as 10 minutes at MaxFilings.com.

Online incorporation service MaxFilings.com just announced new partnership/alliance opportunities for law firms that want to offer business incorporation services with little investment OR continue offering these services more cost-effectively.

MaxFilings is offering two different partnership levels - flexible solutions to meet the needs of law firms. One level – a law firm’s their client can exclusively deal with the firm while business incorporation professionals at MaxFilings handle the required paperwork. Or, the law firm can simply refer people to where they can easily form their corporation online using MaxFilings’ proven system.

Law firms will also be able to offer additional services to their clients like foreign qualification and registered agent.

Active participants in the program will also benefit from promotion of their business and website through MaxFilings’ partner company SEO Advantage.

For more information, visit http://www.maxfilings.com/partner.php.

It’s not as intimidating as it may sound – when incorporating a small business online, the article of incorporation establishes the existence of your corporation in the particular state you are in and reveals identifying information and basic operating characteristics about your company.

Articles of Incorporation are typically filed with the Secretary of State’s office (or whichever agency handles business registration) in the particular state you are incorporating in.

It’s pretty easy to write one yourself, or a business attorney can easily prepare one for you…at a minimum, they must include:

• Name and address of corporation or primary location of business
• Corporate purpose (usually stated in broad language, like a mission statement)
• Name and address of Registered Agent
• Stock information – number, designation and value of any stock shares you are issuing or plan to        issue

Many states provide templates so incorporators can easily create their own articles – here’s an example of articles of incorporation courtesy of the Illinois Secretary of State – many other states have templates so simply refer to their Secretary of State’s website

Online incorporation service MaxFilings.com provides full services for incorporating a small business online – including the Articles of Incorporation. Form your incorporation in just a short time, or save your information and return later.

A code of ethics is a policy statement of sorts, a formal document that employees within a company must follow – along with specific sanctions if the code is violated. Unless a crime has been committed, the toughest sanction is dismissal from the job.

It’s easy though to confuse ethics with the law – obeying the law is the absolute minimum code of ethics and is enforced by society as a whole through law enforcement and the courts. For example, we all know it’s illeagal to steal. Lying is unethical, but it’s only illeagal in certain limited circumstances. Business ethics demand a higher standard, not merely obeying the law.

Code of ethics were born out of the social responsibility movements of the 1960’s as many people began to recognize the effects mass consumerism have on the environment.

After the Enron and Worldcom debacles earlier this decade, the Code of Ethics took on a whole new meaning. Current law, specifically the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, now requires a company to publicly disclose their code of ethics if their stock is traded under the auspices of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

After you incorporate your business online, you may be wondering if you need a code of ethics. It can’t hurt, even if you’re not a publicly traded firm – instill confidence in your customers and investors that your company adheres to a higher standard.

Check back soon for tips on what to include in a code of ethics…in the mean time, find great business incorporation and management tips in the MaxFilings Knowledge Center.

When forming your nonprofit corporation online at MaxFilings, certain information must be included in order for the process to go smoothly. Online incorporation services like MaxFilings can help you properly complete what’s required

Just like for-profit corporations, articles of incorporation or certificate of incorporation are the documents required to form a nonprofit. Each state’s requirements vary, but the most common are:

1.    Nonprofit Name – The desired name of the nonprofit must be included. Some states require a corporate identifier, such as “Corporation”, “Company”, or “Incorporated”.
2.    Business Purpose – Explanation of what the nonprofit is being formed to do or provide. This is also very important for ensuring the nonprofit is properly classified as such with the IRS.
3.    Registered Agent – Virtually all states require them to have a registered agent, or a designee to receive official legal and tax correspondence from the state.
4.    Incorporator – Name of the person filing the incorporation documents with the state.
5.    Directors – Most states require the names and addresses of the initial board of directors to be included in business filing documents.

The above list is a general outline. Consult with a professional or with the state you intend to incorporate in to be sure you include all required information.

Online incorporation service MaxFilings can help you easily form your nonprofit in any state or the District of Columbia.

Ever browse through online incorporation articles and blogs and get confused by all of the terms they use? Maintaining focus on your business is difficult enough so having to decipher what a particular word means can be a major headache.

This is one of the main reasons why MaxFilings maintains a handy list of business incorporation terms. In addition to providing online incorporation services across the nation, the business terms list provides concise explanation of many common phrases such as apostille, liquidity, quorum, and so on.

The glossary of business terms is a small but very helpful part of the Knowledge Center at MaxFilings, an extensive resource for small business incorporation.

So the next time you want to briefly know what “pass-through taxation” means, use the glossary of business terms as your first source!

If you’re incorporating your business, chances are you’ve heard you will need "articles of incorporation". Though it may sound like a complicated set of documents, it is actually the initial document that sets forth the information about a corporation that is required by the laws of the state in which you are forming your corporation.

Articles of incorporation are sometimes also called the certificate of incorporation or charter - in fact, these 3 terms are often used interchangeably. Bear in mind that some of that information will be included in the public record.

So, if you are forming a corporation in California for example, you’ll need to submit the information required for California articles of incorporation. Here you can learn more about the specifics for incorporating in California , including articles of incorporation.

Deciding on the entity type for your newly formed business is a time-consuming task. Researching the pros and cons of each business entity can involve hours of Internet searches and consulting with attorneys and accountants. To find a simple comparison of common business entities available, check out this simple chart found at the online incorporation Knowledge Center at MaxFilings.

The entity comparison chart provides side-by-side comparisons of sole proprietorships, limited partnerships, C corporations, S Corporations, and Limited Liability Companies. Each of these entities is compared and contrasted according to different situations, such as transfer of ownership, management decisions, and the raising of capital. In addition, the Knowledge Center at MaxFilings provides more detailed information on each type of business entity to aid in your decision.

The business entity comparison chart is only an informational resource. You should always consult with a professional before making any final decisions. Once an entity type has been decided, incorporate your business online at your convenience at MaxFilings online incorporation service.

Articles of Incorporation

Also known as “Charter” or “Certificate of Incorporation” in some states. The Article of Incorporation is the legal document that is filed with The Secretary of State (state agency) to start the corporation.

Shareholder

Person who owns shares of a company’s stock. In small corporations, shareholders are officers and directors of the corporations.

Board of Directors

The board of directors oversees major corporate decisions and elects the officers.

Officers

Elected by the board of directors. Officers include president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

Registered Agent

Also known as “resident agent” in some states; person or incorporation company that is designated by the corporation to receive tax and legal documents on behalf of the corporation. Failure to maintain a Registered Agent in the jurisdiction where the corporation is registered may result in the forfeiture of the corporate status.

Bylaws

Rules and regulations that govern the structure and operation of the corporation.

Pondering a corporate name change? Don’t modify those articles of incorporation just yet. There’s another way to change the name of your business without a corporate name change. This alternative is often overlooked and is as simple as modifying or renewing your business license.

Depending on the rules of your state incorporation office and those of the licensing city or county, changing the operational name of your business may be as simple as using a DBA, alternative business name. Take a look at your business license application or business license. If you see a line for DBA or Doing Business As following the line for Business Name, you may be able to place your DBA under your corporate veil. Contact your local business licensing office to find out if you can use a DBA and about other documentation that may be required. MaxFilings can also help you save time and money by filing your DBA for you.

Dont forget to visit the MaxFilings Knowledge Center for more incorporation information online.