Legal & Registration
Tagline: Set up your business correctly
Overview
The legal foundation of your business isn't the most exciting topic—but getting it wrong can be catastrophic. This section removes the confusion and anxiety around business formation, ensuring you're protected, compliant, and positioned for success from day one.
You'll start by understanding business structures in plain English. Learn the real differences between Sole Proprietorships, LLCs, S-Corps, and C-Corps—not just the legal definitions, but the practical implications for liability protection, tax treatment, fundraising capability, and administrative burden. We'll help you choose the structure that matches your current situation and future ambitions, with state-specific guidance for formation requirements.
Next, you'll navigate the registration maze: obtaining your EIN (Employer Identification Number), registering with state and local authorities, understanding sales tax obligations, and securing necessary business licenses and permits for your industry. We provide checklists and workflows that ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
You'll also learn to protect your business through essential legal documents—operating agreements that prevent partner disputes, client contracts that set clear expectations, NDAs that protect confidential information, and vendor agreements that define service relationships. We'll cover intellectual property basics including trademark registration to protect your brand identity.
This section transforms legal compliance from an intimidating barrier into a manageable checklist. Set up correctly now, and you'll avoid expensive corrections, disputes, and liabilities later. Consider this your legal insurance policy—preventing problems is always cheaper than fixing them.