Reversal of State Fortunes

The Corporate Company seeking to lobby several states to reduce or outright remove incorporating costs temporarily to encourage new small business growth around the country. Several states have been found lately to be revisting their policies and procedures with the hopes of luring small business creation and new investment by either reducing or flat out removing incorporation and permit fees from the state's coffers.

This has been viewed as a quick fix by some critics as a cheap ploy and has sparked fears that the absent dollars will have to be made up somewhere else to prevent a financial shortfall in some state programs.

While supporters of this effort site due to the lack of tax dollars currently being suctioned from the projected state revenues, this effort will kick off a type of small business growth and investment at the local level that many states truly need at this time.

The State of Georgia is one of the few states that has already reduced many of their existing fees for various permits and many of the filing documents that fall under the Secretary of Stateof Georgia and future republican gubenatorial candidate, Karen Handel. Secretary Handel's spokesperson declined to go any further at this time to permit the State Assembly to address these matters in their way first...however, evidence of a fee reduction is already visible on the state's Division of Corporations webpage.

Since The Corporate Company provides incorporating services for free to our clients currently, we clearly advocate for these state departments to get in line and use this effort to spur the additional growth that many of these states so desperately need. One our efforts here as been to redirect many clients to incorporate in other states that either provide reduced incorporation fees and/or to a state that would temparily waive these fees altogether.

Stay tuned, you haven't heard the last of this matter.

How to Start A Business in the United States

America is the land of opportunity and the well-established industry structures make it very easy for a novice who is wondering how to start a business in the US. There are a few things that you will need to do and although we trust you are more than capable, by enlisting The Corporate Company. The first thing a person needs to do is to analyze what kind of business to start, how much capital is needed, availability of funds and loan options etc. You should have drive and determination to work hard and not be dejected or give up incase of minor setbacks.

Do Sufficient Research
You have to do enough research about the business, the latest trends in the market, competition and legal structure of the business. If you want to incorporate, you should know what kind of Corporation you want, such as C, S or close corporation, LLC, or partnership etc. The Corporate Company has removed a great deal of the leg work and we've prepared and easier path toward your dreams being incorporated.

Sole proprietorship is the easiest and least-costly form of business entity, whereas a partnership is advantageous in helping bringing in more money to start a business. However, legal documents have to be drawn and agreements to be made about the distribution of profits etc., which can prove to be a headache for someone who likes to operate solo. Which is why, we fixed so you will never have too.

A detailed plan of the business, how to operate a business, how to get an edge over the competitors, what are the target goals and the time frame within which one aims to achieve them will be helpful to those wondering how to start a business in the US.

Availability of Credit
Availability of adequate capital is an important factor. Some people use personal assets to get a loan to start the business. While considering a loan one has to get the loan from a reputed financial agency after researching which creditor offers the lowest interest rates, borrow only as much as you can repay. I can't stress that enough. Making the correct use of the borrowed fund is essential. Presenting a well-planned proposal with all the necessary details and confidence in your plans will help creditors such as banks to approve the loan. One has to convince the creditors that your loan is a low-risk investment for them. Organizations such as the SBA, bank or several government-funded organizations, offer help to those who need to know how to start a business in the US. And we're putting you right in the front of the line to receive all the options and services available to you.

Licenses and Permits
Finding out what licenses and permits are required for operating your business and providing all the necessary documents to obtain the same is essential. The state website offers information regarding business licensing. The IRS can be contacted for information regarding taxation. We will help you with as much of that as possible.

Business insurance has to be considered and discussed with an appropriate agent. The local state government can be contacted for other important issues such as workers' compensation, minimum wages etc. They can be very useful in providing important information regarding how to start a business in the US.

A plan of the day-to-day operations, leasing or renting a property for the business, equipment needed and the number of employees needed, what to charge for the products or the service that your business offers has to be carefully considered. Adequate marketing such as via the Internet, advertising in the yellow pages etc will be necessary.

Once the business has been established it is necessary to work hard, have a clear idea of how to operate the business, good fiscal management, knowing how to prioritize and work on a budget, establish a good credit record with credit reporting agencies and having a firm commitment to pay off debts as soon as possible.

A helpful government, as well as softwares that are available online which can create documents and record documents needed to operate a business, has made it very easy for those who want to start a business in the US.

How to set up your LLC

To set up an LLC or limited liability company is one of the major decisions that any business or company can undertake. This form of business registration has a lot of implications for the operation and management of the company and can ultimately contribute to its success or failure. But the first thing any business that wants to set up an LLC should do is to get good advice.

There are pros and cons to this type of business registration and to set up an LLC will take some time and money, the two most important resources that any business has. It is useful to examine the options before investing either.

The simplest form of business registration is a sole proprietorship . This is usually a simple registration of the fact that an individual wishes to engage in public commerce and the nature of that business. Unless there are other licenses to obtain from the local regulatory authorities because of the nature of the business, this means a trip to City Hall, filling out the required forms, paying the minimal fees, and obtaining a business number that allows the company to begin business. The individual owner can then start up operations and assume all of the liabilities and tax requirements of the business.

A more complex form of business registration is incorporation. This involves registering the business as a corporation and issuing shares in that business to others who may wish to be part of the business. The act of incorporation involves filing acts of incorporation with the state and while an individual can prepare and file these without an attorney, legal and financial advice is usually required to ensure that the documents are in order. There will have to be a Board of Directors, officers of the corporation and a method to inform shareholders of the on-going operations of the business.

Somewhere in the middle of the previous two options is the option to set up an LLC. An LLC is more complex than a sole proprietorship and simpler than incorporation. It has some benefits and disadvantages. The disadvantages to choosing to set up an LLC are mostly in the time and costs of going through the process. Once the business has been set up as an LLC or a limited liability company the advantages begin to kick in.

The major reason to set up an LLC is to protect the owner or owners of a business from liability. This form of business registration limits the liabilities of the owners to the level of investment that they have made in the business. All other debts, responsibilities or liabilities that are incurred or caused by the operation of the business are not their responsibility.

The other main reason to set up an LLC is for taxation purposes. Income from a limited liability company is only taxed once and the state does not levy additional income tax on the company or business itself. This is different from a C-corporation where income is seen as both corporate and personal and taxed at both levels when dividends are taken.

Understanding Your Articles of Incorporation

We always want you to become more educated about your incorporation process document filing procedures. At this point, we thought it would be great to put some things in place on our end to ensure that you are getting a good understanding of your Articles.

An Article of Incorporation or Certificate of Incorporation is the set of rules that help govern management, and you file it with the governing authority, which is either the state or the particular regulatory authority. An Article of Incorporation covers the basics of the inception of the company like the board of directors, details about the number of shares, and its ownership.

Although the rules and bylaws vary among different states the basic draft remains almost same.
What an Article of Incorporation Covers Article of Incorporation covers the following necessary details that are to be disclosed while filing for Incorporation:

The name of the Incorporator or the person, who is organizing the company.
· The details of share holders including the amount of shares they own.
· The details of The Board of Directors.
· The details of the registered officer, the company's legal representatives, and the authorized signatory of the company.

The entire process of Incorporation authorizes a group of people coming together to work on a particular segment in a particular manner, as a legal entity. The company proposes to the registrar of Aboriginal Corporations, after the registration and the authorization from the Government authority, that the incorporation is in place and the company is incorporated. By incorporation under the Aboriginal Councils and Association Act of 1976 (ACA Act) a company can reap the following benefits:

· The members of the corporation may not be held accountable or liable for the corporation's debts, if the promoters disclosed this intent at the time of registration. · The members of the corporation consider or impose the customs of the state in some cases, or they provide a provision to consider such a tradition and take care not to disturb it.
· An indigenous corporation is authorized to operate across states in the whole country.
· There may be provisions for particular domain corporations rendering them exempt from filing annual financial statements.
· The cost of filing for incorporation is less or FREE when you utilize The Corporate Company.
· The registrar of Aboriginal Corporations can provide client assistance & support

The Registrar and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) document and monitor the laws related to the buying of securities or selling of them. Issues like designating the number of members for a majority, public offerings, and the plan for public offerings, also find attention in the act. They include guidelines related to the proxy solicitation and mergers in the act, and subsequent by-laws. Voting rights, dissolution issues, issues related to dividends for the shareholders, and the division of profits, are adhered to.

The act also defines indemnification and the limitation of liability of the directors and the officers, contracts, advancement of expenses, interpretations of bylaws, and the incapability of a few certain provisions.

For additional help, The Corporate Company is there with you throughout this process. Sign on and we become your National Registered Agent for the first twelve months of your incorporation to clearly guide you best in the way of success towards your goals. Your time is now. We want to put the world in your hands.

How To Incorporate for FREE

Every business involves risk. When I started The Corporate Company it involved risk as well as personal sacrifices that you must be willing to overtake and overcome; in the end, you'll be glad that you did both.

There is a risk the business may collapse or stagnate. Control the extent of personal financial liability by making the business a separate legal entity. Basically, let your ideas operate under a focused, streamlined process called "incorporation". The Corporate Company wants to help you get organized by taking "you" out of the foundation of the business and let it stand on its on by incorporating. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are easy to form and maintain, these types of businesses do not protect the owner from personal liability.

Two reason we encourage you to incorporate are:

1 A Corporation is an artificially created entity, formed by a group of people. Its rights and liabilities are separate from the people involved in it. Legally, it can own assets, enter into contracts, be taxed, and sue or be sued.

2 Corporations can last forever, even after the death of the founder.

(TCC) makes the process of incorporation easier for you by filing a document with a state official, usually the Secretary of State. This document is called the Article of Incorporation or Certificate of Incorporation. We include the following information:

1 The proposed name of the corporation, its purpose, and the location of its headquarters.
2 The addresses and names of the incorporators.
3 Details about the amount and types of capital stock that the corporation is authorized to issue.
4 The responsibilities, privileges and rights of each class of stockholder, director, or officer. 5 A set of bylaws, which explain the running of the corporation.
6 Information about when stockholder meetings will be held.
7 All other information relevant to the corporation's operation.

After you pay your state required fees, (TCC) files all the necessary documents with the secretary of state. It is also possible to do this through another incorporation service company, which prepares and files these documents with the state and charges a consolidated fee...which is NONSENSE!...guys, we do it for FREE!

After the state accepts the articles of incorporation, the office of the Secretary of State sends a certificate of incorporation to (TCC) which acts as your National Registered Agent and stores these documents for you and reminds you of future important dates as well as makes recommendations for document filings that may benefit your business.

It is necessary to adhere to all the rules of incorporation. Failure to do so results in the court of law piercing the corporate veil and holding the owners personally liable for the corporation's debts.

The Importance of Maintaining Corporate Records

The limited liability protection offered to corporate shareholders is by far the most important and distinctive advantage of incorporation. To enjoy the benefits of incorporation, the company must observe corporate formalities and properly maintain corporate records and accounts. This helps the corporation retain its corporate status and protects its officers and shareholders from personal liabilities. Sure this can be a daunting task, however, not when you have The Corporate Company on your team.

Protect Your Corporate Status Corporations must maintain current and proper corporate records so that creditors, which include the IRS, are not able to challenge the validity of the corporate shield. The corporation must maintain corporate records of all meetings and store them in a safe place, since it is critical to maintain the corporate shield.

The Corporate Company maintains your corporate records and ensures the corporation meets state reporting and filing requirements and deadlines. If a corporation doesn't maintain corporate records or is unable to annually report and file records, the corporation will get dissolved by the Secretary of State of your perspective state.

We keep the corporation in good standing by maintaining the necessary records. This helps the corporation pay all necessary federal, state, county, and business taxes, including franchise taxes. Keeping them up-to-date is high on the priority list. The company must also ensure that the minute books are able to demonstrate share ownership of the corporation. This is of primary importance, as the minute books are the official source of documents. Maintain the minute books so that they exactly reflect when the shares of stock were transferred and who owns them. They must contain the original stock certificates or share register of the owners.

Maintaining of the minute books at the local level allows people to understand the decision-making processes of the corporation. They can also reveal when decision makers ceased to function properly. By maintaining corporate records in minute books, people leave a trail of the decisions and the transactions of the corporation. This helps determine effective dates for tax purposes and helps ascertain justification for the accrual of expenses and fixed obligations. They grant corporate directors and officers the authority to act. Up-to-date records allow the corporation to avoid challenges to the corporation's authority to take certain actions.

We want you to focus on "conducting and running your business", as you leave the document filings and state deadlines for your organization to us.

The Benefits of Incorporating for FREE!

If a business, which is mixed with personal assets, suffers losses, the owner is bound to lose everything. When personal assets are not involved with business the owner can always rely on these assets if the business suffers a set back. Allowing The Corporate Company to help form a corporation for you is a step towards protecting you from liabilities or expenses you incur.

Once we get you going and you are incorporated, it receives the status of a separate legal entity. It is a lot like a person, which can sue, be sued, and enter into contracts. This helps to establish and increase the credibility of the company among its employees and customers. Below is a list of benefits for owning a corporation. (Follow The Corporate Company on Twitter "myinc", for daily tips for you business).

1.A corporation offers limited liability protection to its owners. Owners are not liable for any obligations or debts of the corporation. This applies as long as the owners have not signed a personal guarantee, do not have joint account with the business, and the business doesn't violate any state laws or default on its taxes.
**Special note about this goes to those new owners who are trying to cut corners with the banks and not open a separate bank account for operating your business. Sharing accounts with your business clearly removes the benefit of the incorporation which protects you personally from the business' liabilities. So, keep them separate!

2.Corporations can deduct business-operating losses without restrictions.

3.Corporations can split income with shareholders to lower the overall taxes. This method is referred to as income shifting.

**(Wouldn't it be great if you as an individual taxpayer could "income shift"? Just give money to a friend and reduce your tax burden? Incorporating adds this benefit to your business to ensure its viability over the short term).

4.Medical and life insurance, education, childcare, retirement plans, travel, entertainment, and other benefits are deductible and tax free to the employees. In most States, these advantages apply even if the corporation has only one employee.

**(If you're interested, my team at The Corporate Company will let you know if you qualify in your state).

5.Businesses owned by sole proprietors are subject to frequent IRS audits whereas this is rare with a corporation.

6.Corporations enable people to accumulate assets and wealth at corporate tax rates, which are considerably lower than individual tax rates.
**(This is especially true with those 501(c)3 organizations, Churches, social organizations and etc.).

7.A corporation continues to exist despite the death, withdrawal, or bankruptcy of one of its shareholders.

8. A corporation offers financial flexibility making it easier to run a business. It can easily raise capital by issuing stocks and bonds.

9. Shareholders in a C corporation can transfer or sell shares without restrictions.

10. A corporation can obtain credit without a personal guarantee. The development of business credit is another benefit of incorporating.
**(Whereas your personal credit history may have suffered some dark spots, you can give your business the oxygen it needs by incorporating and obtaining credit that way).

It is simple to dissolve a company if there are no out standing debts in its name. Several States like Nevada do not tax Corporations, which makes incorporating more appealing to people.
Because of the benefits provided to the companies opting for incorporation, even small businesses with just one employee are incorporating. Contact The Corporate Company determine the benefits offered through incorporation for your business. Small business owners enjoy the ability to separate their personal assets from the business, let us show you how! Its FREE, what do you have to lose?

How to form a Non profit organization

The Corporate Company probably stands alone when it comes to advising our clients AGAINST preparing official corporate business plans prior to incorporating. Although we feel an internal plan must be obtained simply for the sheer understanding of where you intend to take the business, we don't think making it a required "fee" assessed document makes much sense. Many firms require as many documents as can be charged to the incorporator making the process to incorporate more costly, mundane and complex. In addition to that, we simply don't believe that most new entreprenuers have done the necessary research to formulate an appropriate plan to effectively govern themselves by throughout the process of incorporation.

Drafting a business plan helps crystallize the objectives of the organization and its goals. The Corporate Company does however believe when entering into an incorporation for purposes not for profit, plan, plan, plan! Business plans for Non-Profit Organizations are especially important, since these plans help those who propose to fund the organization understand the business better. These plans must be produced when approaching a potential fund provider such as a bank. These plans should be written carefully and hiring an expert to draft the plans or simply overlook them, we believe, is a good idea.

How To Write A Business Plan For A Non-Profit Organization:

1.A cover sheet must be attached, giving details and background information about those who are going to start the business.
2.The table of contents is important, so people can open to the page, which interests them most

3.The summary should include details about the organization, which people are behind the organization, what are the goals, the objectives of the organization, how the business plans to achieve these objectives.
4.The financial data should give a detailed explanation of the expected operating costs.
5.The business plan must include a detailed description of all licenses and permits needed to operate the business and who to approach to acquire them.
6.The business plan must describe the premises needed, the amount of the lease, what permits and approvals need to be obtained, and how to obtain these permits and approvals.
7.The writer must make a market assessment of the product, studying the customer base, the price, the quality and features of the product sold or service offered, the future sales projections and how to achieve them, and the plans to be followed incase the objective is not obtained.
8.The writer must supply a product description, giving the details of its features, quality, and the need for any improvements.
9.Marketing and sales of the product is another important area. The writer must give details on how the company shall create an awareness of the product through advertisements in the paper or the magazines, or over the inter-net.
10.Understand the competition and how to deal with them by listing the differences between both the products and identifying areas for improving the product.
11.The operating procedures and the equipment necessary must be listed and carefully explained in the business plans for Non-Profit Organizations.
12.Explain the amount and the training of the staff required.
13.Explain how the people in charge shall manage the operation.

These are the basic requirements for the business plans of Non-Profit Organizations. Several firms like The Corporate Company offer help in drafting these plans and running the business with software to file and document everything necessary.

New Business Costs? Do your research

Knowing the costs for starting a new business at the outset gets the business started on the right footing right from day one. The Corporate Company is about "the start up", period. However possessing the necessary knowledge of "how-to" effective start up is imperative. It has more to do with creating your business than letter-heads and business cards. The knowledge of start-up costs helps determine all the financing needs and helps map out the business plan. Both of these things enable businesses to obtain bank loan approvals.

Identify the Priorities: Knowing the cost of starting a new business helps to understand the cash flow of the business as well. When the entrepreneur knows the business costs, it is easier to determine which ones need to be paid first, and which can wait until later. This can save quite a bit in interest costs, especially when borrowing money to finance a business. Even when using their own savings to finance the business, the entrepreneurs can earn interest on the money they do not need straightaway by placing it in a deposit, or leaving it in a savings account.

Setup Costs: Apart from the costs of financing, take a look at the following setup costs.

1.Legal and professional fees include registering your business name and the legal costs of registering the business as a proprietorship, corporation, or partnership.
2.The costs of a rental lease for your business premises.
3.The initial rental payments for the premises.
4.Equipment like office furniture, computers, and software.
5.Office fittings and decor.
6.Other professional fees, such as fees for a graphics designer or public relations consultant.
7.Office supplies like paper, letterheads, and business cards.
8.Marketing and advertising costs.
9.Costs for obtaining permits and licenses.
10.Insurance costs for employee compensation.
11.A bank balance sufficient to meet payments for the upcoming quarter

There are many other costs for starting a new business that the entrepreneur must loot at in order to create realistic and profitable business and financial plans so that the business has the best chance to succeed. To obtain an idea of what these are, search for resources on the inter-net. Many websites offer software and industry-specific packages to help determine the costs of starting a new business.

It is a good idea to check with the local small business development authority for the best business support and advice. Speak to a CPA that specializes in small business set-ups. Attend local business group meetings and talk to as many businesspeople as possible for guidance.
Additional Help Software packages are available to new business owners to aid them in their endeavors. This software helps companies operate legitimately and keep track of their records. Many of these packages are geared toward small and new business owners and are affordable for those on a budget.

The Best Business Structure For Building Business Credit

How do you know what is the best business structure for yor business? When you contact The Corporate Company with your intentions of starting a business, following an assesment, we utilize that information to best determine which structure will suit you best. This ranks high up on our things to do list because it begins to open up the possibilities in a more specific and customized manner for your business.

A new business idea may come to a person at any point in their life. Usually what happens when someone puts a new business idea into action is they start the new business without giving much thought to designing the best business structure for building business credit. The main benefit of good business credit is that when the business needs extra money, the company can borrow it from the banks and other financial institutions with business credit. This spares the business owner from using their own personal line of credit.

One of the most important parts of building good business credit is paying attention to the corporate structure you have. TCC wants to help design the business structure so that no credit bureau will doubt the stability of your business.

Whatever kind of business it is, get proper licenses from the proper authorities. We will store those official documents A well-established corporate structure and credit profile also adds to the reliability and stability of a business.

Know the types of business structures:

1. Sole Proprietorships -A business structure is known as sole proprietorship when a single individual owns a complete business.
2. Partnerships - When the number of owners is more than one, the business is a partnership.
3. Corporations - In the corporate type of business structure, a legal company is formed with ownership jointly enjoyed by owners and shareholders as well.

It goes without saying that the Corporate type of business structure is best for building business credit. That is why most of the businesses that aren't corporations are restructuring and converting into corporations. With the economy the way it is now, they are having to rethink their day to day operations as well as their flow of both cash and credit.

The biggest advantage of the corporate structure is that a person's personal credit rating and the credit rating of the business are completely different entities. So, when the owner or any other shareholders make financial mistakes that adversely affect their credit rating, no damage is done to the overall business credit.

If you're new to the game, there are certain businesses that do not require a pre-established structure, guarantees, or personal credit checks to get good business credit. In the begininning, you carry out business transactions with the vendors in these kinds of businesses. Later on, having a credit profile with any reputed credit rating agency becomes easier by using these credit references.

We've got a lot going on this time of the year and your ideas are our fuel to get you going! This is your time! Meet up with me on twitter -"myinc" and follow our updates.

Forming A Limited Liability Corporation?

A Limited Liability Company or LLC is a mixture between a partnership and a corporation. An LLC protects the owners from personal liability on the company's debts just like a corporation with the tax-benefits of a partnership or a proprietorship firm. Below I have formulated some strategies to help form a limited liability company. There are some similiarities between an LLC and an S-Corporation, however, knowing what your needs are will help determine which structure will suit your vision best.

The Steps To Take In Forming An LLC:

1.Company's Name: Choose a company name to form the LLC. The name must meet the regulations of different states. The Corporate Company can help you with selecting your organization's name and temporarily holding it for FREE. Where other organizations will charge a fee for this we do not.


2.Trademark: Follow the state's rules for establishing a trademark. This is something we can assist you with. We have developed several very cost effective ways to keep these costs low for you and your organization.


3.Number of LLC Members: The minimum number of people required to form an LLC is one. There is no set limit to the number of LLC members. From the business and technical feasibility angle, it is best to keep the number of members as low as possible. Keep in mind, this is a working group. Some members may contribute different things to the group, however, the larger the group, complexities may arise more often.


4.Registered Agent: A registered agent or agent for service of process is a person or group, who is authorized to receive all the legal papers for the company. The Corporate Company acts as your registered agent so you can simply tend the business. We handle your state documents, reminders, formal certifications and all records regarding your articles of organization.


5.Filing the Articles of Organization: File the articles of organization, also known as the certificate of organization or the certificate of formation, with your state government's LLC department. The LLC division is generally a part of the corporations department and the corporations department belongs to the Secretary of the State's office. The fees for filing the articles range between $40 and $900, according to the state's policy. However, keep in mind we perform your incorporation at no additional fee, so we will take care of the filing details for you!


6.LLC Agreement: An LLC agreement lists all the details about the organization, including the general management of the LLC, information about its members their roles and responsibilities, their voting rights, their percentage of share in the business, their individual degree of profits, and the buying and selling rules. The LLC agreement may be formed prior to or after the filing of the articles of organization. The agreement may be written or verbal as agreed upon by the majority of the members.


7.Local Registration: For the local registration of an LLC, the owner needs to fulfill the prerequisites, such as getting a business license, getting a tax registration certificate, getting a seller's permit, getting a zoning permit and registering the LLC company's name. The company's name is registered once the owner files the articles of organization. We will walk you through this process the same way, not many of the details differ whether you are looking at local, state, or national service.


We're going to be with you every step of the way. If a Limited Liability Corporation is what you or your group are looking for, let us know. We're confident that we fit all budgets, especially when our services are FREE!

Your Time Is Now

The time for your small business is now! The Corporate Company, Inc. has found that nearly 69% of all businesses that fail each year do so within the first year of operation. Our over-arching objective is to provide consultation for your Articles of Incorporation, Structure Selection and our 12 month corporate assistance to ensure your business model is answering all documentation requests from your state, accounting agencies, and your desired consumer. More importantly, our mission is to provide these products for free to assist in your small business growth.

Of course we have national competitors with familiar names; however their price structure requires hundreds and hundreds of your dollars in fees for state documents that are normally FREE to you. As your Registered Agent, we bring all of the corporate resources to you. The Corporate Company is here with the answer and the time is now!

There are no expedited fees because all filings are expedited as each state would allow. There are no costly business plans and expensive bindery portfolios and seals. Your new start up has no need of those things. We have found that these products add to escalated costs that fail to address the needs of the business and generally lend the owner to an environment that is unfamiliar to them in their quest for tangible information.

It’s time for your business to break through the clouded paper trails and get busy doing precisely what you do best; business. What you can expect from The Corporate Company is as follows:

· FREE Initial Business Consultation – Submit your application to assist us in determining what is most suitable for your business structure.

· FREE Structure Development – Implement the goals of your business by applying state requirements and policies to your corporate plans. During this phase, The Corporate Company will also make available local and partnering resources in your area that will further increase your success potential.

· FREE Name Search- We will assist you in your statewide name search to ensure the name that you desire for your business is available.

· FREE (DBA) Doing Business As – We will assist you establishing your documentation for State and National name recognition.

· FREE Articles of Incorporation – Initiate your corporate filing. The Corporate Company will tailor your business structure and articles to states and districts that are best suitable for your selected structure if desired. Just the same, tax requirements, incorporation requirements vary depending on the state. The owner is only responsible for state fees required for their desired filings. All other services rendered in conjunction with your articles filings are FREE

· FREE State Certification – Requests for state certification and/or certified copies of your filings. Any fees necessary, usually range $8-$20 will be paid by the owner. All other services rendered by The Corporate Company in conjunction with your state certifications are FREE.

· FREE Employer Identification Number – All businesses are required to apply and obtain this number. Bank accounts for your business are only provided with your EIN. We will file for your EIN and update your small business portfolio. Although every competitor will charge you a fee for this filing, the federal government provides this to you for free. The Corporate Company will file just as the others will do on your behalf and pass that savings on to you.

· FREE Follow-Up Filings – Any additional document filings in reference to your Articles of Incorporation you may require within the first 12 months of operation, The Corporate Company will file for you for FREE. The owner will be responsible for all fees associated with official filing fees with all state and municipalities however; there are no additional fees or surcharges due to our assistance on your behalf. Our objective is to help you divert all pertinent resources, both financial and sweat equity into your new small business (*this does not apply to 501 C3, Not for Profit filings for tax exemption).

· FREE Daily, Weekly and Monthly data notification – provides business resources, networking opportunities, financial and business lending information to small businesses. Message Boards, Email notifications geared to your business structure, industry and city that keeps you ahead of the curve with a customer centric focus. The Corporate Company makes all SBA and SCORE resources available to you and will at times suggest these resources for greater efficiency and potential success. These organizations provide their services at no additional cost so we will also pass that on to you for FREE.

· FREE State Updates – Many states require the small business owner to follow up with various filing documents and to meet certain filing dates unless incur additional states fees for delay. The Corporate Company ensures all filing dates and documents are submitted within the necessary time during the first 12 months of operation leading to your first annual state review and filing for FREE.

I think you get the idea! “Now is the time”. The Corporate Company has no interest in charging business owners for what is already FREE to you. Problem is you don’t know that. What should TCC expect from you? Only your hard work!

Your dedication to growing and making your business successful is your responsibility and yours alone. Becoming your own boss means you actually have to BE the boss and ensure your day to day operations are direct, targeted and consistent. That’s one job you can’t staff out. We can guide you, however your success is yours to obtain.

The Corporate Company is not permitted to make corporate decisions or act on your behalf in any legal and/or corporate matters of any kind, but what we offer suggestions concerning your business structure as make available to you the most recent of FREE resources that are not intending to lead the owners or companies to a specific outcome other than your success.

Any Ideas? Lets Talk About It!

An idea is less about thought; more about action!

So you think you’re ready to tackle your own business? You seem to have everything under control and on par, but what’s your business idea? Where is your mind-set? Are you thinking on your customer’s expectations? What are about your demographics? Sometimes you may find that you are your own biggest fan. Now that may not be so bad, as long as you aren’t your only fan!

Now that you’re ready, what is your next step? Most new comers have problems with that next phase as well so don’t be discouraged. I want to take a minute to give you a few tips on how to create wonderful business ideas that will assist in getting you off the ground and running.

Get Feedback: One of the steps taken when you visit us at The Corporate Company, Inc. is we get to serve as your feedback! Your ideas need objectivity and our strategy experts ask all the right questions; the pros and the cons with hopes of spurring the right patterns of thought that specifically affect your customer as well as your operation.

This is your business! You can’t staff this out and you can’t delegate your dreams to the next flunky or staffer. This is your baby, your vision and your idea. Own up to it and own it. Do all that you can, learn all that can, be everywhere you can to best understand your market as well as your client. What you have is a seed, but now it’s time to bring that seed to the point of germination and growth. The more you learn, the easier it will be to identify your successes as well as impending doom. There are gaps in the industry you are looking to service. So open yourself up to all that’s out there and you just might find that the idea you began with has evolved into an even better idea.

Change Your Mind: Alter the way you think about your business and your industry. For a moment, stop being the seller and become the buyer. How do you feel about what it is you see as the buyer? Turn the tables on yourself, but only if you’re going to be honest. With this new view of things, look for the service opportunities that you, the customer, would stand to receive from this service or product. Be positive in your diligence and efforts so that you may be best able to create excellent opportunities for thinking on great ideas for success.

Become the contractor and the architect for your business plans and dreams. Build toward that ultimate success one productive step at a time. When there is a string of successes, however small, celebrate them. Make them your new pattern to used repetitively. Every idea should contain a small piece of you and the passion you exude for your business. With every new layer, build it just as you did when you laid the initial foundation. Don’t look at the next layer of success as a new layer, but yet just another foundation.

A great idea is DOA when you don’t know what your corporate limitations are. It never becomes anything more than a great idea that never carried out. Don’t over promise your idea. If your product is a book, don’t say something is in the book that you know clearly is not just to sell the book. Know your plan and plan what you know. Don’t re-invent the wheel, but instead design newer ways for the tire to perform uniquely.

Plan out your idea and do your research: With what you discover, implement your ideas more smoothly and smartly. Just as it in Real Estate, location-location-location; so it is in business, plan-plan-plan! For those familiar with Six Sigma Business Planning, “checking the checker” is a poorly advised concept. However, as a small business owner, have a plan for the good plan that might quickly become a poor plan.

You’ve got great ideas and big plans; The Corporate Company wants to help you direct those ideas in the right direction. Take one step each day in the direction you want your business to go…your time is now. Let’s go!

Seeking Employment? Hire Yourself; Start Your Business Today

Are you qualified to be your own boss? You probably won’t know that until you decide if you would even be a good employee to yourself. Let’s assume the latter is true and promote you to head honcho. Now, can you deal with managing you? Sometimes it’s just gonna be you…but keep at!

As I speak to many of my clients (The Corporate Company, Inc.) regarding their vision for their new start up, I often attempt to get them to perform some sort of interview with themselves. Now, that sounds a bit insane, but they usually find it a bit helpful. There are several reasons you may want to try this on yourself as well.

Attendance- How are you with your attendance? Can you expect yourself to show up to work on time every day? One of the many concerns that I have when individuals start their own business is how attentive they will be to their own internal organizational needs. When you are wearing the time clock on your wrist, can you make it back to work on time and be productive?

Experience- Do you have what it takes to balance the day to day operation, your life, family, you? When attending one of the many traveling circuses, one of the most entertaining acts of them all is the juggling clown act. That’s what you will need to become…face paint included; never let them see you sweat. Pull on your previous experiences, however small they may be.

Turn each additional day into a time of building onto that experience. After becoming a single parent, I quickly realized that keeping a smooth running home was a bigger job that I had ever known it to be. I thought, if I can do this and get the kids out of the house each and every day with clean clothes on and packed lunches, then what else can I use those multi-tasking and organization skills for?

Become what you are looking for- The markets, both jobs market as well as the stock market may have imploded when you least expected it. Now what? You don’t know what that new employer is looking for, if they are truly hiring at all, but you do know what you are looking for. SsssOooo, become what it is you are looking for. Turn your ideas into a working gold mine that will permit you to meet the school bus as they arrive each day with your children. Design your work schedule to not interfere with preparing dinner and assisting with homework. But don’t stop there, being your own boss means you will have to hound yourself and ride your own back about that report that is due and completing all necessary tasks you assigned yourself that day regardless of what else is on your agenda. If you’re late picking up Johnny from soccer practice, tell him the truth, “my boss held me up, I had a few things to do before I could leave for the day”.

Performance- Do you work best for yourself or for someone else? Every time I ask that question, people lie to me! They expect me to want them to say that they work best for themselves since I am the small business owner guru, but the truth is always heard in my next question. Do you work best with a team or by your lonesome? Well, here’s how you can know when you’re lying to yourself. Generally, those who perform best for themselves also do their best work alone. Those are the delegators and the team leaders. So although they work well with a team, it’s usually because they are leading that team. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good followers just that their best work is done when working alone. Just as well, those typically who perform best for others, they generally require oversight, someone to report too and long for working in tandem with a support staff or group. That unfortunately is not the best quality for becoming your own manager/boss.

You probably already know that starting a small business requires extensive research and analysis of many factors. But the one requiring the most critical assessment is often overlooked by many entrepreneurs. And, it’s as close as the nearest mirror.

That’s because wanting to be your own boss is one thing; being one is quite another. What you will be expected to take on in the form of responsibilities and commitments are far different from those of an employee, even if you have management experience. This is not going to be easy…know that. Sure, there will be great days, but just the same, you are going to have plenty crappy ones also. You built this Titanic, so don’t run to the evacuation dingy when it looks like it’s going under. Looks are deceiving.

Are You a Self-Starter? Business doesn’t just happen; you make it happen. Ray Kroc had to make the first burger…now; McDonald’s has sold billions and billions. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney co-founded a business supply store. Today, Staples is one of the largest in the country and has netted the former governor nearly 500 million dollars in returns. The idea starts with you. As the owner, you’re responsible for everything from establishing your firm’s vision to setting the daily work schedule. The fact that you’re exploring small business ownership and asking questions is a good sign.

Are You a Positive Thinker? The moment you become a business owner, you represent yourself, your business and your expectations for success. What you say and do must convey confidence and commitment to moving forward. Employees who sense these qualities will share that determination to succeed, even under difficult circumstances. If you work alone, there will be days when you have to be your own cheerleader.

No longer the young stafferWhat “9-to-5 routine”? Those days are over buddy. Running a small business requires a continuous commitment to quality and detail. Hey, this is your baby! You cannot afford to cut corners, miss deadlines or make promises beyond your capabilities. If you plan to run the business from home, you must be able to resist temptations and distractions in order to get your work done.

If you can’t sell your business or your vision to those who don’t see it, it really doesn’t matter what kind of boss you’re going to be to yourself. You have to become the VP of Marketing, Director of Human Resources, VP of Sales and the CEO all at the same time. No business, no matter how good, will succeed without some kind of marketing. The good news is that promoting your business is easier than you may think as long as you know what to do and how to do it. After all, we all enjoy saying good things about ourselves. When you craft and tell your story in the right way, more people will be willing and eager to hear it.

Am I needed where I am? Do your research. Do your research. Do your research. Know what your limitations are before you head out. If you wait too long, it may be far too late when you realize that your “Pork & Go Meat Deli” isn’t as big a hit as you hoped in that predominantly Islamic neighborhood.

Know Your Worth; Your New Business Has Value

I wanted to take a minute to speak with you about developing your corporate goals that will bring about your success. This won’t be one of those episodes where we evaluate our talents and skill set to best determine our value. Really, how do you know if I am truly “wasting your time or not”? You don’t have a clue on how much your time is valued at.

Speaking of which, I like to share this, a wonderful man by the name of Denny Dettro, a former Director of mine from one of the many airline management jobs I’ve held throughout the years taught me a lesson one day in his office that I have never forgotten.

He looked me in my eyes as he leaned back in executive chair, peering at me from across that 2nd hand desk and said, “Always know what your value is. If you let me define what your value is, two things will always be certain. (1). I am never going to get it right in your eyes and you will secretly resent me for it and… (2). I’m always going to low ball you and in the business world, everyone is out to get more for less.

What Denny meant by that was, I can only be mad at myself if I allow others to define my worth. How much is your time worth? How much is your advice and counsel worth. Placing value on your time and energies helps those who will ultimately come seeking it know in advance, that because this of value to both him and me, let me not waste this opportunity. And isn’t that what this is all about? OPPORTUNITY.

We don’t fail due to the lack of opportunities, we fail for not taking advantage of them when they come our way. There are many reasons, too many to go through all right now, but there are many reason as to why we don’t take advantage of them. First, we don’t believe we can handle it. Our fear for being overwhelmed or failing overtakes us. Its funny, we’d rather not fail, I mean…who would. But we sure don’t want to fail in the front of others. So we’d rather not pursue any efforts at all. If that is you, you are destined to fail.

If you don’t take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, you my friend are destined to fail. Set out to uniform some goals for you and your business both and take advantage of each every “leg up” that presents itself to you that further assists in getting those two things to marry up better to form a dynamic team. You are your success.

You birthed this dream of yours so that you could win and win big! Take a chance on yourself now; others will bet on you later. Below, see the posting on Betting on yourself. It flows right in with seizing every opportunity.

Go to http://moneycentral.msn.com and click on the calculator that will show you what the value of your time truly is. Never take less than that!

Taking hold of your new start up business for FREE!

Many of us have the wrong idea of what is required to “do” business. The art of “doing” business implies a sense of action; a duty. These tasks typically place a vital claim on both your financial and human resources accumulated.

I have to be honest with you, one of my greatest concerns is when clients come to me with an idea and a stack of business cards. You see, there are some investments that are not so imperative early on in your business development. So many new business owners spend their entire budget on “looking” like a business that there are no remaining funds to actually “do” business.

For example, one of my clients is a licensed hair stylist and is looking to open her first salon. When she approached The Corporate Company about assisting her in building her vision, she had grand ideas about what her corporate letterhead and logo should look like but couldn’t answer some of the most basic and fundamental daily operational decisions. That is not uncommon.

My immediate advice to her was to direct her focus on some of the small areas like proper licensing and permits. What good will ever come of the letterhead if you are unable to ever even open your doors because you have not directed your resources to those areas that are instrumental to your ability of attaining the success you desire. Banks for many reasons no longer build their branding from small business corporate loans.

Many of these financial institutions can no longer absorb the many risks in part due to the level of unnecessary expenditures. Just last week, I received a call from a young man who we decided to help build his core business out of Los Angeles. I couldn’t quite understand the conversation with the high level of noise screaming from behind him through the phone. When I found a way in, I asked, “What’s all that noise behind you out there?” The young man replied that he was having granite counter tops installed in what was soon to be the new break room for his small computer supply business.

I wasted no time when I informed him that he was currently overseeing one of several projects that could very well be the downside of his dream. I make a point to inform all of my clients that your dream was to complete your plan and “do” business, not spend an exorbitant amount of money and time just look like one. One of the hardest and most costly things to do is to “look busy”.

Well, I never like to just beat you up with bad news, but allow me instead to share with you some applications that will further ensure your success.

Start Small: Don’t confuse that with the physical size and scope of your business, but rather challenge yourself to focus on the operational aspect of the day to day. One day at a time, then one week at a time. This keeps your objectivity on point and away from those things that will instead undermine your available resources with pet projects and beautification.

Start Out Organized: Put a solid plan together that keeps your business focused with laser beam precision. Make a list, just a small one for each area of your business that you think are essential. Don’t go any further down your list than 2 or 3 places or bullet points. Systematically, work your resources as well as your sweat equity around those key areas. It has been found that if you start out organized and spend some quality time each day on the maintenance of the organization (i.e. administrative, recordkeeping and etc.), your chances of success increase by nearly 30%. Time is money! Get your business moving

Start Efficiently: Don’t over complicate small tasks by placing details on them that keeps you from acting consistently each and every day. You should appear as if you are making the process work with great ease and little or no budget. This keeps your attention and focus on the expectations of your customers. Meeting their needs becomes more improbable each time you get lost in the weeds of the details.

Start: No matter what happens….START! Don’t get discouraged. As a rule, I make a point not to become involved in the day to day operations. Kick the fear to the side and Let’s Go.

Build your business on a dime. Spend your resources on actually the costs of doing business.

What Credit Do You Need To Start Your Business

Applying for commercial credit can be tedious. It calls for more documentation than you might initially have expected and certainly a lot more than when you apply for consumer credit. For lenders, extending credit to an entrepreneur usually means customizing the loan to suit the credit needs of that business. So don’t be disheartened by the amount of paperwork needed to accompany the application. Instead, be more prepared.

With this blog resource, The Corporate Company marries the need to get you best aligned with your organizational structure that best suits your corporate needs and that does not exclude preparing you to best answer, honestly, your credit needs and identify your sources to meet those needs.

Among the best assets you can bring to the lender is a well though-out and documented business proposal. Listen, you will need a plan and that plan cannot only make sense to you but instead it must make logical business sense to all those that will come to hear it. Take this additional note, assume and rather expect, that all those who will see your proposal won’t even be in the same room with you so all they will have is black and white paper with your dreams and hopes typed and graphed out…thats it. This isn’t the time to “go for the gusto”, but rather, put together a sensible plan of repayment. Remember, no one is interested for the most part in your dreams and your hopes, but instead, they are interested in how well and how fast you can repay their investment.

With the state of our economy being what it is these days, its not so much about getting a loan from a bank, let me be honest, no one is lending money the way they formerly did. Don’t take it personal, this is business. Instead, figure out a new way. This is your dream, your passion, figure it out like the world depends on it. You’ll be suprised what you come up with in such a short period of time.

You should lay out a business description: What’s that? It simply tells the nature of the business, describes the product and the services rendered and its market as well as identifies its ustomers and competition. The best advice I ever heard came from the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Wayne Huizenga, regarding the methods and principles he used to build his empire, Republic Industries; “become the authority in the area of business you operate in”.
In other words, know and learn all that you can regarding that thing you want others to invest in. They will ask you questions and you better be able to answer them.

I’m going to go out on a limb and just say it…”Business Plans are stupid!” No one will read it, no one will lend you the money you’re looking for without sufficient collateral anyway…sorry to be so blunt, but the plan is for you…not the lender. With that said, the plan outlines your corporate strategy for the next three to five years; it will aid you and the lender in detemining whether the business will generate the cash flow needed to repay the loan.

Also, have a repayment plan! This is the most vital piece of all the short term goals. This tells how you propose the repay the loans or outlines a repayment schedule. The lender will be expecting you to repay the borrowed funds from the profits produced by the business. As a contingency, you might need to develop a plan on how you would repay the loan if the profits alone turned out to be inadequate….in other words, have a Plan B, documented, in the event your success comes slower than you first hoped.

Keep in mind, you can’t just make this stuff up…You’re going to need Supporting Documentation as well. This is where my folks reappear because certificates and articles of incorporation, partnership agreements (all housed and kept on record at The Corporate Company), letters of references, contracts (to verify business agreements in the works or underway), invoices or vendor quotes.

This portion probably should’ve been listed first. There is no loan for you personally or professionally if there is no collateral for the loan. You will need it to secure the payment of the loan. This could include business assets, personal assets…anything of value that you own that you can borrow against.

The need for financing is a critical an perennial concern for the owners of small businesses. Few things are as crucial to the health of a small business operton. Many small businesses are launched by the personal resourcces of their owners. But they can quickly reach the stage where the owner must look to the credit market for financial help in expanding operations. The banking industry is a customized process for your application for commercial credit.
The next blog will focus more on what to do if you are not approved for a loan. I hit on a few things here, but more specifically, I want to discuss the rejection process.

We take “incorporating your dreams” literally so you should too.

What if Your Credit Application Isn't Approved?

Just in case you apply for a business loan and you are not approved, what do you do then? Most lenders, banks especiallly, are conservative in granting business loans. Given the obligation to ther stockholders and depositors, they need to be sure there’s a good chance the loans they make will be repaid.

I mentioned that in the last blog as we discussed the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and some of the basic principles of applying for a loan and many of the documents you would need in the build up of that process. If your application for credit is not approved, find out the reasons why. Some of the reasons that lenders often give for denying a business loan include, for example, insufficient owner’s equity in the business; lack of an established earnings record; a history of slow or past-due trade or loans payments; or insufficient collateral. Finding out the reasons may help you qualify the next time you apply.

If your application is denied, the lender must give you either:
A written statement of the reasons for the denial or a written notice telling you of your rights to obtain the reasons in writing. This notice may be given to you during the application process or at the time of the denial.

Let’s level with each other here, there should be no suprises in the approval or denial phase. If you’re denied, there should be no suprise. Really! The times we are now in this economy indicate the credit markets are tough but don’t let that cause fear to enter in. Instead, do your homework, plan properly and seek help.

One other thing, in the event you are denied, and lets face it, you probably will be…be ready without hesitation to move forward. In the last blog, I told you to make sure you have a back up plan to repay the loan once you are approved. So even if your success is delayed, the loan can be repayed without delay. Well, in the same way, have a Plan B to continue your plans to finance your business plan. There is money still out there! It may not come from the bank or some other form lender, however, grants and all sorts of other corporate gifts for small business are out there.

We're Putting The World In Your Hands!

I've taken the necessary steps to pull many of the forms you will need to look into starting your business. Some of the best advice you could ever get from The Corporate Company is to plan, plan, plan! You could never plan enough, but what we want to do is to get you to "act" as well...as you plan. Almost in somewhat of a one step-two step process. See the next phase and then act upon that prior to moving further. Why? This is important in part because you gain the opportunity to not only pace yourself but also correct yourself as you step into your entrepreneurialship.

Often, we see business owners just plugging along without providing their own oversight as necessary. We have assembled many of the forms and templates that you will need to get your business organized and functional on every front.

Business Plans (Startup, Established Business and NonProfits), Startup Expenses, Opening Day Balance Sheets, Profit and Loss Projections and etc. just to name a few. What we will do is provide you with the necessary templates (46 total) as you will need them at no cost to you!

That is the ideal feature of our Dream Team, we are here to set you up for success as your National Registration Agent. Once we gather the direction of your organization, we then put you on a short path to incorporation by advising you of the necessary steps and documentation. No need to take a course, we will guide you through the entire process and stand by you for the first 12 months. We are The Corporate Company!

Contact us regarding how we can get you started for FREE!