It's time to get started. You’ve got your business idea and you're eager and ready to make your business idea a reality. But perhaps you don't know where to begin. Starting your business doesn't have to be a complicated or long process.
Here at Incfile, we help startup businesses like yours get off the ground. Our website and blog are chock-full of great information to help you along the way. But we also have a lot of other resources you can utilize if you need help starting a business. Here are five free Incfile tools to put you on the path to business formation.
1. Business Formation Research Tools
Incfile's Help Center is your research haven. It provides answers to questions you may have about starting a business. You'll find information about the business entities you can form, such as an LLC, an S Corp, a C Corp or a nonprofit. You'll also learn about filing requirements and deadlines, as well as the fees involved. We even have a business entity comparison tool to help quickly see similarities and differences between business structures, and state-by-state LLC guides to let you know about specific requirements for your home state.
The Help Center also answers questions about Registered Agents. Find out what a Registered Agent does, if you will need one and where to find an agent. Having a useful resource to help answer your questions will help take the mystery out of forming a business and ensure that you follow the necessary steps to form your company.
2. Business Startup Guides
Incfile's free Business Startup Guides are downloadable resources that walk you through everything you need to do before starting. We've researched key areas for your industry, such as market data, customer needs, business taxes, regulations and laws and choosing the correct business entity.
Our guides are based on business types and industries. You'll find guides for Amazon sellers, online businesses, digital nomads, consulting businesses, real estate businesses, food trucks and a lot more.
3. The Start a Business Checklist
Many new business owners do not know where to begin or what needs to be done first in order to get their business off the ground. Incfile's "Start Your Business" Checklist will help cover all the essential tasks. The checklist features tasks that can be checked off as you complete them. These items cover everything from choosing a business name and getting business licenses to opening a business bank account and finding office space. This thorough checklist also covers filing a DBA or creating a trademark, acquiring business insurance and creating a business logo.
4. Business Name Generator and Business Name Search Tools
Are you having a tough time finding the right name for your business? The free Business Name Generator tool helps create a memorable brand name through combinations of keywords that best describe your business or product.
The business name generator will incorporate the dos and don’ts for your business name, creating options that work by utilizing some of the following considerations:
- Simple and distinctive words
- Meaningful and emotional wording
- Verbal or sound associations
- Words that create a mental image
Once you have a catchy and unique business name, use Incfile's free Business Name Search tool to find out if your name is available and not in use by another company. The tool will check the registry of the state you're forming a business in to determine if another LLC or corporation is already using the name. If it's available, you can begin the process of forming your business; otherwise, it's back to the Business Name Generator to find another option.
5. S Corporation Tax Calculator Tool
When you're starting a business, it's important to understand how you'll be taxed. Incfile provides a free tool that allows you to see your potential savings if you either incorporate as an S Corp or incorporate as an LLC but choose to have your business taxed as an S Corp. Our S Corporation Tax Calculator lets you choose how much to withdraw from your business each year and how much of it you should take as salary (with the rest being taken as a distribution). Working with the numbers will allow you to see how much money you can potentially save in taxes. This tool can be advantageous as you're determining the best structure for your business.
Incfile takes great pride in helping small businesses launch and thrive as they navigate through changing and often volatile economic cycles. If you're ready to take your new business idea and officially start your company, Incfile can file and form your business for you for just $0 + state fee.
Peter Mavrikis
Peter Mavrikis is an author and editor with over 25 years of experience in publishing. He has worked as the Editorial Director for Barron’s Educational Series, as well as Kaplan Test Prep, where he ran the test prep, foreign language, and study guide divisions. Peter has also written several books on history, exploration, science, and technology.
