Forming a corporation is quite easy if you know the right thing to do. We have provided this guide to help you know the steps to take when forming your auto business. Depending on your state, there may be some steps that won’t be necessary. If you want to be sure about the basic requirements, you will need to visit your state’s information which is usually contained on the government’s official website.
However, we will give you an easy guide to help you understand what needs to be done.
Choose a Business Name
The first thing you need to do is to choose your business name. It is the most important step when forming your auto corporation. The name you choose will come with a corporate designation like Limited or Corporation at the end. Note some restricted words that some states list on their website. If you use any of those words in your business name, it would not be approved.
Also, on the issue of the name, you will need to check that the name you choose is not violating any trademark and for this reason, you will also need to do a trademark search. The search will help you determine if the name you intend to use is available or is attached to an existing trademark or pending trademark application.
Check Name Availability
Another thing you need to know about choosing your auto business name is knowing if the business name is currently existing in your state. You will also need to search to find out if the name you intend to use has been taken or is available. If the name is taken, you will need to choose another name that has not been officially used by another existing auto business. You can search your state’s official website for corporations.
Appointing Directors
The next step to forming your auto corporation is choosing your first directors. You can be the director of your company but the requirement of the law states it must be a minimum of two directors. You can hire more depending on your state’s regulations. Also, it is not a requirement that the directors must be owners of the company.
File Articles of Incorporation
You also need to file your auto company’s articles of incorporation at your state’s Secretary of State office. This is also referred to as certificates of incorporation or charter. Your state may request the names of the directors listed on the articles of incorporation of a registered agent who will stand as a contact person on the document. The name of the person on the document will be the one receiving government correspondence on behalf of your company.
Filing your articles of incorporation can be quite challenging, though. If you don’t want to do it yourself, you can employ the help of incorporation services like the ones listed on this site. That way, you can focus more on the other aspects of your business.
Conclusion
These are the initial documents you will need to form your auto corporation. Other documents like tax, permits, and licenses will be needed for you to operate your newly formed corporation. It can be quite overwhelming at first, but once you got all the legalities out of the way, things get easier.