Starting an LLC: Where to begin?

It’s the same story over in the States—that company charges $45.
Can a firm based out of America and the US actually operate here in the States?

Blade II said:goldengull3,

Could you please clarify what constitutes a sole proprietor?
Are we talking about a legal entity or just an individual, and is it possible to handle imports and sell directly to corporations
here in the States?

Technically, any type of business is fair game, but the barriers to entry can be quite steep. I recall when the thresholds were significantly higher under previous regulations, though I haven't checked the current federal requirements lately...

(1) A sole proprietor is simply an individual who manages their own commercial activities independently under small business regulations and is registered accordingly in the commercial registry.

In layman's terms, think of them as a high-level freelancer or a serious contractor. In any case—if you aren't sitting on a mountain of capital to launch a full corporation, just set up an LLC or a small business. For many niche operations, the overhead of a major corporation isn't even worth the headache.

Ona007 said:In the United Kingdom, it costs about $45 to authorize a firm.
Can a company based in the US or the United Kingdom operate here in America?

Not directly. They would need to establish a legal entity right here in the States; otherwise, there is the inevitable issue of how taxes are collected...

It works exactly the same way for an American company trying to set up shop in the US. You can't just show up with twenty workers from General Construction Co. and walk into a fine and start pouring concrete terraces on your own whim.

Jerry Moore2 said:In the United States, it’s also about $45 to authorize a firm.
Can a company based in the US or the United States actually do business here in America?

Sure they can. Just set up a branch office...

Yara, it's annoying that none of you folks from the United States or Mali have mentioned what the annual maintenance for a setup like that actually runs... Maybe do a little digging first before claiming how cheap it is.

Hint: A buddy of mine had a company in the United States and registered a $300K sailboat under it. After a few years, he sold the boat, shut down the company, bought a bigger one, and then just paid the taxes and customs right here in America. He realized that running the US company ended up costing him way too much—it was actually cheaper to just import the boat and pay all the duties upfront if the vessel is worth more than $350K...

I’ve been chewing on this idea about setting up an offshore company out in Puerto Rico or something similar...
Maintaining a setup like that is dirt cheap..
So my question is, how does that actually work with a local branch? Like, what kind of physical presence would a firm like that even need here in the States?

So, what’s the drill here? I need the full rundown—the how, the where, the requirements, the timeline, and most importantly, the bottom line: how much is this actually going to cost me?

If anyone happens to have a direct link to the official paperwork or a guide, that would be a massive help.🙂
Thanks,🙂

What kind of business venture are you actually planning to launch?

Don't rush into this—it’s a mistake.

for an LLC
maybe 20 $0.00 at the bank.
plus you gotta account for $1667 filing fees and whatever a lawyer charges to draft, sign, and handle all those letters and paperwork.

I couldn't find anything specific online, so I guess if you know a lawyer, just go straight to them. That's probably best.
The actual process is pretty quick, though. Like, less than a month.
We ran into some issues with the court registration, so ours dragged on a bit longer than it should have.

Good luck!
There's a ton of writing and red tape involved with the documents themselves, so if you need specifics, just ask.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

You'll find a ton of useful stuff there, but the best part is OVDHERE

I know it’s a bit much to take in at once, so if you get stuck... just ask!

Yeah...
Before you dive headfirst into all the "fun" stuff, you’ve gotta nail down a business name that actually clears the Secretary of State. It sounds easy, but trust me, it was a massive headache for me.

The catch?
We all know the name matters if you're trying to build a legit brand people actually recognize. The annoying part is that the name has to make sense—it can't just be some gibberish word—and it has to be in English or maybe Latin/Greek.

Legally speaking, you can't pick something already registered with the state. Even though, get this, they rejected a name for me that was already on file in San Francisco. 🙄
It really just depends on which bureaucrat you end up dealing with...

Here’s this search tool that might help you out (though usually, every single name you think of is already taken!) 😁

Just click on "search business registry" and then hit "search by company name"...

Hellish_Dwarf said:Oh yeah...
Before you even think about jumping into this "fun" business, you gotta figure out a name that actually clears the Secretary of State. It might seem like a breeze, but trust me, it was nothing but a massive headache for me.

Same thing happened to us. They wouldn't approve the name, or basically what we actually do. Sounds pretty stupid now, but it was the only way.
And even though we have a company name, it’s not "1 X," it’s more like "one x."

honestly, having a solid company name really helped me out
www.cursor.com

Thanks, everyone🙂
BlueSmurf, don't worry, I’m not trying to rush anything, and honestly, I'm not even looking out for my own interests here.

Good grief, I went through all those links and printed out everything that seemed important, but—what is this nonsense regarding names?
Why can't you just use an English name, for instance?
There has to be some legal loophole somewhere that people exploit—like how surnames are passed down or used in corporate branding (think Donald Trump or John Doe holdings). So, theoretically, you could just change your last name to something like 🤔 Apple* and then register the company under that name.😁

*mind you, that name would have absolutely zero connection to the actual business intended.

Back in the day, there weren't any laws regulating business names, so people just let their imaginations run wild...
(Dalmatians definitely ended up being the wildest ones when it came to that kind of thing 😁)

But hey, it is what it is now... damn. 🙄

Don't get hung up on the legal name.
Just register your LLC under whatever, then build your actual brand around a totally different name that doesn't have to match the official paperwork.

For example, that famous "Tantra" spot in downtown Chicago is actually registered under some random corporate name like Bircevi Holdings or something.

Later,
Chris Ruiz10

Yeah, but I gotta have the actual company name on the stamp, so I can't just write "computers and stuff" or whatever.

Hannah Davis18 said:Yeah, but my official seal has to show the actual company name, so I can't just put "computers and stuff."

Man, don't overthink it. Why are you even stressing about a stamp? Just get a tiny one where the name is barely legible... it's not like you're trying to build a "brand" with a rubber stamp. 😕 I mean, how many people actually look at what's on a corporate seal anyway? Besides, when you sign things, you just sign over the stamp and call it a day.

I’m not trying to make things difficult.
I don't want some random handle; I want something that actually ties back to what I do. My business is small, so there isn't really any point in overthinking an "extra" fancy name. Let's just go with Sunshines LLC. If the local news wants to report on it every day, they can call it Tantra if they want—it's not like anyone cares if it's actually just bars and clubs.
I'm not signing everything with a corporate seal, and honestly, it’s impossible to run a webshop and have all the shipping materials under a different legal name. In my case, this whole thing is tied to a super niche group of people, and I doubt anyone outside the industry even knows what we're about. All I care about is having a name that triggers the right association immediately, and that's it.

The owners of Tantra have their own separate dive bars, so obviously their official company name is something else entirely.
My little setup only has this one name, and I'm not changing it now. Everything was fine before, but the judge sent it back twice because he claimed it wasn't "by the book"—even though he basically makes up his own rules as he goes.

Hannah Davis18 said:I'm not making things complicated.
I don't want some random name; I want something that actually relates to what I do. It's a small business, so coming up with an amazing brand isn't exactly my priority. I just want it easy. If I'm in the news, people should know it's about Tantra, not just some local dive bars.

I get it, but maybe look at it from another angle. There are plenty of huge companies out there with names that have nothing to do with their industry. Like Apple, for instance.

I don't sign everything with a corporate seal, and it’s not like I can just go out and get a whole new website, shop, and all my branding under a different name. My niche is super specific, and honestly, I doubt anyone outside the industry even knows what we do. I just need my name to show up correctly on the first association, and that's basically it.

Fine. Just check out www.warpstudio.com

My setup is tiny and I'm really not considering changing it now. Everything was fine before, but then a judge sent it back twice because it didn't meet his specific requirements—which he seems to make up as he goes along.

Yeah, I know how that goes. I got lucky because the guy who helped us set up the LLC does this all the time, so he knows exactly how to make sure things pass through without any issues.

Sure, there’s two sides to every story, but at the end of the day, this is still just a business.
My lawyer was actually super helpful and all, but man, the judge? Total nightmare. He was just nitpicking everything for no reason.
Everything worked out fine eventually, though.
I had some favorite names picked out too (like,www.sofake.com) but nothing stuck. Mostly because the whole thing felt weird without more English options, and honestly, every decent name we liked was already taken.
It all turned out okay in the end, I guess, but it was a total nightmare. It’s easy to toss out name ideas when it’s not your problem, but when it's your own stuff on the line, suddenly every suggestion feels "trash" or "lame."