Legal Question in Business Law in California

Re: Canadian starting a business in United States

Nationality won't matter, you simply need to follow normal procedures to set up the corporation or other form of business, do your taxes, etc. Get an accountant, and get an attorney. Feel free to contact me if you want legal help setting it up.

Re: Canadian starting a business in United States

Starting a business does involve selecting and filling out some forms, but there is so much more to it that your question sounds sort of like, "I'm going to take a trip around the World, what kind of shoes should I buy?"

The starting point might be to purchase a soft-cover "self-help" book on how to start and run a small business in California. I've just returned from Christmas shopping at a large book store, and I know there are several. One respected publisher is Nolo Books, and I believe they have a Web site; or, you can buy their products or those of other publishers through Amazon.com, etc.

You can also get a checklist for new businesses from the California Secretary of State at www.ss.ca.gov.

A bried checklist of key decisions, steps, etc. would include:

1. Whether to form a corporation, LLC or general partnership;

2. Obtaining a business license from the city or county where the business will be situated;

3. Choosing a name that isn't someone else's;

4. Opening a bank account;

5. If you will have employees, opening an account with the Employment Development Department and the federal Internal Revenue Service;

6. If you will be a corporation or LLC, registering with the Secretary of State.

7. Finally, any business that will be taking investment or operating as a partnership ought to have a written agreement between the partners or between the proprietor and investor.