Legal Question in Business Law in Massachusetts

Re: Online Business

You need to file a business certificate with the town in which your company is located. You need to decide how you want to operate your business. Sole Propritership, corporation, partnership, LLP, LLC etc. Once you determine that, you need to file with the secretary of state corporation division. I strongly recomend you have article of incorporation or Operating Agreement prepared for your company. Then you need to file an SS-4 Application for Tax Indentification Number, if you are planning on having employees, call paychex and make sure you have workers compensation insurance, its the law and the penalities for not having it are stiff.

Re: Online Business

There is some information available at:

www mass gov - business - Getting Started

The licenses will depend upon the type of business. Tax Ids will depend upon whether you have employees and or whether you are an incorporated entity (corporation or limited liability company "llc"). If you are selling over the internet, you will likely need to set up an account with the Department of Revenue if your business collects sales tax, and or if you have any employees.

Echoing the sentiment of the other answer, you should consider having an attorney prepare papers for incorporation either as a corporation or llc, and prepare the articles of organization and bylaws, or llc operating agreement. Free forms or forms from this website or others are no substitute for the advice of a good attorney.

See other comments on this database about name selection - you should think about potential names, try to be unique but relevant, and then check availability via Google, yellow pages, and the state and federal trademark offices (online). Then talk to an attorney.

Finally, for zoning questions, you can drop by your local town or city hall and talk with the planning board or other appropriate person (or give them a call.) They will be able to tell you what type of zoning rules apply to where you are, and whether (they believe) your proposed business is in harmony with such rules.

Good luck!