1. Go to www.usa.gov/Business/Incorporate.shtml and choose the state in which you would like to incorporate your business. At that time, you will be redirected to that state’s Department of State Division of Corporation’s website. For the sake of this article, we’ll use Florida, so if you’re walking through the steps, go ahead and click the Florida icon. To make things easier, I’ve embedded a link to each step’s new page. If you don’t feel like searching, just click the embedded link and I’ll take to right where you need to be. One you’ve clicked the Florida icon from www.usa.gov/Business/Incorporate.shtml, this should take you to… 2. …www.sunbiz.org, the official website of the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. From here, you can search a plethora of preliminary information like whether or not a business already exists in the state with the same name as yours, yearly statistics, fee schedules, and so on.
3. From the Department of State Division of Corporations homepage, we’ll go to electronic filing, since that’s the easiest and most efficient way to file. However, if you prefer paperwork and snail mail, there are also links to fill out and print the documents and file that way.
4. Once on the page for Electronic Filing & Certification page, you have the option to choose the type of incorporation that you desire for your business, e.g. new profit corporation, new non-profit corporation, new LLC, etc. For the sake of this article, we’ll go with a new profit corporation, as it is the most common type of new business that people start, seconded closely by LLC’s. Go ahead and click the link for new profit corporations if you’re following along.
5. Now we’re on the page for Articles of Incorporation for Florida Profit Corporation. Florida’s page is divided in half. One half for starting a new corporation (what we want), and the other half for correcting a rejected filing. Both sides are useful, but for now, we’re going to start the filing and hope that we don’t have to return to correct a rejected one! Let’s focus, now, on the side of the page that we can submit documents and fees to start a new Florida Profit Corporation. Accept the terms and conditions and continue to…
6. ...The Florida Profit Filing document. In Florida (each state varies), the cost for filing for incorporating a new business is $70.00. The good news is that getting to this point was really the hardest part. While everyone will enter this information differently, the software is extremely easy to use and each step is very thoroughly explained. Once this document is completed, you will be directed to a page to pay the filing fee and you’ll be on your way!
