Small Business

Hold harmless agreements can help reduce a business's liability by having signatories accept a certain amount of risk.

Knowing how to franchise your business takes more than enthusiasm. It takes documented systems, legal preparation, and the right partners.

In this guide, we walk you through how to transfer property to an LLC in just a few steps, along with key things to watch for so you can make this change with clarity and confidence.

It’s not available in every state, but certain jurisdictions allow you to form an LLC without listing members or managers in publicly searchable records.

We’ll talk about how to start an LLC for real estate, and go over some concerns about personal liability in case something goes wrong.

The naming process can involve up to four different methods. We’ll describe what these methods are and how to use them.

Switching an LLC from a disregarded entity to S-Corp tax status is straightforward, but there are many steps, and you should have a lawyer review your existing documents first as there are steps required with the IRS and to your legal documents.

There are generally four approaches: domestication, foreign qualification, dissolution/formation, and merger. Let’s take a closer look and discuss how you can prepare before the move.

Incorporation is the legal process of turning a business into a “legal person” that’s separate from you. An incorporated business can own property, pay taxes, and sign contracts under its own name.

Your registered agent is your business’s official point of contact, and you need one in every state where your company is formed or registered.

You can form a Tennessee LLC using this guide:

• Choose an approved name and registered agent.
• File your Articles of Organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
• Create an operating agreement.
• Get an EIN, business licenses, and register for tax accounts.
• Get advice from a lawyer along the way with your LegalShield® plan.

Your LLC won’t officially exist until the state accepts your Articles of Organization. You’ll need the filed document to open LLC bank accounts, apply for business licenses, and sign contracts.