Startups

Starting a business entails many steps. Our founder has experience starting his own business and helping a number of startups through being an Incubator Resource at the CIED, GTEC, and IPDC.

Here are some of the things we can help you with:

1. Discussing what needs to be done when you want to start a business.
   • Assisting you prioritize the steps to take.
   • Guiding you through the business formation process.
2. Assisting with development of the business plan.
   • Developing the budget and/or forecast to include in your business or strategic plan.
3. Figuring out if the name you choose is available for use in Florida as well as the domain (however, we suggest you hire an attorney for a more comprehensive name search if you plan to go national or global).
4. Figuring out which type of business entity to operate as: sole proprietor, partnership, company, or corporation.
   • Discussing the pros and cons of each.
5. Figuring out which type of tax status to operate as: individual, partnership, S corporation, or C corporation.
   • Discussing the pros and cons of each.
   • Filing the Form 2553 subchapter S election, if necessary.
6. Registering the business entity with the Florida Division of Corporation / sunbiz.org if you want to do-it-yourself and not hire one of the filing services (however, we suggest you hire a business attorney for this step to prepare the relevant governing documents).
   • Registering the fictitious name, if necessary.
   • Ordering the corporate kit, if necessary.
7. Requesting the employer’s identification number for the business entity chosen.
8. Suggesting the type of checking, saving, and/or credit card accounts to open.
9. Applying for a business or occupational license in the city or county the business will operate.
10. Applying for a sales tax certificate from the Florida Department of Revenue, if necessary.
11. Recommending an accounting software to use for your bookkeeping and reporting as well as other software solutions based on your needs.
12. Serving as your trusted advisor “The Profit CFO^TM” throughout the year.
13. Preparing your personal and business federal income tax returns.

As you grow and start adding paid interns, subcontractors, and/or employees, we can talk about addressing your regular payroll processing and Form 1099-MISC compliance.

Startups are unique businesses, and therefore have unique needs. If your entrepreneurial spirit does not mesh well with managing finances and bookkeeping, we can help!