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Business formation · Los Angeles & the San Gabriel Valley
Business formation & entity selection in California.
You're ready to make it official. I help you pick the right structure and set it up properly — so the business you're building actually protects you.
Who this is for
The moment before the paperwork
Maybe you're a first-time founder who's been putting this off. A freelancer or creative whose side project quietly became a real income. Two partners who need the deal in writing before it gets awkward. Or an out-of-state founder who needs a California entity done right. Wherever you're starting from, the questions are the same: what structure, whose name on what, and what has to happen so the liability shield actually holds.
I work with founders across Los Angeles County and the San Gabriel Valley — and the answers come in plain language, in English or Spanish.
What I do
Formation, done properly
Entity selection
LLC, corporation, or partnership — explained in plain terms, including when an S-corp election makes sense (it's a tax choice, not an entity type) and where your CPA fits into the decision.
State filings
Articles of organization or incorporation with the California Secretary of State, handled correctly the first time.
Operating agreements & bylaws
The governing documents that decide how your company actually runs — written for your deal, not copied from a template.
Founder & ownership structure
Who owns what, who decides what, and what happens if someone leaves — settled while everyone is still friends.
EIN & initial compliance
Tax ID, initial Statement of Information, and the first-year checklist so nothing slips.
Corporate records habits
The simple record-keeping practices that keep your liability protection intact as you grow — the part online services never mention.
California specifics, stated plainly: LLCs and corporations owe the state a franchise tax of at least $800 every year, Statements of Information have real deadlines, and some licensed professions need a different kind of entity entirely. I'll make sure you know all of it before you commit.
How it works
Four steps to a business that's really yours
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Talk
A conversation about your goals, your partners, and your tax situation — with your CPA in the loop where it helps.
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Structure
We choose the entity and settle the ownership terms — the decisions that are expensive to change later.
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Paperwork
I file with the state and draft your governing documents, written for your actual deal.
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Launch
You get your records, your EIN, and a plain-English list of the deadlines that keep the entity healthy.
Pricing
How pricing works
You'll always know the price before I start. Most formations are flat-fee: after a short conversation about what you actually need, I quote a fixed price and we agree on it in writing before any work begins. State filing fees and the annual franchise tax are separate, and I'll tell you exactly what they are.
Where a matter is genuinely unpredictable — an unusual multi-owner structure, a conversion — I'll say so up front and we'll agree on how billing will work. Either way: no surprises.
FAQ
Questions founders actually ask
Do I actually need an LLC, or can I stay a sole proprietor a while longer?
You can absolutely operate as a sole proprietor — plenty of people do. The trade-off: there is no legal line between you and the business, so everything you own is on the line for everything the business does. The moment you have contracts, employees, customers who could sue, or savings you'd hate to lose, the conversation about an entity is worth having. It's a risk decision, and I'll walk you through it honestly rather than reflexively selling you an LLC.
LLC or corporation — how do I choose?
It mostly comes down to taxes, investors, and formality. LLCs are flexible, simpler to run, and fit most small businesses. Corporations fit businesses that plan to raise money from outside investors or issue stock options. And the "S-corp" your CPA mentioned isn't an entity type at all — it's a tax election that either an LLC or a corporation can make when the numbers justify it. This is exactly the decision the first conversation is for.
What's an operating agreement, and do I need one if I'm the only owner?
It's the document that says who owns the company, how decisions get made, and what happens when things change. Even single-owner LLCs benefit: banks ask for it, future investors and buyers expect it, and it reinforces that the business is legally separate from you — which is the entire point of forming the LLC.
Can't I just use an online formation service?
You can — and honestly, filing the articles is the easy part. What those services don't do is tell you which structure fits your tax situation, draft founder documents that reflect your actual deal, or answer the question you didn't know to ask. Where I see the difference most: businesses with co-founders, creatives with intellectual property, and anyone whose "simple" situation turns out to have a wrinkle.
What does California charge every year to keep an LLC alive?
California imposes an annual franchise tax of at least $800 on LLCs and corporations — due even in years you make nothing — plus periodic Statement of Information filings with their own fees and deadlines. Nobody should form a California entity without budgeting for this, so I put it on the table in the first conversation.
What happens if my co-founder and I disagree later?
That's exactly what the operating agreement (or shareholder agreement) exists to answer — and the time to decide is now, while everyone is still friends. Votes, deadlocks, buyouts, and what happens to the share of someone who walks away: written down today, these cost a document. Left unwritten, they cost a lawsuit.
How long does formation take?
The state filing itself is usually quick — often a matter of days. The complete setup — governing documents, EIN, initial filings, and records — typically comes together within a few weeks, driven mostly by how fast the ownership decisions get made on your side.
Next step
Ready to make it official?
Start with a short conversation about your business and your plans. Not sure which structure you need — or whether you need one yet? That's what the first conversation is for.