the following steps can guide you in sorting, categorizing and storing your physical paperwork and help you design an effective filing system: sort your physical documents into categories such as reports, client documents or billing invoices. this layered sorting strategy can help you identify what documents to keep and organize for easy access. starting with a simple survey and categorization of your documents can help initiate the filing process. for example, if you sort your documents by client, consider placing dated documents in order from newest to oldest so the most recent documents are in front. use file folders to store groups of documents based on their type and subtype. for example, you can sort alphabetically by client name or chronologically by the most recent client you acquired.

being the sole owner of a company usually means that you are responsible for that company’s direction and management. a dba filing, stock log and articles of association or organization can all prove ownership of a business. a sole proprietorship is a business owned by one person that is not a separate business entity from the owner. the tax liability of a sole proprietorship is tied to the owner’s tax identification number, the social security number. the easiest way to show proof of business ownership for sole proprietorship is to provide a copy of your tax return with the schedule c attachments for your business. there are two types of corporations, an s corporation and a c corporation. the sole shareholder filters all taxes to his own personal social security number.

when it comes to business planning and preparing your business for success, perhaps nothing is more important than getting the general, requisite legal documentation in place prior to starting. while the document is not required in a legal sense, it is the most important document from a continuity and asset protection point-of-view for both shareholders and the longevity of the company. instead of going into why delaware is perhaps the best state in which to incorporate. when making the decision, it is best to consult both legal and tax specialists. articles of incorporation could also include the following, depending upon the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where it is organized as the governing document outlining the relationship between key employees and the corporation, the employee agreement includes important, specific deal points for stock options and other provisions between the owners, employees and the issuer(s). here are a list of key provisions often included in company bylaws: bylaws help to explicitly indicate how the business operates at the 30,000 foot-level.

unlike a limited liability company and a corporation, there are no documents to file with the state to begin the legal existence of a partnership. partnerships in states like california can file a statement of partnership authority with the secretary or department of state. a statement of partnership authority is not a document needed to form a partnership. the fee to file a statement of partnership authority varies from state to state. a partnership automatically assumes the last name of each partner. the cost to file a trade name application varies based on the city or county where the partnership operates.

there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business, a fictitious name “doing business as” or dba is required if you want your business to have a different name than your own name. if you are planning to have services company and you will not have any employees, for example a consultant. you will have to fill out a registration form for a “fictitious name” or “doing business as” dba. in some states, individuals register sole proprietorships with the state government or the county clerk’s office. register your business as a dba with your state government or county clerk’s office. when you apply for your dba you will receive the information to apply for your ein or call the u.s. internal revenue service.

the types of organizational documents you use depend on the type of entity you run and the jurisdiction you’re in. whether you file a general, benefit, close, or non-profit corporation, you’ll file a certificate of incorporation (or equivalent document) and bylaws. the purpose of the bylaws is to outline operating procedures. in the shareholder agreement, the owners — or shareholders — layout provisions relating to their ownership interest in the corporation. this is a person or company that accepts legal and tax documents on behalf of the corporation. incorporators are the people responsible for filing formation documents for a corporation.