When starting a new business, getting the required license and registering your business is important to get a legal recognition for your business. The registration process of your business will depend on the structure of your business entity. Business registration is handled by local, county and state governments and they may have different requirements depending on the nature and structure of your business. You should refer to a professional accountant, lawyer or your attorney to know what the best structure that suits you is. Read on to know the steps you need to take to register your business. Determine the business structure: Determine the business structure that best suits your business needs. It can be a sole proprietorship, partnership, trust or a company. This decision will determine the registration procedures that you have to follow. Register the business name: If you choose the structure of your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or a trust, you need to register your business name with the state or territory of your operation. You cannot use a name for your company that already exists in the country. You can search for the existing names online and then decide on the name of your own company. Register your trademark: Registering your trademark will protect your business from imitators and give your business the exclusive right to your brand. The registration should be done with state secretary of state offices. For a wider protection of your trade name you can register your business with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Seek professional help if you are unsure about how to go about doing this. Get the necessary licenses and permits. Decide if you want to self-register your business or get it done by a professional accountant, lawyer or attorney in your city. If state income tax is applicable, you need to register and obtain an EIN (employer Identification Number) from state Department of Revenue or Treasury Department. For any further formalities you must contact the state licensing agency of your state.

Talk to an accountant. They'll know the best way to go - S Corp, LLC, partnership, etc. It's best to have a lawyer draw up the docs for your company too....you never know what is going to happen, especially if ownership is shared by more than one person. In corporate documents you can define things like only certain people can have a say in business matters (so, say a a few years in a divorced spouse of a partner doesn't want a say in business affairs, etc). This stuff costs money, but it's worth it.

All the documents you need are available. Sometimes they are a pain in the *@#! I have a business called "dreamforward". It's a small business I run from home. I got my business license, DBA, and all the other stuff I needed by going to http://www.businessnameusa.com