How do I turn my business idea into a company?
You choose a business structure, file it with a state, and get an EIN so the company can open a bank account. Then you put three things in writing: who owns the company, how decisions get made, and that anything you built before the company existed now belongs to it.
The filing is the easy part. The decisions around it are what an attorney helps you get right. Most founders get here a little later than they meant to, which is normal and usually fixable.
You don't need to know the legal terms. If one of these sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
Once you're earning, signing contracts or hiring help, the work should happen inside a company, not in your own name.
Two founders means ownership, roles and "what if one of us leaves" need answers in writing, while everyone still agrees.
Banks want formation documents and a tax ID. Keeping company money separate from yours starts here.
Code, designs, a brand or a prototype made before formation belong to you personally until they're transferred to the company.
A customer, lease or vendor agreement signed in your own name puts you on the hook personally. Sign it as a company.
Good. Filing services handle the filing. We can look at what you have and help with what comes next, like ownership documents and IP.
Anyone can file a form. What you're really deciding at this stage is how the company is built. Here are the three decisions that matter most, and why.
An LLC is flexible and simpler to run, which suits many service businesses and companies that won't take outside investment. A corporation has a more formal structure. A Delaware C-corp is what venture investors usually expect.
Your operating agreement or bylaws record who owns what share, how decisions are made, and what happens if a founder leaves or you disagree. Vesting lets ownership be earned over time.
Anything created before the company existed, like code, designs, a name or a prototype, belongs to whoever made it. An IP assignment moves it into the company.
Reviewed by Hollie Kucera, Long Law, P.C. · October 31, 2026. General information, not legal advice for your situation.
They've taken the time to really understand my business and its structure (they helped set that up too)… I get access to the legal expertise I need without feeling like fees are constantly piling up.
They stay on top of everything, go the extra mile and make it all understandable and effortless on my end. Dream law firm.
The convenience of buying online, with a law firm doing the work.
Every matter is handled by the attorneys and staff of Long Law, P.C., not a filing service.
Your kickoff call with an attorney shapes your documents, not a blank template.
You see the attorney fee up front. State filing fees are listed separately, with no surprises.
When you raise, hire, protect IP or sell, the same firm already knows your company.
Flat attorney fees. Filing fees, where a state charges them, are listed separately.
Best for: one owner who wants an LLC.
Best for: two or more owners who want an LLC.
Best for: one owner who wants a corporation.
Best for: founders who expect to raise venture money.
Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.
If you plan to raise venture capital, most investors expect a Delaware C-corporation, so starting there avoids a conversion later. If you'll fund the business yourself or run a service company, an LLC is usually simpler and more tax-flexible. Read: How do I choose the right business entity?
At GoLong, flat attorney fees run from $750 for a single-owner LLC or corporation to $1,000 for a Delaware C-corp set up for investors. State filing fees are extra and depend on the state, typically $75 to $270. New York LLCs also pay for newspaper publication, usually around $250 and more in NYC and Buffalo.
Not to file. The filing is the easy part. An attorney earns their fee on the decisions around it: ownership splits, vesting, decision-making and IP assignment. Those are hard to change later and are what investors and buyers check.
Yes. Many founders start with a filing service. We can review what you have and add what's missing, such as an operating agreement, founder documents or IP assignments. An Advice & Counsel Session is a good place to start.
It belongs to you, not the company, until you transfer it. An IP assignment agreement moves code, designs, brand assets and other early work into the company, so it owns what it's built on.
Not ready to choose yet? Take the decisions with you. A short, plain-English guide to forming your company:
Our attorneys are happy to walk you through your options before you commit to anything.
A monthly letter for founders from the attorneys who do the work: the legal groundwork your company needs, what can wait, and the developments that change the answer.
A welcome note is on its way, and the next issue follows on schedule.
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