Becoming a business owner in VA?

Question

I want to open my cleaning company in VA. runningmy office from my home. I have made arrangements to obtain grant(s) hopefully i will get that. now my questions are. is it better to be LLC or something else. I do have asest i want to protect from the business. but I am not sure how i really want to go. any suggestions. i m trying to think of a name for it now. I know it must be registered.

Answer 1

You've got several issues; let's tackle them one at a time.

RE: Cleaning Services

The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you're interested in.

I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Commercial and Residential Cleaning Services: A Resource Guide to Developing and Maintaining Your Own Janitorial or Home Cleaning Business by Walter Fenix
* Start and Run a Home Cleaning Business by Susan Bewsey
* Start Your Own Cleaning Service (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Ups) by Jacquelyn Lynn
* How to Start a Home-Based Housecleaning Business, 2nd (Home-Based Business Series) by Laura Jorstad

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

RE: Ownership Structures

Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* Ultimate Book of Forming Corps, LLCs, Partnerships & Sole Proprietorships by Michael Spadaccini
* LLC or Corporation?: How To Choose The Right Form For Your Business by Anthony Mancuso
* Legal Guide For Starting & Running A Small Business (8th Edition) by Fred S. Steingold

Check the source box for links to articles & helpful sites

RE: Naming a Business

Since any names that are suggested here may already be owned by another party, I wanted to go a different route...

I suggest either hiring a name creation firm or get together with your friends and/or family and throw a "name party" & have everyone bounce some ideas around. Compile a listing of names that you like the best. Once you have that list, do as much free research as you can before you delve into comprehensive research.

I listed some links where you can do some preliminary name checking. However, please be aware that this is merely scratching the surface of what's out there.

Only comprehensive research will tell you if the name is truly available. But, these links are free & a great place to start, so I'd try them out first.

Comprehensive research consists of looking at marks that are similar in Sound, Appearance or Meaning in the pending & registered Federal AND State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files.

There are other sites that offer free searching capabilities in conjunction with their commercial services, so I'm not able to post those links due to the Yahoo! TOS. You'll also want to check domain names & yellow pages, so simply do a search for "free domain name search" and "national yellowpages" and the appropriate links will pop up.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

Generally, a sole proprietorship is best when you have a small business. There are fewer worries about hiring an accountant, complying with govt. regs, bookkeeping, and headaches. A sole prop. is easy to start (just get a business license and a tax #) and dissolve. If you decide later on to switch to incorporated, it is easy enough then.