“Still running the business on a handshake and a personal bank account”
The business is real - customers, revenue, maybe a helper - but legally it is just you: personal account, personal liability, taxes tangled together. One dispute or accident and everything personal is on the table.
What modern businesses do instead
Modern formation is a checkout flow: the LLC, the EIN, the registered agent, and the compliance reminders handled by a service for less than a lawyer's first hour. Separation of business and personal starts the same week.
The part nobody warns you about is year two: annual reports and state filings that, missed, quietly dissolve the company. Good services watch the calendar for you.
The prescription
ZenBusiness
LLC formation, registered agent, and compliance reminders - your business, official, without the legal-fee anxiety.
Why for this problem: US formation from $0 plus state fees, with the worry-free compliance plan that keeps the LLC alive after you form it. The lawyer-shaped errand becomes an evening.
The honest downside: US-focused. Canadian founders should look at Ownr (also on this list); if your situation involves partners, investors, or IP, spend the money on a real lawyer - formation services file paperwork, they don’t give advice.
Formation from $0 + state fees; the worry-free compliance plan is the part that keeps you out of trouble in year two.
Try ZenBusiness → Our full takeOwnr
Register or incorporate a Canadian business online, backed by RBC.
Why for this problem: The Canadian equivalent: incorporation and registration built for Canada, with the same "make it official without a law firm" promise.
The honest downside: Canada only. If you’re anywhere else, this page isn’t for you - and complex share structures still deserve a real lawyer.
One-time packages; RBC business-account holders often qualify for a rebate on the fee.
Try Ownr → Our full takeCommon questions
Do I really need an LLC for a small operation?
The moment the business can hurt someone or owe someone - a client dispute, an accident, a debt - the LLC is what stands between that and your house. Revenue size is not the trigger; risk exposure is.
LLC or S-corp or what?
Most small businesses start as an LLC for liability protection and add an S-corp tax election later if the accountant says the numbers justify it. Formation services file either; complex situations deserve a real lawyer.
What does staying compliant involve?
Annual or biennial state reports, registered-agent service, and keeping business finances separate. It is an hour a year with reminders - and a dissolved LLC with none.
Is this really your biggest leak?
Take the 2-minute checkup and find out what to fix first - the answer surprises most owners.
Start the free checkup →