Free help & official resources

Free help from people

• SBA: Free small business counseling and trainingOverview of the free counseling and training the SBA and its partners offer.
• SBA: Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)University- and college-based centers offering free one-on-one advising and low-cost workshops.
• SBA: SCORE business mentoringVolunteer business mentors, free of charge, in person or online.
• SBA: Women's Business CentersTraining and counseling centers with a focus on women entrepreneurs.
• SBA: Local assistance (find help near you)Find the SBA district office and resource partners closest to you.

Free courses and events

• SBA: Find upcoming events (webinars and workshops)Upcoming SBA and partner webinars and workshops; many are free, some charge a small fee.
• MySBA Learning (self-paced online courses)Self-paced online courses on planning, launching and managing a business.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): starting a business

• SBA: Choose a business structureOverview of LLCs, corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships.
• SBA: Register your businessHow registration works at the state, local and federal level.
• SBA: Get a registered agentWhat a registered agent does and when you need one.
• SBA: File for foreign qualificationRegistering your business in another state where you operate.
• SBA: Pay taxesFederal, state and employment taxes for small businesses.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• IRS: Small Businesses and Self-EmployedThe IRS hub for small business and self-employed tax topics.
• IRS Publication 541, PartnershipsHow partnerships are taxed; multi-member LLCs are taxed as partnerships by default.
• IRS Publication 542, CorporationsHow corporations are taxed, including C-corporation returns.
• IRS: Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)Apply for a free EIN directly from the IRS.
• IRS: Charities and nonprofitsThe IRS hub for charities and other tax-exempt organizations.
• IRS: About Form 1023The application for recognition of 501(c)(3) exemption.

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

• U.S. Department of Labor: Wages and the Fair Labor Standards ActFederal minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping rules for employers.
• U.S. Department of Labor: Workers' compensationFederal workers' compensation programs, with a pointer to state workers' comp boards for private employers.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

• USPTO: Search our trademark databaseFree search of registered and pending federal trademarks before you pick a name.

U.S. Census Bureau

• U.S. Census Bureau: Business Formation Statistics (BFS)Official data on new business applications and formations, by state and month.

State business filing offices (all 50 states + DC)

The official fee pages our LLC formation costs are checked against each week. For the full cost in a state, open its FormCost page.