01 · DECIDELLC · S CORP · C CORP
01 · DECIDE
LLC vs. Other Business Structures
Compare an LLC with a sole proprietorship and corporation, then separate the legal entity from tax treatment.
Watch and read the guide →Practical LLC guidance from a business attorney
Start — and run — your LLC the right way.
Use a clear path to choose your state and structure, form the company, complete the work after approval and operate it properly.
✓ Plain English guidance✓ Video plus written guides✓ 30+ years of experience
30+years helping
business owners
business owners
Attorney-created education about LLC formation, operating agreements, holding companies and closely held businesses.
Meet Chris Jackson →The LLC Roadmap
Know what to do now — and what comes next.
Formation is one step in a longer journey. Start at the beginning or jump directly to the issue you need to solve today.
01
Start the LLC Roadmap →Decide
Understand whether an LLC fits your business and what it will — and will not — do.
Explore this stage →02Choose
Choose the state, ownership and management structure before you file.
Explore this stage →03Form
Handle the name, registered agent and formation filing in the right order.
Explore this stage →04Set Up
Complete the operating agreement, EIN, bank account and company records.
Explore this stage →05Operate
Fund the LLC, pay yourself and keep business finances properly separate.
Explore this stage →06Protect
Maintain the company, manage risk and adapt the structure as it grows.
Explore this stage →The LLC Guide Library
Follow the LLC journey in order.
Start with the entity decision, then move through formation, setup, operation and advanced holding company structures.
02 · CHOOSEWY · DE · HOME
02 · CHOOSE
What Is the Best State to Form Your LLC?
Compare your home state with Wyoming, Delaware and other alternatives.
Watch and read the guide →03 · FORMNAME → FILE → SET UP
03 · FORM
How to Start an LLC
Follow the decisions, filing steps and post approval work in one clear sequence.
Watch and read the guide →04 · SET UPAPPROVED → ORGANIZED
04 · SET UP
What to Do After Forming an LLC
Organize the agreement, EIN, banking, funding, records and ongoing requirements.
Watch and read the guide →05 · DOCUMENTOWNERSHIP · AUTHORITY
05 · DOCUMENT
Operating Agreement for an LLC
Understand what the agreement should address and choose the right level of documentation.
Watch and read the guide →06 · FUNDCONTRIBUTE · LEND · RECORD
06 · FUND
How to Fund Your LLC
Document capital contributions, owner loans, financing and other money entering the company.
Watch and read the guide →07 · OWNER PAYDRAW · DISTRIBUTION · PAYROLL
07 · OWNER PAY
How to Pay Yourself From an LLC
Match draws, distributions, guaranteed payments or payroll to the LLC's federal tax classification.
Watch and read the guide →OPTIONAL STRUCTUREYOU → HOLDCO → LLC
OPTIONAL STRUCTURE
LLC Holding Company Structures
Learn when a parent and subsidiary structure may help and when the extra cost is justified.
Watch and read the guide →EXISTING LLCTRANSFER → HOLDCO
EXISTING LLC
Put an Existing LLC Under a Holding Company
Consider ownership and tax issues before using the documents that create the new structure.
Watch and read the guide →BUSINESS TOOLSBANK · INSURE · OPERATE
BUSINESS TOOLS
Choose the Tools Around Your LLC
Compare formation services, banking, insurance, phone and other systems that help the business operate.
Watch and read the guide →Choose your next step
Make the site work around where you are.
You do not need to read everything. Choose the path that matches your question today.
I'M STILL DECIDING
Where should I form?
Compare your home state with Wyoming, Delaware and other choices.
Compare formation states →I'M READY TO FILEHow do I form my LLC?
Choose your state for video guidance, written steps and a formation path.
Find my state guide →MY LLC IS APPROVEDWhat do I do next?
Organize the agreement, EIN, banking, records and ongoing compliance.
Continue after approval →Video and written guides
Watch it. Read it. Put it into context.
Each completed page pairs a video with readable text, practical takeaways and related next steps.
▶Plan
LLC vs. S Corp vs. C Corp vs. Sole Proprietorship
Compare the entity choices and separate the legal entity from its tax treatment.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Plan
Best State to Form an LLC
Understand when your home state is usually the right answer — and when another state may make sense.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Form
How to Start an LLC
Follow the formation decisions, filing steps and work required after state approval.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Set It Up
What to Do After Forming an LLC
The steps that turn an approved filing into an organized operating company.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Set It Up
Operating Agreement for LLC
The document that establishes how your LLC is owned and operated.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Structure
LLC Holding Company Structures
When a parent and subsidiary structure may help and how the entities fit together.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Structure
Put an Existing LLC Under a Holding Company
The ownership updates and documents used to create the new structure.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Operate
How to Fund Your LLC the Right Way
Four ways to capitalize your company while keeping the financial record clear.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Operate
How to Pay Yourself as an LLC
Owner draws, guaranteed payments, payroll and distributions explained by tax classification.
Watch and read the guide →
▶Operate
S Corp Election Benefits and Deadlines
When an LLC S corporation election may save taxes—and the payroll and compliance it requires.
Watch and read the guide →Business Tools
Practical tools for the work around your LLC.
Compare formation services, choose a bank account, consider insurance and set up the systems your business needs.
Why Bizee — and How It Compares
See why Chris uses Bizee, then compare its price structure and recurring services with other major formation providers.
Compare formation services →Choose a Business Bank Account
Learn what to look for and compare a traditional bank with online banking options.
Read the banking guide →Build Your Business Toolkit
Find starting points for insurance, phone service, bookkeeping, payroll, contracts and other operational tools.
Explore Business Tools →Some links are affiliate links. The LLC Guide may receive compensation at no added cost to you. Recommendations are educational starting points, and provider terms can change.
Free attorney-created resource
Keep the important LLC steps in one place.
The LLC Startup Checklist gives you a practical sequence for the decisions before filing and the setup work after approval—so you do not have to piece the process together from multiple sources.
- Formation and structure decisions
- Essential company documents
- Banking, tax and funding setup
- Post-formation maintenance steps
Meet your guide
Business-law guidance informed by the realities of running a business.
I'm Chris Jackson, a California business attorney, entrepreneur and creator of The LLC Guide. Over more than 30 years, I have advised entrepreneurs, business owners and investors on LLC formation, operating agreements, holding-company structures, contracts and other business-law matters.
My perspective also comes from the operating side. I have served as a chief operating officer, owned and managed businesses and real estate, and worked directly with financial statements, operations, contracts and the decisions owners face when resources are limited and the details matter.
I created this site to explain not only how to form an LLC, but how to structure, fund, operate and maintain it correctly—in plain English and without one-size-fits-all answers.
Professional background ↗Why I created The LLC Guide
Helpful guidance for different needs, budgets and stages.
Business owners have different needs, budgets and levels of experience. Some want to form and operate an LLC themselves. Others want better documents, practical tools or additional guidance. Some have circumstances that call for individualized legal advice.
I created The LLC Guide to make reliable LLC information easier to understand and put into practice. My goal is to help you make informed decisions, avoid common mistakes and give your business a stronger foundation, whether you use the free LLC Roadmap, choose more comprehensive templates and educational resources, or retain an attorney for personalized help.
Most of the educational content on this site is free. Some links are affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation if you use them at no additional cost to you. In some cases, those links also provide special offers or additional resources. That support helps me continue creating the videos, guides and tools available through The LLC Guide.