Legal and Administrative Setup

Setting up the legal and administrative aspects of your business is a critical step that ensures you operate within the law and have a strong foundation for growth. This section offers resources to guide you through the process of choosing a business structure, registering your business, obtaining necessary permits, and understanding your legal obligations.

Courses & Workshops

CCSF's Business Law I (BSL 1): A course that provides an overview of the legal issues related to business operations, including contracts, liability, and intellectual property.

SCORE Webinar: "Understanding the 5 Most Common Legal Forms of Business": A free webinar that covers the different types of business entities and how to choose the right one for your business.

SCORE Webinar: "7 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself Legally When Starting a Business": Learn seven smart steps you can take as an entrepreneur to keep your business on solid legal ground, from building a foundation to maintaining compliance.

Books & Articles

book-cover-the-small-business-start-up-kit

The Small Business Start-Up Kit
Peri Pakroo

A comprehensive guide to legal issues, including choosing a business structure, licensing, and tax requirements.

book-cover-legal-guide-for-starting-running-a-small-business

Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business
Fred S. Steingold

Offers clear explanations of business law topics that every entrepreneur should know.

book-cover-nolo-s-quick-llc

Nolo’s Quick LLC
Anthony Mancuso

A practical guide to forming and running a Limited Liability Company (LLC), one of the most popular business structures.

Online Resources & Tools

Rocket Lawyer: An online legal service that offers document creation, legal advice, and assistance with business formation.

SBA’s Business Guide: Provides step-by-step instructions on how to register your business, get the right licenses and permits, and stay legally compliant.

LegalZoom: A platform that helps you with business formation, trademark registration, and legal document creation, with access to legal experts.

Videos & Presentations

"Business Structure: How to Choose the Best Entity for You"
LYFE Accounting

These tutorials explains why choosing the right business entity matters for liability, taxes, and growth, gives a quick overview of the four main structures (including their subtypes), and helps viewers decide which best matches their goals.

"How to Choose the Right Business Structure: LLC vs Corporation vs Sole Proprietorship"
TRUiC

These tutorials explains why choosing the right business entity matters for liability, taxes, and growth, gives a quick overview of the four main structures (including their subtypes), and helps viewers decide which best matches their goals.

"How to Legally Start a Business - 8 Steps"
Jim Hart

Legal tips and ideas to start on the right foot and legally protect oneself and one's new business.

Templates & Worksheets

LLC Operating Agreement Template by Rocket Lawyer: A customizable template to help you create an operating agreement for your LLC.

Launch your Business by SBA: Learn about the paperwork and processes you need to take care of before you can start doing business.

Business Contract Templates by LegalTemplates: A collection of sample contracts that can be adapted for use in various business agreements.