Business Management
Small Business Setup Support in Atlanta and Georgia
Starting a company involves early decisions and plenty of paperwork. GAP Consulting provides small business setup documentation support, helping you compare entity types and organize what the state registration process requires.
One of the first choices a new owner faces is how to structure the business. Common options include operating as a sole proprietor, forming a general partnership or limited partnership, or creating a limited liability company (LLC), an S corporation or a C corporation. Each carries different implications for paperwork, ownership, taxes and personal liability.
We help you understand the general differences between these structures, prepare questions for your attorney and tax professional and gather the information you will need. Once you have made a decision with their input, we provide documentation support for state registration, helping you organize forms, owner details and supporting records so your filing is complete and consistent.
Entity selection has legal and tax consequences, so we do not make that choice for you or offer legal advice. We recommend consulting an attorney for legal questions and a tax professional about tax treatment. Our role is to help you arrive at those conversations prepared and leave with your paperwork in order.
Who this is for
- First-time owners turning an idea into a company
- Sole proprietors considering a more formal structure
- Partners forming a business together
- Side businesses ready to become official
- Owners who want organized records from the start
How GAP Consulting helps
Explain the common structures
We walk you through the general differences between sole proprietor, partnership, LLC and corporation structures.
Prepare questions for advisers
We help you list the questions to bring to your attorney and tax professional before you decide.
Gather owner information
We help you collect names, addresses, ownership details and other information registration forms request.
Organize state registration documents
We provide documentation support so your registration paperwork is complete, consistent and ready for submission.
Set up your records
We help you create an orderly file for formation documents so they are easy to find later.
In Georgia
In Georgia, corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships are formed with the Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division, and generally file an annual registration each year to stay in good standing. Most new businesses also register with the Georgia Department of Revenue and check city or county business license requirements. We help you organize these steps; an attorney should answer legal questions about your structure.
How we work
What working together looks like
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Initial Consultation
A conversation about where you are, what is on your mind and what you would like to accomplish.
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Needs Assessment
We review the details, documents and priorities that matter to your situation.
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Strategic Recommendations
You receive clear, practical recommendations and a sensible order for acting on them.
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Implementation Support
We help put the plan in motion, organizing the work and coordinating with the people involved.
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Ongoing Guidance
As your business and life change, we stay available to revisit decisions and keep things on track.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Have a question that is not answered here? Book a consultation and ask us directly.
What is the difference between an LLC and an S corporation?
An LLC is a type of business entity formed under state law, while S corporation status is a federal tax election that certain eligible businesses can make. That means the two are not always either-or choices. Because the details affect liability and taxes, we help you understand the general concepts and prepare questions, and we recommend confirming your choice with an attorney and tax professional.
Is operating as a sole proprietor enough for a new small business?
Some owners start as sole proprietors because it involves fewer formation steps. Others prefer a structure that separates business and personal matters. The right answer depends on your risk, plans and tax picture, which is why we encourage you to discuss it with an attorney and tax professional. We help you organize the information they will need to advise you.
Do you file my business registration with the state?
Our role is documentation support. We help you gather the required information, organize forms and supporting records and review them for completeness and consistency before submission. You or your attorney remain responsible for the filing itself and for confirming that it meets state requirements. If legal questions arise during the process, we recommend consulting an attorney.
When might a general or limited partnership be worth considering?
Partnerships are often considered when several people go into business together. In a general partnership, partners typically share management and liability, while a limited partnership includes partners with more limited roles. Because partnership terms can carry significant legal consequences, we recommend working with an attorney on the agreement. We help you organize the details you will bring to that conversation.
What information should I gather before forming a C corporation?
Before forming any corporation, it helps to have the proposed business name, owner and director details, a business address, a description of the business activities and a sense of how ownership will be divided. We help you organize these details and supporting records so your attorney and the state registration process have what they need, and we recommend an attorney for legal questions.
Book a Consultation
Schedule a Business Management Consultation
Schedule a consultation online, or call our Atlanta office. We will listen first, then help you decide on sensible next steps.