Thank you very much for the information and resources! The business will be a translation services company, so no inventory or hard goods to import/export. If there are any guidelines specific to this type of business, however, I would certainly be interested in those as well.   Thank you again.

Thank you riverasierra for your input! multifarious- you must register your business with the state and local government. To find out how to register and comply with laws specific to your state, feel free to check out the state business guides. What kind of online business are you starting? Will you be selling goods? Here is the online businesse guide that clarifies compliance for online sales and marketing. If you are selling goods, be sure to read the import and export guide. Before you register for in a particular state, check out the the pros and cons of registering and running a businesses in different states. Good luck!

All businesses, whether physical, virtual or e-biz, must incorporate if they wish to obtain the protections that corporations or LLCs allow. To do that, it must be done within a State. You cannot register just with the feds since they do not govern corporations (except for national corporations). Best thing to do is to either pick a State where you have some roots or pick the one(s) who are easiest on corporations for filing and accountability. José A. Rivera President & CEO Rivera, Sierra & Company, In. jrivera@riverasierra.com