If you are a small business or new business in Vancouver looking to incorporate, you may see a plethora of online services available to help you with the incorporation process.
There are many online services that claim to incorporate your business for as little as $100. However, they will not complete the incorporation process. They will only complete step one of a two-step process.
That means, you will receive notice of articles but that does not mean that the incorporation process is complete or valid. It is only complete and valid when you prepare the company articles, draft the necessary director and shareholder resolutions and issue share certificates to name a few of the outstanding items.
Ultimately you would be registered as a business but fail to meet the requirements necessary to satisfy your accounting and legal requirements. Further, if you wished to sell your business, your minute book would need to be complete in order to proceed.
Why should I use a lawyer to incorporate?
While it is possible to incorporate yourself, it will require a great deal of time and research. Some of the areas that you will need to complete are:
- You will have to review the BC Laws Business Corporations Act and find out what the required resolutions are.
- You will have to prepare the resolutions, issue the shares, and obtain a formal minute book.
For most people, they are advised to use a lawyer to incorporate, which will ensure that all the legal requirements for incorporation have been fulfilled.
More often than not, clients who try and prepare the necessary documents themselves often do it incorrectly and it costs them much more to have a lawyer rectify their minute book.
Frankly, if you cannot afford to higher professionals (such as lawyers and accountants) to aid you in your legal and accounting requirements then you should re-think incorporation.
Using a lawyer will also help you get set up with all the other aspects of starting a business, from preparing employment, service, and distribution contracts, branding and trademarks, and obtaining the corrects licenses and permits.
Some of the other services our Small Business and Corporate Lawyers offer include:
- Business Incorporation, Maintenance and Wind-up
- Buying or selling a business
- Negotiation, Review and Drafting of Business Contracts and Commercial Agreements
- Buying, Selling or Reorganization of a Company
- Construction Law (Builders Liens, Disputes)
- Corporate and Commercial Disputes Collections
- Business Succession Planning
- Section 51, 85 and 86 legal tax document preparation
- Discretionary Family Trusts
- Asset and Share Purchases and Dispositions
- Buyout Transactions
- Due Diligence
Let Us Help. Based in downtown Vancouver and our new office in West Vancouver, our team of Corporate and Small Business Lawyers will work with you to understand your long-term vision and short term needs. We’ll make sure that, from the outset, your business is set up in the most appropriate manner and that you are fulfilling your duties and obligations as a company and as a director on an annual basis. Book your free consultation today.