Business Start Up

A limited liability company is a business structure that provides limited protection for its members against most debts or liabilities of the company.

A member is an owner of the LLC.

There are a variety of factors to consider when selecting a name. The Corporations Bureau will not approve your name if it is exactly the same or confusingly similar to an existing registered business. You’ll also want to avoid selecting a name that another business outside of Pennsylvania uses or that is subject to an existing registered Trademark. We suggest conducting a name search with the Corporations Bureau first. You should also do an online search for other businesses with a very similar name. You should also have a url (i.e. website address) for your business in mind. You should search the various website registration providers to see whether your name is available for registration. Some names are so long, they are not easily used for a website address or email address.

Both types of entities have the significant legal advantage of helping to protect assets from creditors and providing an extra layer of protection against legal liability. In general, the creation and management of an LLC is much easier and more flexible than that of a corporation. A corporation is also more expensive to form because you are required to advertise its formation, which typically costs several hundred dollars. There is no advertising requirement for LLCs.