This article was written by Dick Ginnaty, CPA
Put www.calgold.ca.gov and www.nolo.com in your favorite places.
Calgold is a site maintained by the California Environmental Protection Agency which lists all the requirements to operate a business in the various cities of California. So, for example, if you thinking about operating a business in Brea, visit the website (www.calgold.ca.gov) and follow the instructions, and the requirements of doing business in Brea are presented. How cool is that? Timely, definitive, and free.
Nolo, formerly known as Nolo Press, has for the past 30 years been a publisher and distributor of books and pamphlets that explain in plain English, legal processes. Titles such as, “How to form a LLC”, and, “How to form a Corporation,” have been published and are updated on a regular basis. Most of the books are written by attorneys. Many include a CD including all the forms needed to create the legal document required to accomplish the stated task, and the price is right. Almost all of the titles cost less than $100.
Even if you are not inclined to try to “do it yourself” filing important legal documents that you want done correctly (like incorporating), I encourage you to visit the site and purchase any title that is related to the topic you are interested in. By knowing about the legal process you want accomplished, you will understand the information required by the lawyer to perform the task, and can get started gathering it. It will also help you understand the time (and dollars) required to complete the task.
Remember, a prepared and informed buyer usually get the best deal, either in terms of cost, or more importantly, quality. This general advice applies to professional services also.
Good luck and here’s hoping it “all adds up” for you.
(If there is any area in accounting or tax that you think needs to be addressed in this newsletter please e-mail Dick at Ginnatycpa@aol.com and if it is of general interest, he will address it in future articles)
