Washington Startup Packages

Most businesses will be set up and ready to operate within about two weeks. Businesses with more than one founder sometimes take more time because co-founders often haven’t addressed all of the legal issues when we meet with them.

Yes, when we register your company with the Washington Department of Revenue and complete your Washington State Business License Application, we will obtain a state business license for your company along with registering your company in the specific city where your business will be located.

Yes. The above lists include every possible document and filing you may need to properly start your new company in the State of Washington, but if you decide that you won’t need certain documents drafted, just let us know.

No, with the following exceptions:

• If you would like us to make a separate assumed business name filing, we charge $100 along with the Washington Department of Revenue filing fees (currently $15); and
• If you would like our firm to act as the registered agent for your company in Washington, we charge $200 per year for that service.
• If your company will have owners outside of the United States, please see the next FAQ, and if you would like to elect S Corp status for your company, please see the following FAQ.

• Depending on the exact type of company you will be operating, the State of Washington may require other filings, some of which may require additional filing fees. After we learn what your company will be doing in Washington, we can inform you of any additional filing fees related to your exact business.

If your company will have any owners outside of the United States, then additional legal advice likely will be required, and that work will be billed on hourly basis. We will provide an estimate to you before beginning that additional work.

If you would like to have your company taxed as an S Corporation, we’ll help you in completing and filing Form 2553 and preparing any additional necessary paperwork to complete the S Corp election. If you elect S Corp status at the initial formation of the company, our fee for that additional service is $200. If, following the formation of the company, you would like us to help you elect S Corp status for your company, our fee for that additional service is $400.

Yes, if you have any outside investors, you will need to have additional documents drafted in order to comply with state and federal securities laws. The above startup packages are only for startups in which all of the founders will materially participate in the company. If you have outside investors, we can discuss with you the exact offering documents that will need to be prepared for your specific startup and we can give you a quote for that work. We regularly help clients raise capital for their businesses.

Yes, of course, but unless you’ve already started businesses in the past and know all of the specific legal issues to address, you’ll likely be assuming unknown risks at the very start of your new business.

Yes, our firm also assists startups and small businesses with other related legal matters, examples of which are below.

• Registration and protection of company trademarks;
• Entering into commercial leases;
• Drafting of confidentiality, employment, independent contractor, and consulting agreements;
• Drafting investment documents;
• Raising capital;
• Selling a business; and
• Buying a business.

• Many online filing services are deceptively cheap. They may later tack on hidden fees, and some repeatedly bill your credit card for ongoing services.

• You may choose the wrong entity, and you may not complete all of the necessary documents to properly start your new Washington business. For example, online filing services will not register your company with the necessary Washington city and state regulatory agencies. Online filing services are based in other states and don’t take into account these necessary registrations.

• Using an online filing service isn’t confidential. If you hire a lawyer — whether our firm or any other lawyer — anything you tell him or her will be confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege. Lawyers are heavily regulated and bound by strict ethical rules and guidelines. That’s not true of filing services.

• If your business is successful, you’ll inevitably have other legal issues to address, and you’ll have to engage a business lawyer. Why not do so at the very beginning, so that you have a go-to business lawyer when those legal issues later arise?

• Most business lawyers, like us, are well connected in their local communities and can provide recommendations and referrals to other reputable service providers (such as accountants, insurance brokers, bankers, and financial advisors) who may not seem important at the outset, but are critical as the business grows.

• If you’ve read this far, and you’re sure that you’re just looking for the lowest price, this is not the service for you and we encourage you to pay for an online filing service instead. Seriously. But, if you’re looking for a fair price, and everything that comes with that (customer service, attention to detail, and a relationship with the service provider), then this is the service for you.