Where to Start a Business

Indiana – 50 States of Incorporation, Rebooted

Home of the Indianapolis 500, we’ll race ya to Indiana! This state is known to be the smallest state (other than Hawaii) west of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. As Indiana slowly makes the transition from industrial and agricultural-based businesses to tech-driven industries, the state is slowly gaining its claim to fame among entrepreneurs. Indiana’s Secretary of State even has a letter written to future entrepreneurs on their website, providing a guide that aids in the formation of your business and welcoming startups to the strong Indiana business community. This is mainly due to its low cost of living, and stable, growing economy. If you’re ready to make a move to The Hoosier State, check the following off of your to-do list to incorporate in Indiana.

1. The first step in your incorporation journey is to visit the Indiana Secretary of State’s INBiz site, a one-stop source for all of your small business needs. Developed in partnership with the Secretary of State, this portal was developed to help streamline and expedite the incorporation process. Once you’ve created an account, you can start a new business, file your business entity report, complete tax registration, order a certificate of existence, and file wage reporting.

2. Once you have decided on your business structure — whether you decide to incorporate as an LLC, corporation, or partnership, among other entities — you’ll need to prepare the appropriate companion documents. For LLCs, this means drafting a written operating agreement and creating bylaws for a corporation. If you plan on registering a trademark, you’re welcome to conduct a search through Indiana Secretary of State’s trademark database page. This allows any Indiana and non-Indiana citizen the ability to access public trademark records quickly through searching by trademark, description of the mark, or owner of the mark.

3. Additional paperwork you’ll need to file will include an Employer Identification Number (Ein) if you plan to hire employees, a Doing Business As name (DBA) to open a business bank account, and designating a registered agent to accept legal documents on behalf of the business.

4. Stay updated on all the latest business alerts through the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division! This page includes information on new filing requirements effective each year and how they pertain to small businesses filing in the state. For example, as of January 1, 2018, limited partnerships (LPs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are required to file biennial reports with the Secretary of State’s office. Each update includes additional information about where you can find more information about the new requirements.

5. Remember the welcome letter to entrepreneurs I mentioned earlier? In addition to providing a guide for starting a business, it also enables ‘treps to ask the Secretary of State any questions they may have once they have filled out this form. For further support and expert advice, check out these resources available for small businesses which include sites like the Indiana Small Business Development Center.

Stay connected with the Indiana State Government by following their social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Thinking about starting a small business in Indiana? Give us a call at 1(877) 692-6772 or visit us at mycorporation.com if you have any questions about forming a business or the regulations required.

Welcome back to the 50 States of Incorporation, Rebooted where we share what it takes to start a business in each of the 50 states. Join us biweekly for advice on how to start an LLC or corporation across the United States.

Deborah Sweeney

Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration. Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law. Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others. Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.

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