Business formation
Many founders incorporate fast and cheap, then pay later to untangle a share structure, missing records, and decisions that don’t fit how the business actually grew. We set your corporation up properly from day one — structured for where you’re headed, and organized so it stands up when investors, lenders, or buyers look. At a fixed fee, scoped before any work begins.
We incorporate your company — or clean up one you’ve already set up — and put the whole corporate house in order: the right share structure, the organizing documents, and the records that keep you in good standing.
The choices made at incorporation are cheap to get right at the start and expensive to fix later. A solid foundation makes it far easier to bring on partners, hire, or take on financing down the road.
Everything you need to get your company properly set up and organized:
Incorporating is the start, not the finish. Two things keep your company protected from here:
Annual maintenance. Every corporation has filings to keep current — federal corporations file an annual return with Corporations Canada, Ontario corporations with the provincial registry — and letting them slip can get your corporation dissolved. We keep you current as a separate annual service, which includes:
Lock in the ownership terms. If you have co-founders, a shareholder agreement is the next critical step — while everyone’s interests are still aligned.
More on shareholder & cofounder agreementsPrefer to handle it all at once? We bring the three together — the initial setup, annual maintenance, and a shareholder agreement — scoped and priced as a single engagement, so your company is set up, protected, and kept in good standing from the start.
A short intake: who’s involved, what you’re building, and where you plan to take it — so the structure fits your real plans.
A plain-language engagement letter setting out exactly what we’ll set up, the fixed fee, and by when — agreed before any work begins.
We handle the incorporation, share structure, organizing documents, and registrations, and build your minute book.
You get a properly organized company and a complete record, plus a plan to keep it current as you grow.
Both work for most Ontario businesses; the right choice depends on name protection, where you’ll operate, and your growth plans. Federal incorporation gives nationwide name protection but means filings in two places; Ontario is simpler if you’re staying provincial. We recommend the fit for your situation rather than defaulting to one.
You can incorporate online, but those services usually stop at the certificate and skip the organization — bylaws, resolutions, share issuances, and the minute book. That gap is exactly what trips companies up later in a financing or a sale. We handle the whole thing, set up to hold.
It’s the official record of your corporation — bylaws, resolutions, directors and officers, and your share register. It’s legally required, and it’s the first thing a lender, investor, or buyer asks to see. A company without one isn’t really organized, just registered.
Ontario and federal corporations have to file annually. Miss them and the corporation can be administratively dissolved, which can interrupt your contracts, bank accounts, and liability protection. We offer ongoing maintenance so it doesn’t slip.
Yes. We regularly reorganize and properly organize companies that were incorporated quickly or online — sorting out the share structure, building the minute book, and getting you back in good standing.
Let’s talk about the right structure for your business. The first conversation is on us.
Book a callThe information above is general in nature and is not legal advice. Every situation and transaction is different, and advice tailored to your specific circumstances is required to address your particular needs. If you have questions, contact Align Counsel at info@aligncounsel.ca.