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 properly for when investors, lenders, or buyers look. At a fixed fee, scoped before any work begins.
We incorporate and structure your company to fit your plans and stand up to scrutiny from investors, lenders, or buyers. That means getting the share structure, minute book, and organizing resolutions right from day one, so you’re not paying to fix them later.
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:
Annual corporate maintenance and a shareholder agreement are the next critical steps.
If you have co-founders, a shareholder agreement is the next critical step, particularly while everyone’s interests are still aligned.
More on shareholder & cofounder agreementsPrefer to handle it all at once? We combine the initial setup, annual maintenance, and a shareholder agreement into a single engagement, scoped and priced together, 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 do and the fixed fee, agreed before any work begins.
We prepare and file everything: articles of incorporation, share structure, organizing resolutions, registrations, and your minute book.
Ready for whatever comes next.
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.
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.
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.
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 free consultationThe 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.