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Writer's pictureAriam Kesete

The Importance of Structure in your Business




Establishing a new venture as a business may be an exhilarating and gratifying experience. To assure its success, however, it requires a significant amount of preparation and planning, particularly in the early stages of the process. A corporation, a limited liability company (LLC), or a partnership will serve as the organizational framework for a firm. Each structure is an excellent choice for achieving particular business goals, whether short-term or long-term. However, choosing the perfect structure for your business and understanding its legal requirements is vitally critical as this will affect how you run your business, how you do business in the future, and probably most significantly, the growth of your business.

It is essential to get the structure of your company just correct. If you don't provide your company with any structure to follow, it won't be able to expand and become more successful. It's not true that one type of business structure is superior to another; each structure has its benefits and drawbacks. In this article, we will highlight the importance of structure in your business.


Fundraising

Companies can raise capital at any time through the issuance of shares, in contrast to sole proprietorships and partnerships, which are generally required to raise new capital from their resources. Some businesses can extend their operations without receiving additional funding; nevertheless, if you are interested in attracting the participation of an outside investor, forming a corporation may be the most appropriate approach to make this possible. Investors may desire some ownership stake in your company in exchange for their money; if so, forming a corporation will make it much simpler to fulfil this requirement. When operating as a sole proprietorship or in a partnership, it is common practice to raise funds through internal means, such as taking out loans or receiving capital contributions from owners. It's also possible that your structure will prevent you from raising money in specific ways. For instance, in most cases, sole proprietorships are not permitted to issue stocks. This privilege is almost exclusively restricted to corporations.


However, compared to other business structures, such as proprietorship and partnership, the costs associated with a corporation trust are typically more expensive. Not to mention the number of paperwork involved!


Protecting your assets

When protecting your assets, certain types of structures provide a higher level of protection than others. If minimizing risk is a significant consideration for you, you should look into more detailed structures like a corporation to meet your needs. If your business is structured as a sole trader or a partnership, it will be difficult to restrict your liability.


If you desire to protect your assets if your firm is sued, a limited liability company (LLC) can be your best choice. A limited liability company, often known as an LLC, is a separate legal entity that may have one or more owners (also known as "members"). In most cases, the owners are personally responsible for paying income taxes, and the owners' profits are subject to self-employment taxes.


It is essential to remember that regardless of the business structure you choose, there are some situations in which you could still be in a vulnerable position.


Tax

The impact of the tax is different based on the business structure you choose. Individuals who run their businesses as sole proprietorships, partnerships, or S corporations report their earnings as personal income. Income earned by a C company is different from the individual's income earned by its owners. A sole proprietor enjoys the advantages of a lower (personal) tax-free threshold, but they will be subject to marginal tax rates on any profits they make from their business. While partners in a partnership are responsible for paying income tax, corporations are subject to corporation tax, the rates of which are far lower than those of income tax. In addition, a corporation may pay dividends to its shareholders and the salaries it provides for its employees. Because the tax rates applied to business and personal incomes differ, the structure you choose can considerably impact the amount of taxes you pay.


Give your business identity and limit your liability

A little business has a separate identity in the eyes of the law. This indicates that third parties enter contracts with the "business" rather than individual directors and shareholders. This not only makes it possible for a business to go on after the deaths of its owners, but it also makes it possible for the directors and shareholders who are connected with the business to change during its existence.


The only way for the company to cease to exist is for it to be properly wound up, liquidated, or for another order to be issued by the courts or the Registrar of Companies. Incorporating a firm provides its shareholders further protection from personal financial responsibility for the company's obligations by limiting or capping their liability.


Give your business something to talk about

There is no denying the credibility of being a limited corporation. Simply having this status gives the impression that the company will be around for a long time and is dedicated to practising efficient and responsible management. This endows it with credibility, which in turn instils a sense of confidence in both its customers and its suppliers. Many businesses, particularly larger ones, refuse to do business with any business that is not organized as a limited company. Therefore, incorporating a corporation might make previously unavailable businesses accessible, which is one of the primary benefits of doing so.


Another thing to remember is that a limited liability corporation needs to have a unique name. Although this is not a requirement for sole proprietorships and partnerships, there can only ever be one active limited business with any given name, and sole traders and partnerships are not required to comply. This indicates that, with some planning and consideration, you can help your company stand apart from the competition. Once you have registered a company with Companies House, the name you choose for your new business will be protected, meaning that no one else will be able to use the same name or one that is too similar.


Although you may be able to alter your business structure in the future, the initial form of your company is one of the most important decisions you will make. Changing the form of your business, on the other hand, can be a disorderly and complex procedure that may result in unanticipated implications for your company's taxes as well as the dissolution of your company.

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