Learn About Business Ownership Structures
Learn about the corporation, LLC, partnership, and sole proprietorship.
Before you can decide how you want to structure your business, you'll need to know what your options are. Here's a brief rundown on the most common ways to organize a business:
- sole proprietorship
- partnership
- limited partnership
- limited liability company (LLC)
- corporation (for-profit)
- nonprofit corporation (not-for-profit), and
- cooperative.
Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships
For many new businesses, the best initial ownership structure is either a sole proprietorship or -- if more than one owner is involved -- a partnership.
Sole Proprietorships
A sole proprietorship is a one-person business that is not registered with the state like a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. You don't have to do anything special or file any papers to set up a sole proprietorship -- you create one just by going into business for yourself.
 | When does a variation of my name become a fictitious business name? |  |
Legally, a sole proprietorship is inseparable from its owner -- the business and the owner are one and the same. This means the owner of the business reports business income and losses on his or her personal tax return and is personally liable for any business-related obligations, such as debts or court judgments.
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