Start the business with the activity and address, then build the paperwork around it.

The useful order

1. 1.

   Write down the work, address, and owners.

   Licenses, zoning, sales tax, insurance, and local approvals depend on what the business does, where it operates, and whether anyone else owns or works for it. A home office, food business, contractor, shop, and online seller can follow very different side paths.

2. 2.

   Choose the legal shape before filing a name.

   A sole proprietorship is not the same thing as an LLC or corporation. The choice affects liability, taxes, records, and filing work. New York's Department of State explains the forms but does not choose one for you; a lawyer or tax professional can help when the risk or ownership is not simple.

3. 3.

   Put the entity and business name in the right office.

   Corporations and LLCs file through the Department of State. New York LLCs also have a publication requirement and file a Certificate of Publication after completing it. A sole proprietor using a name other than the owner's own name generally files an assumed-name certificate with the county clerk where the business is conducted. General partnerships also use the county-clerk lane for an assumed name.

4. 4.

   Set up tax accounts before taxable sales begin.

   Get the federal tax identity the business needs, then use New York Business Express and the Tax Department for state accounts. A business that will make taxable sales generally needs a Certificate of Authority before it begins; the Tax Department says to apply at least 20 days before taxable business starts.

5. 5.

   Check the activity and the address for licenses.

   State formation does not approve the site or the activity. Use New York Business Express, then check the city, town, village, county, health department, and building or zoning office that serve the address. Food, child care, professional work, construction, signs, fire systems, and home occupations are common places for another approval to appear.

6. 6.

   Add the employer and insurance layer before hiring.

   Payroll registration, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, disability benefits, and Paid Family Leave can become separate jobs once workers enter the picture. Confirm the current rules with the Labor Department and Workers' Compensation Board before the first shift or contract.

7. 7.

   Keep one clean business file.

   Save formation papers, assumed-name records, tax IDs, licenses, insurance, contracts, leases, renewal dates, and account access. A simple renewal calendar is worth setting up on day one because the offices do not all run on the same schedule.