Nellie Akalp

Nellie Akalp is an entrepreneur, small business expert, speaker, and mother of four amazing kids. As CEO of CorpNet.com, she has helped more than half a million entrepreneurs launch their businesses. Akalp is nationally recognized as one of the most prominent experts on small business legal matters, contributing frequently to outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, Huffington Post, Mashable, and Fox Small Business. A passionate entrepreneur herself, Akalp is committed to helping others take the reigns and dive into small business ownership. Through her public speaking, media appearances, and frequent blogging, she has developed a strong following within the small business community and has been honored as a Small Business Influencer Champion three years in a row.

The Best Business Entity for Professionals

In most states, professionals, such as attorneys, doctors, optometrists, certified public accountants, architects, psychologists, and psychiatrists, have fewer choices when it comes to selecting a legal structure for their businesses. Legal entities (such as...

Female Medical Professional

What You Need to Know About Sole Proprietorships

By far, sole proprietorships are the most popular form of business ownership. Starting your entrepreneurial journey as a sole proprietorship is also the easiest route for a startup business owner to take as the paperwork and compliance requirements are minimal....

Young Female Business Owner

How Should Real Estate Investors Structure Their Businesses?

Owning investment properties can be exciting and lucrative. However, investments in real estate, whether vacation rentals, long-term rentals, or properties for resale, can also create liabilities. That's why it's critical for real estate investors to wisely choose...

Mini Houses on Stacks of Coins

What Is the Difference Between Sales Tax and Sellers Use Tax?

Whether you sell products or services in one state or many states, it’s imperative to understand your business’s sales tax compliance requirements. To correctly register a business in a state and then file and the proper sales tax, you need to know the difference...

Woman at Store Checkout with Credit Card

What Is a Pass-Through Entity?

A pass-through entity refers to a business that does not pay income tax of its own. Its income, losses, credits, and deductions “pass-through” to each business owner’s personal tax return, where its profits are taxed according to each owner’s individual income tax...

Tax Form iPad Calculator

Tax Saving Features of Corporations, S Corporations, and LLCs

I regularly speak to business owners about entity types and their potential impact from a tax perspective. A while back, I created a webinar for accountants (and other professional services providers that work with businesses) on the topic of business structures...

Tax Savings Webinar Video Cover

How to Properly Handle Your Company’s Annual Meeting Minutes

Businesses that have incorporated as a corporation or formed a limited liability company (LLC) must carefully document their compliance activities. For example, when a corporation holds its annual general meeting (a.k.a, annual shareholder meeting), it must keep a...

Annual meeting text on blackboard

10 Ways to Promote Your New Business

Excited to start your new business in the coming year? Whether you’re forming your company as a sole proprietorship or a Limited Liability Company (LLC), promoting a new business takes strategizing and fresh ideas. Otherwise, it’s challenging to get your new...

OPen-Sign-in-Business-Window

Articles of Incorporation vs. Articles of Organization

If you're thinking about starting a business, you’ll want to research which business entity type will be most advantageous to you. As you go through that process, you will discover that various documents and filings need to be submitted to the state to form a...

Man Reviewing Documents

What are Articles of Organization?

Have you decided to operate your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC)? If you answered yes, you must comply with your state's requirements for registering your company. Those responsibilities include filing an articles of organization (sometimes called a...

Legal Documents Illustration

What Comes After Incorporation? 12 Steps to Keep You On Track

Congratulations! You have officially registered your Limited Liability Company or Corporation with the state. But now what? What happens next? While forming an LLC or Corporation is a critical first step to operating a formal business entity, there's more work to...

Checklist on Wall With Woman in Chair

Don’t Be Spooked by Your Annual Business Review!

For many small business owners, 2020 was anything but typical. This year (more than ever), we wanted to remind you of the positive changes that conducting an annual business review can bring to your company. What is an annual business review? You might think this...

Year End Review Written on Pad

The What, Why, and How of Incorporating Out of State

A lot of entrepreneurs wonder what state should be used to incorporate a new business. Is it their own state or maybe another state like Delaware or Nevada? There is no easy answer to that question, however, there are definite benefits for some businesses to...

US Map of States With Connecting Dots

What You Need to Know About Collecting Sales Tax

Before a retailer or service provider can open for business, they first must get approval from the state for sales tax registration. Not all states charge sales tax, and not all products and services are taxable, so it’s essential to learn the facts before you find...

Sales Receipt in Printer

Payroll Taxes 101

Whether you’re a sole proprietor and your company’s only employee, or a corporation with 40 employees, you are responsible for collecting and paying employment taxes to federal and state tax agencies. However, while federal payroll taxes are the same no matter...

Cartoon of Payroll Processing on Computer

Seven Steps to Creating a Business Emergency Preparedness Checklist

It's an understatement to say that 2020 has been a tumultuous year. Nearly every business has felt the pandemic's economic effects, and many have faced natural disasters (such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires). With CorpNet's location in southern California,...

Emergency Plan List With Pencil

3 Must-Have Documents for Filing an LLC

If you’re considering filing as an LLC (Limited Liability Company), it’s probably in part because this business structure provides business owners with liability protection and pass-through tax status, while minimizing the business formalities and paperwork you’re responsible for.

LLC Letters Built Out of Cubes

How to Legally Start a Food Truck Business

According to IBISWorld, the food truck industry has 25,476 businesses in 2020. Growth in the industry from 2015 to 2020 averaged 8.7 percent. With the COVID-19 crisis a reality now, arguably, the food truck industry may be better suited than brick and mortar...

Smiling waiter giving order to customers at counter

Subscribe to Newsletter

Practical business and financial insights, lessons, perspectives, and know-how brought right to your inbox.

Thank you for subscribing!

100% satisfaction guaranteed or we will refund 100% of our service fees with no questions asked!