Program 01 · Houston, TX
Proper
Business Structure.
$597
The foundation track. Texas LLC formed correctly, EIN that matches everywhere, business banking that lenders take seriously, and the Texas filings most owners forget.
Order of Operations · Properly Structured Business · Houston, TX
Day 01
Texas LLC
Certificate of Formation filed with the Texas Secretary of State. $300 filing fee.
Day 03
EIN, Free
Applied directly with the IRS at irs.gov. Avoid every paid-EIN site.
Day 10
Business Bank
Bank account opened with the EIN, formation document, and matched address.
Day 30
Identity Match
Address, phone, EIN aligned across Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax Business.
§ 01 · What it is
The boring things that keep your business alive.
Proper Business Structure is the program for first-time Houston founders who want the entity, the EIN, the bank account, and the credit-bureau identity match set up correctly the first time. Not improvised at midnight on a phone. Not patched together by a registered agent service. Done in the order the Texas Secretary of State, the IRS, and the three business bureaus actually expect.
The work is unglamorous and specific. The result is a business that banks lend to, the IRS rewards, and lawsuits bounce off.
Eight checklists. One properly structured business.
- Texas LLC formation walkthrough with Certificate of Formation, organizer, registered agent.
- EIN application scripted for the IRS (free at irs.gov — we'll show you what to avoid).
- Business bank account opening list — exact documents the bank wants.
- Address, phone, identity match across Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business.
- Texas Public Information Report (PIR) annual filing with the Comptroller, scheduled.
- Beneficial Ownership Information filing under the Corporate Transparency Act.
- S-corp election (Form 2553) decision framework with the income threshold that matters.
- Handoff to the Business Credit Builder track at month two.
§ 03 · Who this is for
First-time founders. Not first-time researchers.
First-time Houston entrepreneurs who haven't formed yet.
Side hustlers crossing the $30,000–$50,000 income threshold where the LLC starts saving money.
Contractors and consultants tired of running real-business revenue through a personal Chase account.
Credit-repair graduates ready to put a fundable score to work inside a real entity.
Structure decisions made in month one save (or cost) you six figures later.
The LLC versus sole proprietorship question is rarely about preference. Sole proprietors hit the personal-liability ceiling the first time a customer disputes a payment or a contractor files a mechanic's lien. The Texas LLC, properly maintained with PIR and BOI compliance, holds up under that scrutiny — for less than $500 a year in filings.
The S-corp election is rarely about preference either. Once your net income clears roughly $50,000, electing S-corp status (Form 2553) and paying yourself a reasonable wage saves self-employment tax on the distribution portion. The math is mechanical. We'll show you exactly when the election starts paying for itself and when it doesn't.
Most-asked questions.
How long does Texas LLC formation actually take?
Online filing with the Texas Secretary of State typically takes 3–10 business days. The current Certificate of Formation filing fee is $300 per the SOS fee schedule. We walk you through it inside the program; you do the filing.
Do I need an EIN if I'm a single-member LLC?
Technically no. Practically yes — every business credit application, business bank account, and business tax filing wants the EIN. It's free at irs.gov. Avoid any site charging for it.
When should I elect S-corp status?
Once your business net income clears roughly $50,000 and you're paying significant self-employment tax. Below that threshold the election adds payroll complexity without much tax savings. We do the math with you inside the program.
How is this different from a registered agent service like ZenBusiness or Northwest?
Registered agent services file the paperwork. We teach you what the paperwork is, why each line matters, what to avoid, and how the choices made on the Certificate of Formation affect business credit, banking, and taxes two years from now.