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5 Business Structures for Your Credit Repair Business: Which One is Right for You?

By: Daniel Rosen Last updated: September 19, 2023

Want to build a Credit Repair business that lasts? 

Well, on this week's Podcast, I'm gonna show you how to choose the perfect business structure to minimize risk and maximize your potential for future success!


A business structure is a legal framework that defines how a business is organized and operates. Choosing the right structure might not seem like the most exciting part of owning a business, but it's one of the most important decisions an entrepreneur will ever make. 

It's the point where the dream of owning a business becomes a reality. 

It's a decision that establishes the ownership hierarchy, registration requirements, legal liability, and tax obligations, including perks like business expense deductions for startup costs, equipment, and software. 

Now, this step can be intimidating but don't worry. I didn't go to a business school. I didn't even graduate from High School. But I learned how to bootstrap a business from nothing, and I promise it's easier than you think.

HOW THIS RELATES TO US

The most common structures for Credit Repair businesses are Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Limited Liability Companys (LLCs), S-Corporations, and C-Corporations.

A Sole Proprietorship is a structure where one person is fully responsible for all parts of the business. There is no legal distinction between the company and the owner. The owner literally files their business income on their personal tax returns. This is the simplest, least expensive, and most common structure in America, accounting for 73% of all businesses. 

A Partnership structure is similar to a Sole Proprietorship, but it's not as common for Credit Repair. This is where two or more owners create a business, split the profits, debts, losses, and liabilities, and each pays their share of business income on their tax returns. 

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a hybrid structure that combines the benefits of Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, and Corporations. An LLC provides limited liability protection for the owners (who are called members), meaning their personal assets are safe if the business experiences financial difficulties or lawsuits. In this structure, profits and losses pass through the owner's income without facing corporate taxes. 

Now, Corporations are the most complex and expensive business structures to set up and run. Corporations are legal entities separate from their owners, aka shareholders, which means the owners are protected against legal liability. The downside is they're heavily taxed and regulated.

A C-Corporation has an unlimited number of owners, aka shareholders. They take profits through dividends and pay corporate taxes, often called double taxation. This gets tricky because all corporations start as C-Corporations. If, for example, you wanted an S-Corporation, you would have to file a status change with the IRS. 

An S-Corporation is the most unique structure because it combines elements of Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, LLCs, and Corporations. 

S-Corps have the same liability protection as LLCs and the same tax benefits as Sole Proprietorships or Partnerships. This means S-Corps allow profits and losses to pass directly to owners' personal income without being subject to the high corporate tax rates of various states. 

I know S-Corps sound like the best option, but there are many compliance hurdles when setting up and running them. 

THE THING TO REMEMBER

Choosing the right business structure is a personal decision based on the circumstances and goals of the owner. Each structure has positives and negatives, which must align with your situation and vision. 

No one else can choose it for you. I'm not an attorney or a financial advisor. I can't tell you which type is best for your Credit Repair business.

I can tell you that if you choose the most simple structure for your Credit Repair business, the registration process only takes a few minutes, it costs almost nothing, and you can always change your mind. 

That's right. Your business structure is flexible!

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

If you start with a simple business structure, like a Sole Proprietorship, the more successful you become, the more likely you'll eventually shift to a more complex structure, like a Corporation.

Disney, Coca-Cola, Mattel, and Walmart all started as Sole Proprietors. 

Some entrepreneurs change their structure to lower their personal liability or tax burden. Others do it to grow their business, take on investors, merge, or make acquisitions. 

So take the time to learn each type of business structure. The one you don't choose today might be the one you need in a few years. Just remember to base your choice on your circumstances and goals right now.

Most Credit Repair businesses start with a simple structure because it saves time and money during the early years when the company doesn't need the added benefits of an LLC or Corporation.

So how do you set up one of these simple business structures?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A Sole Proprietorship is the definition of "being your own boss" and "taking control of your life." If you start conducting business on your own, congratulations, you're automatically a Sole Proprietor.

In most cases, you don't need to file paperwork or take specific Federal, State, or Local action to form a Sole Proprietorship. You don't need an Employer Identification Number if you don't have employees. You just need a business name, social security number, address, and a business bank account.

The only real requirement involves using your name as the business's legal name. For example, if I call my business "Daniel Rosen Credit Repair," it doesn't cost me anything in California. In most states, I don't even have to register it because it's clear who the owner is and the type of business. 

Now, if you want to be a Sole Proprietor but give your business a unique name like "Credit Booster Squad," then you'll need to register it and file "Doing Business As" paperwork, called a DBA.

In California, the filing fee for a DBA ranges from $10 to $100. The last time I checked, it was about $30 in Los Angeles County. But, again, rules and fees change, so double-check the requirements in your state. 

Remember, a Sole Proprietorship is definitely the easiest and least expensive option, but it is not a legal entity. There's no legal separation between the business and the owner. You and the business are one. 

Your profits must be reported as self-employment income on your tax return by filing a Schedule C with your annual 1040 Form.

If you pass away, the business dies with you. If the company is sued, you're sued, and your personal assets can be in danger. 

For some entrepreneurs, this risk is worth the reward of freedom and total control. For others, they choose a slightly more complicated business structure with more protections, like an LLC. The important thing is you choose the perfect business structure that's right for you!

If you already have a Sole Proprietorship and want to convert to a different business structure, go register for our Masterclass!

The Masterclass was built by a team of Credit Heroes with decades of experience, serving thousands of clients. It comes with six months of Software, in-depth Marketing, Sales, and Business lessons, plus our Advanced Disputing, Affiliates, and Automations training courses.

MY FINAL POINT

Choosing a structure may not seem like the most important decision a business owner will make, but it turns your dream into a reality and puts your Credit Repair business in the best position for long-term success.

I'LL END BY SAYING

If you still need a Credit Repair Cloud account, check it out. It's the software that most Credit Repair businesses in America run on. Sign up here for a Free Trial!

And if you'd like to change lives and grow your very own Credit Repair business, check out our Credit Hero Challenge!

Credit Hero Challenge 2023 (1)

It's an amazing program, and we've got another challenge starting in a few days, so grab your spot right now at CreditHeroChallenge.com!

So take care, Credit Hero!

And Keep Changing Lives!

Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform below!

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Topics: Podcast

Transcript

Hey, Credit Heroes, want to build a credit repair business that lasts? Well, today I'm going to show you how to choose the perfect business structure to minimize risk and maximize your potential for future success. So you better stick around. 

 

So the big question is this. How can we take our passion for helping people with their credit and turn it into a successful business without taking loans without spending a fortune by bootstrapping it from nothing? So we can help the most people and still become highly profitable? That is the question, and this podcast will give you the answer. My name is Daniel Rosen, and welcome to credit repair business secrets. If this is your first time listening to my podcast, every week, I give credit repair tips and advice on bootstrapping your business from nothing. So be sure to click subscribe now and get ready to start changing lives. 

 

Okay, let's get into this. A business structure is a legal framework that defines how your business is organized and operates and chooses the right structure. It may not seem like the most exciting part of owning a business, but it's actually one of the most important decisions that you will make as an entrepreneur. It's the point where the dream of owning a business actually becomes a reality. It's a decision that establishes the ownership hierarchy, registration requirements, legal liability, and tax obligations, including perks like business expenses, deductions for startup costs, equipment, and software. Now, this step can be intimidating. But don't worry. I didn't go to business school. I didn't even graduate from high school. But I learned how to bootstrap a business from nothing. And I promise it's easier than you think. 

 

Here's how this relates to us. The most common structures for credit repair businesses are sole proprietorship partnerships, and limited liability companies, which are LLCs, S corporations, and C corporations. A sole proprietorship is a structure where one person is fully responsible for all parts of the business. There is no legal distinction between the company and the owner; the owner literally files their business income on their personal tax returns. This is the simplest, least expensive, and most common structure in America, accounting for 73% of all businesses. A partnership structure is similar to a sole proprietorship, but it's not as common for credit repair. This is where two or more owners create a business and split the profits, debts, losses, and liabilities, and each pays their share of the business income on their tax returns. 

 

A Limited Liability Company or LLC is a hybrid structure that combines the benefits of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. An LLC provides limited liability protection for the owners, who are called members, meaning their personal assets are safe if the business experiences financial difficulties or lawsuits. In this structure, profits and losses pass through the owner's income without facing corporate taxes. Now, corporations are the most complex and expensive business structures to set up and run corporations are legal entities separate from their owners, also known as stakeholders, which means that the owners are protected against legal liability. The downside is that they're heavily taxed and regulated. A C corporation has an unlimited number of owners, also known as shareholders, they take profits through dividends, and they pay corporate taxes, also called double taxation. 

 

Now this gets tricky because all corporations start as C corporations. For example, if you wanted an S corp, you would have to file a status change with the IRS. an S Corp is the most unique structure because it combines elements of sole proprietorships partnerships LLCs and corporations S corporations have the very same liability protection as LLCs and the very same benefits as sole proprietorships or partnerships. This means that s corpse allows profits and losses to pass directly to the owner's personal income without being subject to the high corporate tax rate of various states. I know S corp sounds like the best option, but there are also many compliance hurdles when setting them up and running them. 

 

So here's the thing to remember. Choosing the right business structure. It's a personal decision. And it's based on your circumstances and the goals of you as the owner. Each structure has positives and negatives, which must align with your situation and your vision. No one else can choose it for you. Now, I'm not an attorney or a financial advisor, and I can't tell you which type is best for your credit repair business. But I can tell you that if you choose the most simple structure for your credit repair business, the registration process only takes a few minutes, and it costs almost nothing, and you can always change your mind later. That's right, your business structure is flexible. Here's why this is important. If you start with a simple business structure, like a sole proprietorship, the more successful you become, the more likely you'll eventually shift to a more complex structure, like a corporation.

 

Keep in mind that Disney, Coca-Cola, Mattel, and Walmart all started as sole proprietors. Now, some entrepreneurs changed their structure to lower their personal liability or tax burden, and others do it to grow their business or take on investors or merge or make acquisitions. So take time to learn each type of business structure and know that the one you don't choose today might be the one that you need in a few years. Just remember to base your choice on your circumstances and your goals right now. Now, most credit repair businesses start with a simple structure because it saves time and money during the early years when the company doesn't need the added benefits of an LLC or a corporation. 

 

So how do you set up one of these simple business structures? Here's what you need to know a sole proprietorship is the definition of being your own boss and taking control of your life. If you start conducting business on your own. Congratulations, you're automatically a sole proprietor. In most cases, you don't even need to file paperwork or take specific federal, state or local action. To form a sole proprietorship, you don't need an EIN number. If you don't have employees, you just need a business name, social security number, address, and a business bank account. The only real requirement involves using your name as the business's legal name. For example, if I call it my business, Daniel Rosen credit repair, it doesn't cost me anything in California. In most states, I don't even have to register it because it's clear who the owner is and the type of business now if you want to be a sole proprietor, but you want to give your business a unique name like credit booster squad, then you'll need to register it and file doing business as paperwork, and this is called a DBA. 

 

In California, the filing fee for DBA ranges from $10 to $100. Now the last time I checked, it was about $30 in Los Angeles County. But again, rules and fees change. So double-check the requirements in your state. Remember, a sole proprietorship is definitely the easiest and least expensive option. But it's not a legal entity. There is no legal separation between the business and the owner; you and the business are one your profits must be reported as self-employed income on your tax return by filing a Schedule C with your annual 1040 forms. If you pass away, the business dies with you. If the company is sued, you're sued, and your personal assets can be in danger. Now for some entrepreneurs, this risk is worth the reward of freedom and total control. But for others, they choose a slightly more complicated business structure with more protections, like an LLC. The important thing is that you choose the perfect business structure that's right for you. 

 

Now, if you already have a sole proprietorship and you want to convert it to a different business structure, go to creditrepaircloud.com/freetraining and register for our masterclass the masterclass was built by a team of Credit Heroes with decades of experience serving 1000s of clients. And it comes with six months of software in-depth marketing sales and business lessons, plus advanced disputing affiliates and automation training courses. Here's my final point. Choosing a business structure may not seem like the most important decision a business owner will make, but it turns your dream into a reality, and it puts your credit repair business in the best position for long-term Success. 

 

And just a reminder, this podcast is brought to you by Credit Hero Score. Credit Hero Score is the only credit monitoring service that integrates directly with the Credit Repair Cloud; get instant access to your credit reports and scores by signing up for a seven-day trial for only $1. Sign up right now at creditheroscore.com. 

 

And now, for my favorite part of the episode. Every week, I feature one of our Credit Heroes inside our Credit Repair Cloud Facebook community so that you can see firsthand what real people are doing as they run and grow their businesses. And today's spotlight is on Scott Smith. He said I haven't even finished my test clients. And I've got a mortgage lender as an affiliate and another meeting soon for another, both within my focus. I can't believe how excited these small wins get me for the next step. Actually, Scott, I can believe it. I feel the very same way about small wins; they lead to bigger wins, so keep sharing them, and I can't wait to see your progress. 

 

And I'll end by saying if you want to try the top credit repair software in America, sign up for a 30-day free trial at creditrepaircloud.com/freetrial. And if you're ready to get certified in disputing and gain confidence, and learn what it takes to run your very own successful credit repair business, check out our Credit Hero Challenge. The next challenge starts very soon. So don't wait; sign up now at creditherochallenge.com. Now if you enjoyed this podcast, remember to subscribe and follow so you don't miss any of the credit repair secrets that I dropped each week. You can also help us to change more lives by leaving a five-star review and sharing the show. Now the resources and show notes are posted on my blog. And if you have a question or a comment, drop it down below because I would love to hear from you. And I'll respond as soon as I can. And if you want to learn the full blueprint for a successful credit repair business, check out my episode: Credit Repair Business 101: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2023. So take care, Credit Hero, and keep changing lives. 

 

Hey everybody, it's Daniel again. And really quick, I'd like to invite you to join what I believe is the best thing we have ever created inside the Credit Repair Cloud community. And it is a challenge that we call the Credit Hero Challenge if you're just planning out your business, or you're just getting started, and you dream of having a successful business of your own. So you can quit your nine-to-five and fire your boss and have financial freedom, or so you can add another revenue stream to your existing business. If that's your dream, you need to get into this challenge. We created this challenge to help you to create and launch your very own credit repair business to build a proper foundation for a really successful business. This challenge is going to help you to understand the strategy, the tactics, and all the things you need to be successful at credit repair. It really is the greatest thing we have ever built, and it will change your life. So I recommend you do it right now. Stop everything, pause this audio go online and go to creditherochallenge.com That's creditherochallenge.com, and join the next challenge. And there's a challenge that starts in just a few days. So go get started right now at creditherochallenge.com

 

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