Simple Steps to Start Your Colorado LLC

Located on the edge of the Great Plains, and home to most of the Southern Rocky Mountain range, Colorado is a state that’s full of natural beauty. Colorado boasts a rich culture, diverse landscapes and thriving tourism industry, and it is recognized as one of the best states in the nation for business.

Colorado is an agricultural powerhouse, but it also features diverse industrial and service sectors. Scientific and high-tech businesses are also well-represented in The Centennial State.

If you want to start your own business in Colorado, one of the best ways to do so is by forming an LLC. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are a business entity designed for startups and small- and medium-sized businesses. Colorado makes forming an LLC easy and inexpensive. LLCs give you many of the protections and advantages of larger corporations without all the rules, regulations and compliance issues common to larger business entities. Let’s start by looking at the advantages of forming a Colorado LLC.

Advantages of Forming an LLC in Colorado

Colorado LLCs have several benefits for business owners.

• Preparing to start a Colorado LLC is quick and easy — You can complete all the necessary forms and actions online to start your company.
• An LLC limits your personal liability — Any liabilities created by your Colorado business (debts, obligations and other liabilities) are legally considered completely separate from your personal assets as the business owner or founder.
• Colorado LLCs are easy to maintain — LLCs are light on rules and regulations. There’s no need for boards of directors, complex rules and regulations or formal annual meetings.
• LLCs are very easy to manage — You can add and amend members and make other changes with just a little paperwork.
• Taxes are simple — Any income you earn through your Colorado LLC is reported on your personal tax return. This means you won’t run into “double taxation” issues common with larger corporations.
• LLCs are quick to start — Typically, gathering and preparing the information to start your business can be completed in an hour or two. Once you have the information, you can then file through us. Once your paperwork is filed, you can see how long it typically takes to officially form your LLC.
• Colorado has several other advantages — Your business could be formed in as little as a day, their annual report fee is just $10, they have one of the smallest fees for incorporating at just $50 and their state income tax is charged at a low flat rate.

Start your Colorado LLC in Six Steps

1. Name Your Colorado LLC

• You will need a distinctive, original name for your Colorado LLC that’s not used by another business in Colorado
• To find out if another company is using your choice of business name, carry out a Colorado business entity name search
• The name should be unique and not able to be confused with the name of another Colorado business
• The name of your business must end with “Limited Liability Company” or the abbreviation “LLC.” “Limited” and “Company” can be abbreviated to “Ltd.” and “Co.”
• For example: “Rocky Mountain Tours LLC” or “Jeremiah and Sons, Limited Liability Company”

2. Provide the Address for Your New Colorado LLC

A Colorado LLC must have a designated street address. That could be your home address (if you’re running the company from your residence), where your office is located or any physical address of your preference — even outside of Colorado. It can also be a P.O. Box.

3. Assign a Registered Agent for Your Colorado LLC

Every Colorado LLC must have a “registered agent.” This could be you, the managing director, owner or a dedicated registered agent service. The registered agent in Colorado is someone who receives official legal and tax correspondence and has responsibility for filing reports with the Colorado Secretary of State.

At Incfile, all of our packages include a Registered Agent service that is free for the first year and just $99 per year thereafter. We also have a dashboard where you can log in and easily view any document your registered agent has received on your behalf. Here are a few reasons you might want to appoint Incfile as their registered agent service.

• The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in the state where you are forming the company. Some people establish companies outside of the state they live in and will need to use a Registered Agent service to provide the address.
• You always need to have someone on hand to receive important documents for your business during business hours (typically 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday). Therefore, a person must always be available to sign for legal correspondence.
• The Registered Agent’s name and address is part of the public record and available through the Colorado Secretary of State's website. If you would prefer that your name and address isn’t published, this is a good reason to choose a Registered Agent service.
• If you change your Colorado business address or move out of state, you don’t need to file additional documentation with the Secretary of State for the new address of your Registered Agent. You will need to setup a new registered agent service in the new state.

4. You Should Provide Names and Addresses of All Colorado LLC Members

Your Colorado LLC members are the people who own and run the business. They will be the individuals who withdraw profits from the business to pay themselves. Colorado requires you to list the names and addresses of all people forming the LLC.

5. You Need to File Articles of Incorporation With the Colorado Secretary of State

Once you've gathered all the information together for your LLC, you’ll need to file formal documents with the Colorado Secretary of State. Filing Articles of Incorporation creates your Colorado LLC. You can do this online, mail in a form or have Incfile do it on your behalf.

6. You Can Create a Colorado LLC Operating Agreement

Colorado LLCs aren’t required to have an Operating Agreement, but they are extremely useful for several reasons. Your Operating Agreement covers how the business will be run, how managers and members are chosen, rights and duties of members and several other key areas. Learn how to create your Operating Agreement.

If you’re interested in having your Operating Agreement created for you, Incfile will draft a general Operating Agreement within most of our online business formation packages. It can also be selected as an add-on option in our Silver package. This Operating Agreement will be a basic template that you can make changes to anytime you see fit.

You can find lots more useful information on how to form an LLC here. It answers questions like:

• Who can form an LLC?
• Where should you form an LLC?
• When should you form an LLC?
• What are the ongoing responsibilities for an LLC?

Starting Your Colorado LLC: Useful Resources

• Colorado Secretary of State website
• General business information from the Colorado Secretary of State
• Checking name availability for your Colorado LLC

Form a Colorado LLC Without Breaking the Bank

Incfile provides a cost-effective service to help you create your LLC. We guide you through the process and handle most of the administrative steps on your behalf, such as filing the Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation. Our basic package also provides a free Registered Agent service for the first year. If you're looking for help startin an LLC, our comprehensive services provide outstanding value.