BUSINESS FORMATION
Start the company the way you want to run it.
Clean legal foundations for startups, creators, and sports organizations incorporating in Ontario or federally.
THE DIRECT ANSWER
What is business formation?
Business formation is the process of turning an idea into a legal entity. For most Ontario businesses, that means incorporating — provincially under the OBCA or federally under the CBCA — and setting up the share structure, directors, officers, and bylaws the company will run on. It also includes choosing between corporation, partnership, and sole proprietorship.
WHY IT MATTERS
Incorporation decisions that still matter ten years later.
Most founders get incorporation wrong in one of three ways. They use an online service that sets up a structure too simple to take on co-founders or investors later. They incorporate federally when provincial would have been cheaper and simpler, or vice versa. Or they split founder equity without any vesting, and fight about it eighteen months later.
Ontario versus federal is not just a filing fee question. It affects where you can do business, what name protection you get, how you handle directors who live outside Canada, and how much annual maintenance you owe. For most Ontario-based businesses with Ontario customers, OBCA is the right call. For businesses with operations in multiple provinces, federal usually wins.
Share structure is the other place things go sideways. A single-class common share structure works for solo founders but collapses the moment you add a co-founder, employee options, or a first investor. Getting the multi-class structure right at incorporation is far cheaper than restructuring after you have issued shares.
HOW WE SUPPORT YOU
01
Incorporate under OBCA (Ontario) or CBCA (federal) — whichever fits your business.
02
Design share structures that support co-founders, options, and future rounds.
03
Draft founder agreements, vesting schedules, and IP assignments.
04
Register for CRA business numbers, HST, payroll, and WSIB as needed.
05
Set up resolutions, registers, and the minute book you will need at diligence.
06
Advise on partnership, sole proprietor, and co-operative structures when incorporation is not the right fit.
FAQ
Common questions about incorporating in Ontario.
Ontario or federal incorporation?
How much does it cost to incorporate?
Do I need a shareholder agreement at incorporation?
Can I incorporate myself online?
What's an IP assignment and why does it matter?
How long does incorporation take?
RELATED SERVICES
Work we often pair with business formation.
Shareholder Agreement Lawyer Toronto
Clear terms between co-founders and the protection that holds up at the first diligence event.
SaaS Agreement Lawyer Toronto
Customer, reseller, and data-processing agreements for SaaS teams scaling into revenue.
Partner & Reseller Agreements
Channel revenue structures, referral programs, and reseller terms for tech companies.