What industry are you in?
Pick the closest match. If your industry isn't listed, choose "Other" and type it.
How many owners will the business have?
Anyone with an equity stake counts — co-founders, investors with equity, family members on the cap table.
How will you fund the business?
Pick the approach you think is most likely for the next 12-24 months. You can always pivot later.
How do you want to be taxed?
Pass-through means the business doesn't pay income tax — profit and loss flow to your personal return. Corporate taxation means the business pays its own tax, then dividends are taxed again.
How concerned are you about personal liability?
Some industries are inherently higher-risk (anything with physical products, services that could cause harm, contracts with significant financial stakes). Others are lower-risk (purely digital products, advisory services to other businesses).
What's your growth ambition?
Be honest — there's no wrong answer. Different ambitions point to different structures.
Do you already have a business entity?
If you've been operating informally as a sole prop, or you have an existing entity you're considering changing, let us know.
Generating your recommendation…
Reviewing your answers against Maryland filing requirements and CBC's playbook. This usually takes 5–10 seconds.