In order to incorporate effectively, you need to know the following pieces of information: where to incorporate (which state), your choice of corporate form (C-Corporation, S-Corporation, or LLC), an official name for your company, the address of your company, and the name and address of your company's resident agent.

For a C-Corporation or S-Corporation, you will also need to decide on the number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue, which is completely up to you (see below). For an LLC you will also need to choose a type of management, either manager-managed, or member-managed..

Also, a few states will require information about your corporation's board of directors (just their names and addresses).

Lastly, a few states ask whether an LLC is to be at-will or perpetual existence.