Should I register my company?

[iamsam]

I've heard people saying that if you run an online business, it's better to register the company — like an LLC or something. Does the company really have to be registered if you're only dealing with small sales (like $10 or so per transaction)? The profits aren't really enough as it is yet, and I'm worried that a registered business will be way too costly to run.

[squishy]

Meh. You probably should. Or at least plan for it. Register as an LLC, they're easy to do and leaves you protected with limited liability. Having a legally registered company also assures your prospective customers that you're a proper business -- I know there are some people who won't do business with anybody unless they're legally registered.

[gazzie]

If it's going to be an actual company, then yeah, register it. If you're just working as a solo entrepreneur or freelancer and not a company, then it's probably OK not to bother. It all depends on what you're doing, really.