The LLC, or limited liability company, offers the benefit of limited liability without the double taxation of a C corporation. Thus, it has become the most popular type of entity to form an LLC in recent years. However, while it may be easy enough to form your own LLC, operating an LLC can be more complicated if you don’t have an operating agreement. Here’s what you need to know about creating an LLC operating agreement, and free templates to get you started!

Getting Started

If you have started a Limited Liability Company, chances are that one of your first questions is How do I create an LLC operating agreement? An agreement governing the relationship between the company and its owners, known as the members, can help everyone manage and run their business better. The following is everything you need to know about how to create an LLC operating agreement. First, here’s what it means for a company to be a limited liability. A limited liability company has two main functions: It protects the personal assets (e.g., savings accounts) of each member from being seized by creditors or third parties; and it allows the members to transfer an ownership interest in the LLC without having to pay taxes on any unrealized profits in the entity.

Downloadable Sample Operating Agreements

A lot of people ask us what they should do if they’re in the early stages of launching a business but aren’t quite ready to create an LLC. The truth is, creating your own operating agreement might not be right for you. But don’t worry! There are plenty of things you can do before taking that next step. For example, make sure you research other types of companies and discuss it with your advisor before deciding on the best option.

Best Practices

-Give consideration to who will manage the company and other day-to-day operations. -Consider the minimum number of members required for an LLC (at least one). -State the address of your business or where it operates from. -Define voting rules if there are multiple members. For example, all owners could have equal votes or a different number of votes based on their ownership stake in the company.

-Determine how you’ll handle decisions about major changes to the operation, such as a sale of assets or dissolution.

-Decide what happens if someone wants to leave the LLC at some point down the line by specifying whether they’re buying out their share, departing with compensation, or leaving involuntarily with no claim on any proceeds from a sale of assets.

What is an LLC?

An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a hybrid business entity that combines features of both a corporation and a limited partnership. An LLC offers limited liability protection while allowing the members (owners) of the company to have control over their business management and operations.

I create an LLC operating agreement. An agreement governing the relationship between the company and its owners, known as the members, can help everyone manage and run their business better. The following is everything you need to know about how to create an LLC operating agreement. First, here’s what it means for a company to be a limited liability. A limited liability company has two main functions: It protects the personal assets (e.g., savings accounts) of each member from being seized by creditors or third parties; and it allows the members to transfer an ownership interest in the LLC without having to pay taxes on any unrealized profits in the entity.