Larsons Creative Concepts

We've moved

2010-11-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right ... the blog has moved. Please visit us now on the blog section of our good old www.larsonairbrushing.com site.

Mini Truckin' Feature

2010-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Make sure you don't miss the November issue of Mini Truckin' . Our friend and customer, Shawn, has a feature for his truck in the magazine. Jon had the pleasure of building the dash, custom council, headliner, carpet, door panels and working on a custom stereo box. It's pretty sweet!

semi with real flames

2010-10-05T15:37:00.001-07:00

Jon got the chance to airbrush some realistic flames on a semi awhile back. Now this week he finally got the chance to see the whole semi sporting the flames.

colorful memorial

2010-09-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry ... no disrespect intended for the black & gray ... but I just think nothing beats a great full-colored tattoo. So no big surprise that I think this tattoo rocks.

Alyssa's tattoo

2010-09-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Pink Heals Tour 2010 & Old School Bike by Jon

2010-08-26T18:08:00.001-07:00

cover-up tattoo

2010-08-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Jon just finished up the second session on this cover-up arm piece. But the kicker is, I took this photo and I had no idea it was a cover up until the customer reminded me. Sweet job.

Loser helmet for Hog Wild for a Cure

2010-08-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Jon finished pinstriping the Loser Machine helmet for the Hog Wild for a Cure drawing that will be held next Saturday at Grillfest in downtown Mandan. Have you got your raffle ticket yet? Who knows, maybe you'll win the Harley ... or at least a tattoo with Larsons!

good livin tattoo

2010-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

A little shout out for Adam ... and a good example of Jon's script tattoos.

Larsons beer coasters

2010-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today it's 100 degrees in Bismarck. Too dang hot to do much of anything ... anything that is except have a ice cold beer. And an ice cold beer at Space Aliens ... on a Larsons Creative Concepts coaster ... that is a perfect end to a hot day!

what your deposit gets

2010-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Jon has a ton of tattoos in progress. So rather than leave the blog stagnant, I thought I'd treat you all to a little preview ... sketchbook style. You see when a customer pays the $40 deposit they not only get to reserve their appointment time with Jon. They also get a bonified, customized tattoo drawn up just for them. We believe tattoos are personal. Who wants a piece of flash that means nothing on their body forever? Not me! So sketches are done to make sure everyone is on the same page BEFORE it becomes permanent.

So here's the preview of some recent work ...

another carburetor tattoo

2010-07-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Ryan, came back to the shop yesterday to fill his other forearm with more carburetor diagrams. Looks good!

seven toddlers and one float :: parade recap

2010-07-09T15:03:00.001-07:00

Do you know any two-year-olds who stay focused on one task for five hours? … Didn’t think so. But none-the-less that is exactly what we attempted to do during last Sunday’s 4th of July parade.

Again this year Jon and I tried to prove family and tattoos go together by putting seven young children (and one very little baby) in our 4th of July float. It proved a little tougher the second time around.

Last year, when we participated in the parade, the start time was two hours earlier (darn Sunday church) and most of the kids couldn’t walk. The difference this year meant that by the time we left the park to start the parade it was all of kids’ nap time, and they didn’t ride in their custom wagons that Jon and I spent a week solid toiling over.

But despite those negatives, it was still a great time!

It’s fun to get out and show that our family-owned business is just that, family owned and family focused. It is amazing how many hours these dads put into building personalize wagons for their kids. And, it’s fun to take something as alternative as a tattoo shop and show its softer (though still cool) side. After all, most tattoos are about family and very personal.

wagon preview

2010-06-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

We're working hard this weekend to get ready for the Mandan 4th of July Parade. Here's a little sneak peek ...

motorcycle tins

2010-06-15T19:46:00.001-07:00

Jon finished airbrushing these tins for a POW themed bike. I'm a big fan of these pieces. Now of course you'd be right to point out that I'm probably a big fan of most of Jon's work. But I'm really impressed with these. The customer brought in reference pictures of each of these designs. I've got to say, sometimes a customer knowing exactly what they want can be limiting, but in this case Jon really rose to the challenge. He added such vibrant color to the designs. Anyway ... enough gushing. Like I said, I'm a fan.

waterfowl tattoo

2010-06-06T05:28:00.001-07:00

Jon just did this shoulder waterfowl tattoo. Thanks for choosing Jon and Larsons Creative Concepts for your tattoo.

another portrait of mom

2010-06-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

Jon did another portait of a customer's mom last week. This seems to be an understandably popular tattoo to get.

shop photo

2010-05-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

I decided long ago I wanted a cool family photo to put up in the shop, being we are after all a family business. So recently we enlisted the talent of Otis & James photography out of Minot, and got some photos taken. Somehow they are talented enough that even Jon and I look pretty good. Not our usual worn-out selves.

tag, you're it

2010-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

There is some crazy talent on display in our shop right now ... and for once it's not Jon's! Our buddy, Grant, is an incredible graffiti artist. This week he is adding his work to one whole wall of the shop. It is just to awesome for words. Here's a sneak preview.

new tattoos

2010-05-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

We've got some fresh ink flowing out of the tattoo shop. This week, Jon did this rib tattoo of the serenity prayer. (What's with all the rib tattoos? Don't you guy realize they seriously hurt!) He also took an existing cross on a woman's forearm and added a whole ton of interest to the piece. And these are just two of this week's projects! Man, it's been busy.

family ankle tattoo

2010-05-02T14:15:00.001-07:00

jester tattoo

2010-04-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

Jon is still rocking the color tattoos. He did this calf piece just a little bit ago. Man, I just love a tattoo jam-packed with color.

freedom riders bike show

2010-04-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

We're hanging out today at the Freedom Riders bike show at the Ramkota in Bismarck. Larsons and Gasoline Magazine are together in one booth (what could be better?!). Stop by and register to win this cool bike helmet that will be given away Sunday at the show.

Plus check out the Harley that will be raffled off this summer by Gasoline Magazine.

hip tattoo :: flower & script

2010-04-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Jon just finished this tattoo yesterday. This was her first tattoo, high up on her hip. Congratulations on your new ink!

thunderbird interior

2010-04-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's finished! One gorgeous car and it now has one very nice interior. Jon did everything in this car, carpet, custom seats, fiberglass speaker box, trunk, custom door panels, kick panels, center council. Jon's happy to have it done, but I'll be sad to see this beauty leaving our home and heading back down the road.

hanging out at wild about wheels

2010-03-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Little miss Emma for the two minutes she was content hanging out at the show last weekend. That's one of our new Dickies jeckets behind her. They turned out great.

stinkn inkn - time to vote

2010-03-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Man, these are some bad tattoos! Go to Bob Radio Station and vote for the winner in the Stinkn Inkn contest.

stinkn inkn

2010-03-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

If you got stuck with some bad ink (not by us of course!) go on to Bob Radio and register for the Stick'n Ink'n contest. The winner gets a $300 cover-up from good old Jon!

free t-shirts

2010-03-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

New Special!

Look like all the cool kids. Get a free "it's an addition" shirt with any tattoo of $250 or more, while supplies last.

dad portrait

2010-03-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Another one ...

This was for the same guy that got the portrait of his mom a while back. Here's that tattoo again, healed.

friday night fun

2010-03-12T16:54:00.001-08:00

This is how Jon spent his Friday. He just finished up a nice calf pinstripe design and a wrist eagle design. Now he's going to cap off his day with a Bobcat game while I sit home with a glass of wine and last night's Grey's Anatomy. Seems like a fair trade to me.

chest tattoo

2010-03-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

forearm tattoo

2010-03-03T17:02:00.001-08:00

Jon just (I mean like just five minutes ago) finished up this forearm piece on a customer. The guy got it to remind him of the date he quit smoking. Keep going man. I hope looking down at the tattoo helps give you motivation.

dad portrait

2010-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

angel wings

2010-02-28T11:05:00.001-08:00

old school shoulder piece

2010-02-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

walt's sleeve

2010-02-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

tiki calf tattoo

2010-02-24T14:01:00.001-08:00

One of customers finished up this tiki piece as the second piece to his set of calf tattoos. They are sick!

new signs

2010-02-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to get these new custom wooden signs we are having made by Valley View Designs.

a preview

2010-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

longboard tattoo :: color

2010-02-11T05:26:00.001-08:00

I love this tattoo Jon did on a guy's calf last night. He wanted a tattoo of a longboard (skateboard). Watch for the next installment to come soon. This same guy is getting a matching tattoo on his other calf of a longboard and tiki.

mother portrait :: black and grey

2010-02-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

eagle tank

2010-01-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a full weekend at the Cabin Fever Car Show here in Mandan. Jon had a couple customer projects he was hoping to finish up in time for the show. One of which was this motorcycle tank. The bike already had this teal and ivory paint, so Jon decided to stick to a sepia toned eagle design to give the airbrushing a rich, classy look.

foot tattoo

2010-01-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a foot tattoo Jon did recently. Yes, the top of the foot is a slightly more painful spot to get tattooed, but it does look good on the ladies. And check out her great pedicure. That's a women who is prepared to show off her tootsies and new ink.

ship tattoo :: color

2010-01-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

Jon had a college student come in and get this for her FIRST tattoo. And in ONE SITTING! That's gutsy.

pops tattoo

2009-12-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

a man hard at work

2009-12-25T06:06:00.001-08:00

Or hardly working. You decide.

finished truck interior

2009-12-25T06:03:00.000-08:00

tonneau cover

2009-12-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

airbrushed laptop cover

2009-12-25T05:54:00.001-08:00

Jon was asked to airbrush the lead singer of Green Day onto a laptop cover for a teenage girl's Christmas present. That's quite a present. It turned out great. And Merry Christmas to Ferrel and all of our customers.

web site updated

2009-12-15T04:55:00.000-08:00

Finally, I got a chance to update our Larsons Creative Concepts web site with some of the great tattoos we've been sharing on the blog. Is your tattoo one of the special ones? Check it out.

mabel tattoo

2009-12-03T18:56:00.001-08:00

kyle's sleeve ... done!

2009-12-01T17:55:00.001-08:00

busy week of tattooing

2009-11-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

my addiction :: jon & emma

2009-11-29T12:52:00.000-08:00

interior preview

2009-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Man this truck interior has been a long time in the making, but it is turning out so sharp. I had to give you all a little teaser.

lindsay :: wrist tattoo

2009-11-23T20:18:00.001-08:00

larsons beanies

2009-11-10T18:28:00.001-08:00

We have a limited number of Larsons beanies available for sale. They are $15 plus shipping. Call Jon at 701-400-5217 to place your order before the dog steals them all.

new school tattoo

2009-11-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Jon just did this new school style tattoo today.

tattoo aftercare

2009-11-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

We find there is still a lot of confusion out there about how to properly care for your tattoo. It seems so simple, and yet there is still so much room for interpretation. For example, with my first tattoo the tattoo artist stressed keeping the tattoo moisturized. So I often kept a shine of lotion covering the area. Big mistake!

We hand out tattoo aftercare instructions to every customer, but just in case you are still confused, here are some instructions online. And they have a link to a video on how to care for your tattoo.

more fun from the tattoo show

2009-10-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some more pictures from the Vegas tattoo show. We went entirely as spectators, so we got to just wander around and enjoy the talent on display. My favorite tattoo artists were the guys from Exclusive Ink out of Salinas, CA. They did my wrist tattoo and this crazy portrait of Chuck Norris on the first day.

Our pals Tara and Chad were falling over themselves for the guys from Lowrider. It's easy to see why with the crazy black and gray portraits they were doing.

And Jon ... He practically wet himself when he saw Mike Devries and Nikko, the guy who did the colored portrait on Kat in an episode of LA Ink.

benefit for al larson

2009-10-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

This Sunday the Dakota Cruisers car club is hosting a benefit breakfast for Jon's dad, Al, at the Moose Lodge in Minot. Al is still in a very slow recovery process from the head injury he suffered back in January. It is still hard to accept what happened. Jon and I have tried our best to stay positive and optimistic. We are taking our cues from Al's wife Joanne who has to be one of the strongest women I have ever seen. She has handled the accident and taking on Al's care with such grace. The most inspiring part is to see how strong Al and Joanne's bond of love is – even in his changed state. The breakfast is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jon, Emma and I will be there enjoying some pancakes. Here is a video of a news story about Al and Joanne and the benefit.

new tattoo after care product

2009-10-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

We are bringing more back with us from Vegas than just photos of Sly. We've gotten on board with a new product to heal and protect you fresh tattoos. Move over A&D!

I am the happy owner of a new tattoo on my wrist from the tattoo show. I've been using After Inked exclusively for the past week to heal the tattoo and I'm thrilled with the product – so thrilled in fact that we've decided to carry it in our shop.

It is a lotion, so it absorbs into the skin instead of sitting on the surface of your tattoo like A&D. This means your tattoo can stay moist while it is allowed to breath and heal. There is no longer a need to use A&D and then switch to a lotion to heal your tattoo. You can use After Inked immediately for the best results.

And no stains on your clothes! Plus After Inked has grape seed extract so it smells great.

We have the pillow packs and a limited amount of the bottles available at our shop.

I've used one pillow pack to take me through the whole healing process of my wrist tattoo. They're great because the pillow packs are resealable and one pack is enough to heal a small tattoo.

I love that the larger bottles are designed so you never contact the lotion inside the bottle. This eliminates possibility of contaminating the lotion.

Pick yours up today at our shop, 109 3rd Ave. NE, Mandan ND.

Ay oh, oh aye

2009-10-06T03:30:00.000-07:00

Yo Adriane, we're back from Vegas baby! The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth was great. Such talent, and Rocky! I said, "Hi."

We'll add more pictures from the show soon.

old school arm piece

2009-09-29T05:30:00.001-07:00

Jon just finished the second and final sitting on this arm piece last night. I love old-school tattoo designs, so I am really wishing this was my arm right now.

we're on facebook

2009-09-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

We finally bit the bullet and started a facebook page. I plan to keep this page updated with fresh content that you won't find here on the blog. Like right now join my discussion on what you'd like for a tattoo.

Our facebook page is linked from the icon below on the left. Please become a fan. It helps Jon's ego ;)

tattoo convention

2009-09-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry. The blog has been sitting a bit dormant lately. Jon has been very, very busy with upholstery and tattoos. We've got a lot of work in progress, so not much for fun photos to share.

But most exciting, we are counting the days until we leave for Vegas for the Biggest Tattoo Show On Earth. Jon will be taking some great seminars and we're excited to bring some fresh ideas back to Bismarck. Only a week to go!

addiction shirt giveaway

2009-09-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

We know you're out there looking at the blog, but who are you? Tell us and you'll be registered to win a Larsons Addiction t-shirt, found here. a $14.99 value.

To register, leave a comment on this post with your name and e-mail address so we can contact you if you win. If you don't have a blogger account to comment, you can start an account for free through blogger. The contest will close on Monday at 8 p.m. One winner will be chosen through randon.org. Happy commenting!

motor magic in minot :: shop closed

2009-09-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

The shop will be closed this Labor Day weekend, Friday and Saturday, as Jon heads to Minot for Motor Magic. We will have a booth in the car show. Motor Magic is located on the State Fair grounds. The car show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

tattoo sleeve

2009-08-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share an update on one of our work-in-progress tattoos. This is a full sleeve Jon is putting on our buddy Kyle. He brought in a Sailor Jerry shirt for the inspiration. Jon turned the shirt into a really cool sleeve design.

70 nova interior

2009-08-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

After an incredible amount of work we are so happy to see the this Nova done. Jon built a new headliner, door panels and center console. He also installed all new glass for the customer. We are very happy with this interior. It turned out really sharp.

portrait of grandpa

2009-08-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

Jon made me add a disclaimer to this post. He didn't want to have the picture up because, "it doesn't do the tattoo justice." I love the tattoo and I'm the wife, so I win.

But I will add this, the picture DOES NOT do the tattoo justice. Since an arm is a curved surface, it foreshortened the tattoo when we took a picture. Most notably, this made the nose look off from the reference picture. It's not. The tattoo is dead on to the picture, but we do the best we can to document his work short of going house to house dragging our customer by the arm :)

---

Saturday, Jon did this tattoo on a guy from Williston. He brought us a portrait of his grandpa. A tribute to a grandparent is always near and dear to our hearts. After all, Emma is named after Jon's grandma and her middle name, Lynn, was my grandfather's name.

larsons computer wallpaper

2009-08-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here is your chance to get specially designed Larsons Creative Concepts wallpaper for your computer desktop. Just click on the images below to view the full sized wallpaper. Then download the image to your computer. Enjoy.

1440 by 900 pixels

Or 1600 by 1200 pixels

gasoline magazine feature

2009-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

Whether your hanging out in Bismarck or rocking it out in Sturgis, make sure to keep your eyes open for the latest issue Gasoline magazine. You've got to grab yourself a free copy. It's loaded with a feature about yours truly, Larsons Creative Concepts, plus a feature of a bike painted by Jon and owned by one of our favorite customers, Pete. This bike won best custom paint at the Freedom Riders bike show a few years back. It rocks!

new larsons t-shirts

2009-08-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

In order to offer a wider variety of products to our customers, and to help Jon stop wearing the same Larsons t-shirts everyday, we are working on expanding our t-shirt line. You can order the new Larsons 'it's an addiction' t-shirts online here.

Jon has the men's t-shirt, and I have the racer back tank. The are good quality and the tank is super soft. Enjoy!

tattoo shop closed Saturday

2009-07-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

After weeks of parades, wagons, painting and Buggies 'n Blues, we're taking the weekend off to have some fun. Sorry guys, but this means the shop will be closed on Saturday. Please give us a call though if you have any questions or would like to set up a tattoo appointment.

black and silver tribal :: motorcycle

2009-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Jon is just finishing up these motorcycle tins. Gotta love a nice, tough-looking tribal. It's classic!

buggies and blues

2009-07-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this weekend at Buggies and Blues. It was great to talk with everyone who stopped by the booth. (Photos from the Bismarck Tribune Web site)

we painted the house

2009-07-21T06:12:00.001-07:00

We had a super busy weekend painting our house. A year in the making, but the job is finally almost done and our house finally matches the shop again. So if you're coming to visit us don't get lost when the huge house next to M&H is no longer yellow and green (Thank God!).

ryan's tattoo

2009-07-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this weekend hanging out with our friends Ryan and Sandi. These are two of the funniest and coolest people I know. So it is no wonder that when Ryan asked for Jon to give him a tattoo Ryan picked something totally random ... and totally awesome!

Enter Ryan's forearm carburetor diagram. How great is this!!!

steer head :: tattoo

2009-07-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jon had a busy week tattooing. We had many great pieces come out of the shop. One of my favorites was this steer head tattoo.

phoenix tattoo

2009-07-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Jon just finished this phoenix tattoo Monday. The piece was completed in two sessions. I just love how the color turned out in the tattoo. It pops!

Mandan Fourth Parade Recap

2009-07-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

parade wagons

2009-06-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

The Mandan Fourth of July Parade is approaching fast. We are scrambling to complete the kids' wagons and get everything ready for our float. It is going to be awesome.

We are about number 20 in the parade, right at the beginning, so don't miss us!

Here is a little preview of the wagons until then ...

Mandan Parade and Buggies N Blues

2009-06-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Bismarck and like most Bismarckians I never felt a need to cross the river into Mandan. Then we found a lovely house in Mandan, packed up our belongings and made the huge trek across the bridge.

Now I see there are several things Mandan has to offer,

Lindy Sue's (Jon loves the sloppy joes, extra sloppy)
Butcher Block Meats
Beer sold on Sundays!
Larsons Creative Concepts!!!!
And great events

We are excited to be a part of some fun events in Mandan over the next month. Larsons shop will have a float in the Mandan Parade on July 4th. And no ordinary float - we are pulling out all stops for this one. It will be worth seeing!

Saddly Buggies N Blues had some awful weather on June 7th - it is North Dakota after all. But we are happy to report the car show has been rescheduled for July 26. We'll be there as usual, so stop by the booth and say hi.

ankle rosary

2009-06-22T19:02:00.001-07:00

vote for us

2009-06-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you like Larsons Creative Concepts, here is your opportunity to send us some love. The Bismarck Tribune is holding their annual 'Best of the Best' readers choice contest. You can vote at www.bismarcktribune.com/choice. Don't forget to put Larsons Creative Concepts as the 'best tattoo shop!'

Chuck :: Tattoo

2009-06-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

One of Jon's latest projects was this back piece. The tattoo had to be completed over three sessions. We are very happy with the shading across the piece. It has healed very consistently from side-to-side, something that is harder to accomplish when you're doing multiple sessions.

what happens in Vegas...

2009-06-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy afternoon. The kind of afternoon perfect for scrounging up a babysitter and heading of for a matinee showing at our local movie theater. Well, about half the town had the same idea with the inclement weather canceling Buggies N Blues ( :( Bummer) so Jon and I and ten of our closest friends hunkered down in the jam-packed theater for "The Hangover". Hilarious!

Made me wistful to be 21 again so I could do it all over... and crazier.

Oh, but wait. We are getting a chance to have our own Vegas adventure. In the name of further education, Jon and I are packing up our bags, leaving the baby with grandparents and heading to a tattoo conference in October.

It's gonna be awesome. Nothing compares to getting to see the best of the best in action and steal some tips and techniques along the way.

free poll for your web site

2009-06-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add a poll to our site to see what is driving our still successful business, marketing wise. I don't have all the web savvy to create a poll my self from code so I used one of the many free poll sites, Micropoll.

Here it is:

Click Here for Poll Online Survey
| Website Polls
| Email Marketing

| Crowdsourcing
View MicroPoll

new business cards

2008-12-17T12:06:00.001-08:00

legal training

2008-12-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't live in Bismarck, you can take advantage of this course, Business Law for the Small Business Owner.

I haven't taken it yet, but plan to. The course covers a lot of the essentials like how to deal with government licensing requirements and regulations, as well as problems with collecting from customers.

Bismarck State College also offers other online course that would be helpful for small business owners, or anyone in general. My first priority is to take the Accounting Fundamentals course. I think this will make my CPA step-mother very happy!

How to Incorporate a Small Business

2008-10-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of incorporating our business in North Dakota. I just found this very useful article on Inc.com in case you are considering going through the same thing.

---

Start by understanding that it usually makes the most sense to stay put and incorporate in the state where you do most of your business. If you form an out-of-state corporation (such as in Delaware or Nevada, two of the current favorites), you will end up having to qualify to do business in your home state anyway. Unfortunately, this process is similar to incorporating in your state, and costs the same. You also will have to pay any state corporate income taxes levied in your home state for income earned there. Even if another state has more modern or flexible corporation laws, these mostly favor large, publicly-held corporations, not the smaller type of privately-held corporation most small business owners form.

Incorporating is easy as long as you and close associates and family members will own all stock and none will be sold to the public. It's so easy, in fact, that the necessary legal documents--principally your Articles of Incorporation and Corporate Bylaws--can usually be prepared in a few hours. The first step is to check with your state's corporate filing office (usually either the Secretary of State or Corporations Commissioner) and federal and state trademark registers to be sure the name you want to use is available. You then fill in blanks in a preprinted form (available from commercial publishers or your state's corporate filing office) listing the purpose of your corporation, its principal place of business and the number and type of shares of stock. You'll file these documents with the appropriate office, along with a registration fee which will usually be between $200 and $1,000, depending on the state.

You'll also need to complete (but not file) Corporate Bylaws. These will outline a number of important corporate housekeeping details such as when annual shareholder meetings will be held, who can vote and the manner in which shareholders will be notified if there is need for an additional " special" meeting.

Assuming your corporation has not sold stock to the public, conducting corporate business is remarkably straightforward and uncomplicated. Often it amounts to little more than recording key corporate decisions (for example, borrowing money or buying real estate) and holding an annual meeting. Even these formalities can often be done by written agreement and don't usually necessitate a face-to-face meeting.

Fortunately, self-help books exist in many states which make it easy and safe to incorporate your business without a lawyer and, once incorporated, to operate your corporation.

Copyright 1999 Nolo.com, Inc.