Dan and Carla met as employees at a candy company and later married. Carla went on to study accounting and Dan earned a business degree. After working for various businesses and raising $10,000 to open their own business one day, Dan and Carla have settled on opening a business that makes custom centerpieces that look like floral arrangements but are made entirely of chocolates, marzipan, and other candy.

They want to call their business "Edible Expressions," and they have prepared a business plan. They are now faced with the decision of what form of business organization makes the most sense: a sole proprietorship, a partnership of some sort, or incorporating in some form. Dan and Carla both plan to do design work in the business, while hiring confectionery employees to prepare and assemble the company's products.

Carla will keep the books, and Dan will do the hiring. Carla and Dan are considering whether it makes more sense for them to co-own the business, or if one should be the owner and the other an employee. They anticipate hiring just one other employee in the beginning, and grow as demand requires.

Carla's brother and sister-in-law also want to invest in the business, but do not want to be involved in its operations. Dan and Carla also want to give their daughter, Alissa, age 12, some ownership in the business at some point. Dan and Carla want to establish their business with a minimum of paperwork and expense, but they also want to avoid high taxation of their business profits.

They want to run the business jointly, without the need for a Board of Directors or other advisory group, though they don't mind the idea of having an annual event to honor family members who have invested in their business. Consider the types of business organizations in this week's reading (sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, LLP, and corporation, LLC).

What are the pros and cons of each as they apply to Dan and Carla's business goals? If Dan and Carla were operating in your state, what form of business organization appears most desirable? Why?