Lawyer/Accountant Advice for Starting a Business
I've read all the advice here about business types (LLC vs S-Corp vs C-Corp) and feel like I'm ready to get started. I've also read all kinds of tales here about paperwork mistakes, tax filing disasters, and improper accounting.
If I haven't made a dime yet, does it make sense to have a lawyer help me set up the company? Likewise, would it make sense to talk to an accountant to help me set up processes so I'm not in trouble on tax day? If so, what are some good resources for finding lawyers/accountants who are experienced in this sort of thing? Randomly picking from the Yellow Pages/Google seems like a bad idea. I'm outside of the valley (live in Wash DC), but general advice would be helpful for others I'm sure. Also, if I were to work with professionals, what kinds of rates are reasonable?