Startup Advisory
Startup Advisory Services for Indian Founders
The first year of a startup is a sequence of decisions taken in the wrong order — a registration before the structure, a hire before the agreement, a pitch before the books. This engagement puts the sequence back in order and takes each step with the consequences on the table.
- Entity and shareholding settled before anything is registered
- Founder arrangements documented while the relationship is good
- Startup India, trademark and IP considered at the right stage
- Fundraising readiness assessed honestly before conversations begin
- Structure
- Founders
- IP
- Readiness
Founder-stage advisory
Startup Advisory Engagement
On quotescope-based
- Format
- Consultation or retainer
- Led by
- Chartered Accountant
- Output
- Written roadmap
- Stage
- Idea to early revenue
- Entity structure recommendation
- Founder and shareholding review
- Registration sequence and roadmap
- Startup India eligibility view
- Trademark and IP positioning
- Finance and compliance readiness
- Fundraising readiness view
- Written founder roadmap
Scope ranges from a single structuring decision to a founder retainer through the first year. Scope and fee are confirmed in writing before we start.
Structure
Decided first
Founders
Documented
IP
Filed early
Readiness
Assessed
Professionally reviewed by CA Suraj SoniLast reviewed
Is this right for you?
When startup advisory earns its fee
Usually worth it if you
- have not yet registered and are choosing between LLP, OPC and a company
- are two or more founders with nothing documented between you
- are hiring, granting equity or bringing in an advisor
- have a brand name you intend to build on
- expect to approach an investor or a lender within the year
- are already trading but set nothing up properly at the start
You may only need execution if you
- have already settled structure and founder terms with professional input
- need one specific registration filed and nothing decided
- are a single founder with a simple service business and no funding plan
Where the decision is already taken and only execution remains, we will say so rather than bill for a review you do not need.
The founding stage, sequenced properly.
Startups rarely fail on paperwork, but they are frequently slowed by it — a structure that cannot take an investor, a co-founder split never written down, a brand name someone else registered first, or two years of books that will not survive diligence. None of that is expensive to get right at the start and all of it is expensive to correct later. This engagement is a Chartered Accountant working through the founding sequence with you and putting the reasoning in writing.
Sequence over speed
Structure and founder terms are settled before registrations are filed, not after.
Founder terms on record
Contribution, roles, vesting and exit written down while everyone still agrees.
Brand protected early
Trademark and IP positioning considered before the name is built into a product.
Diligence-ready records
Books, filings and cap table maintained in the form an investor will actually ask for.
Founder journey
Seven stages from idea to an investable, compliant company.
This is the order the founding stage works best in. Each stage assumes the one before it is settled — shareholding is hard to document before the entity is chosen, and fundraising readiness cannot be assessed before books and agreements exist. You can join at any stage; we start from where you actually are.
- 01
Entity structure
Decide firstLLP, OPC or Private Limited chosen against liability, tax profile, compliance load and whether external equity is planned. This decision constrains every one that follows.
- 02
Founders & shareholding
Document earlyContribution, ownership split, roles, vesting, decision rights and exit terms settled and recorded while the founders still agree on them.
- 03
Registrations
In sequenceIncorporation, PAN and TAN, GST where applicable, professional tax, PF/ESIC as headcount arrives, and a current account — each at the point it is genuinely required.
- 04
Startup India
If eligibleDPIIT recognition assessed against the criteria for your entity, age and activity. Recognition is granted by the authority; we prepare and file, we do not promise the outcome or any benefit under it.
- 05
Trademark & IP
ProtectMark availability, class selection and filing timing, plus making sure brand, code and content ownership vests in the entity rather than in individuals or contractors.
- 06
Finance & compliance readiness
OperateBooks opened properly, invoicing and expense discipline in place, a compliance calendar with owners, and a runway view you can plan hiring and spend against.
- 07
Fundraising readiness
DiligenceCap table, agreements, financials, filings and the numbers narrative reviewed as a lender or investor would review them — before the first conversation, not during it.
A sequence, not a guarantee. Recognition, registration and approval rest with the authorities concerned, and no funding, valuation or investor outcome is promised at any stage.
What we advise on
Entity structure
Proprietorship, LLP, OPC or Private Limited compared on liability, tax, compliance load and whether you intend to raise equity.
Founders and shareholding
Contribution, ownership split, roles, vesting, reserved matters and what happens if a founder leaves.
Registration roadmap
Incorporation, PAN/TAN, GST, professional tax, PF/ESIC and bank account in the order each actually becomes relevant.
Startup India recognition
Whether your entity and activity fit the DPIIT recognition criteria, and what the application realistically requires.
Trademark and IP
Name and mark availability, the right class, when to file, and how brand, code and content ownership should sit inside the entity.
Finance readiness
Books, chart of accounts, invoicing, expense discipline and a runway view before spending commitments are made.
Compliance architecture
The returns your structure creates across income tax, GST, TDS, payroll and ROC, with an owner assigned to each.
Fundraising readiness
Cap table, agreements, financials and filings reviewed the way a diligence process would review them.
Ongoing founder advisory
A standing arrangement for the decisions that arrive through the first years, as they arrive.
Who this service is for
Pre-registration founders
Deciding structure, ownership and sequence before committing to any of them.
Multi-founder teams
Where contribution, roles, vesting and exit terms need to be settled and written down.
Early-revenue startups
Trading already, but with books, filings and documentation assembled ad hoc.
Technology and D2C startups
Where IP ownership, platform contracts and GST treatment need care from the start.
Funding-track startups
Preparing structure, cap table and records before a lender or investor conversation.
Founders correcting the start
Where the entity, split or registrations were set up hastily and now need to be put right.
Readiness check
Which stage are you actually at?
0/6
0%
Getting started
Let's get the basics in place.
- 01
Are you still deciding between LLP, OPC and a Private Limited Company?
- 02
Is there more than one founder with nothing documented between you?
- 03
Have you promised equity or ESOPs to anyone yet?
- 04
Is your brand name unprotected and already in use?
- 05
Are your books and filings up to date as of today?
- 06
Do you expect to approach an investor or lender within twelve months?
Your score is only a starting point. A short consultation can confirm your proposed structure, name strategy and documentation before filing begins.
0/6
0%
Getting started
Let's get the basics in place.
- Structure
- Founders
- Registrations
- Startup India
- IP
- Fundraising readiness
What helps us advise properly.
- What the business will actually do, in plain terms
- Founders involved and the intended ownership split
- Where you will operate from and sell into
- Expected first-year revenue and the funding available
- The brand name you intend to use
Nothing formal is needed for a first founder conversation. Clarity on plans matters more than paperwork.
How a startup advisory engagement runs.
A short, structured sequence — then execution, if you want it.
- 01Start
Founder call
The business, the founders, the stage and the decisions in front of you right now.
- 02Inputs
Fact gathering
Anything already registered, signed, spent or promised, plus your plans for the next twelve months.
- 03Analysis
Option analysis
Structure, shareholding and registration options worked through on tax, compliance, cash and control.
- 04Output
Written roadmap
The recommendation, the sequence, the trade-offs and what we would not do.
- 05Review
Founder discussion
A call with all founders present to work through questions and settle the terms between you.
- 06Plan
Execution plan
Documents required, filing order and timeline for the steps you decide to take.
- 07Close
Execution or handover
We execute the roadmap, or hand it over cleanly to whoever will.
Building something you intend to raise on?
Get the founding sequence right the first time.
Scope
What a startup advisory engagement typically includes.
- 01
Founder discussion
IncludedWhat you are building, who is involved, what has been committed and what is being decided now.
- 02
Structure recommendation
IncludedEntity options compared on liability, tax, compliance and funding suitability, with a recommendation.
- 03
Shareholding review
IncludedOwnership split, contribution, vesting and founder terms examined before they are documented.
- 04
Registration roadmap
IncludedThe sequence of registrations that apply to your activity and states, with timing.
- 05
Startup India eligibility view
IncludedAn honest read on whether recognition is available to you and worth pursuing at this stage.
- 06
IP positioning note
IncludedWhere the brand and IP should sit, and when the trademark application should be filed.
- 07
Readiness assessment
IncludedBooks, compliance and documentation gaps that would show up in diligence.
- 08
Written founder roadmap
IncludedThe recommendation, the sequence and the reasoning, in writing.
- 09
Incorporation and registrations
On requestExecution of the roadmap — incorporation, GST, PF/ESIC and the rest — quoted separately.
- 10
Founder and shareholders agreements
On requestDrafting of the documents that record what was decided.
- 11
Trademark filing
On requestSearch, class selection and filing of the application.
- 12
Ongoing accounting and compliance
On requestBooks, GST, TDS, payroll and ROC run monthly by the same team.
We do not promise DPIIT recognition, investor introductions, funding or any tax benefit as an outcome. Eligibility and approvals rest with the authorities concerned.
Startup advisory pricing
Advisory is quoted by stage and scope. A single structuring decision for one founder is a short engagement; a multi-founder setup with IP and funding readiness is not. We scope it first and quote in writing.
Professional fee
On quotescope-based
Fees are quoted in writing after a scope review. Government / statutory fees at actuals.
Professional fee
MYFINTAX feeBased on the stage, number of founders and the analysis and written deliverables involved.
Statutory amounts
StatutoryGovernment fees and stamp duty for any incorporation, registration or trademark filing that follows are payable at actuals.
Variable scope
VariesIncorporation, agreements, trademark filing and ongoing compliance are quoted separately.
Advice is given on the facts disclosed and the law in force at the time. No recognition, approval, funding or business outcome is guaranteed.
Ongoing support
The first year is where most of the decisions land.
Phase 1
Decide
- Structure and shareholding settled with reasoning in writing
- Registration sequence agreed
- Brand and IP position identified
Phase 2
Set up
- Incorporation and registrations executed in the right order
- Founder documentation prepared
- Trademark application filed where the mark is available
Phase 3
Operate
- Books, GST, TDS and payroll running to a monthly cadence
- Compliance calendar owned rather than remembered
- Runway and burn reviewed as hiring begins
Phase 4
Raise or scale
- Fundraising readiness reviewed before conversations begin
- Reporting upgraded to what investors and lenders expect
- Structure revisited when ownership or scale changes
Each phase is a separate scope. Taking advice on the first does not commit you to the later ones.
Advice and execution under one roof.
A roadmap is only useful if someone executes it properly. The same team handles incorporation, trademark, books, GST and payroll once the decisions are made.
- Company Registration
- Accounting
- GST
- GST Returns
- TDS
- Income Tax
- ROC Compliance
- Trademark
- Startup India
- Virtual CFO
What goes wrong most often
Registering first, thinking later
The entity is chosen for speed, and its tax and compliance consequences are discovered over the following two years.
No founder agreement
The split is agreed in a conversation. It holds until it is tested, and then the terms themselves are what is disputed.
Equity promised loosely
Percentages offered to early hires and advisors without vesting or documentation become a cap-table problem at the first raise.
Brand built before it is protected
The name is used across a product and a following, and only then is it found to be unavailable.
IP sitting outside the company
Code and designs built by founders or contractors are never assigned to the entity, which diligence picks up immediately.
Pitching before the records exist
Diligence exposes gaps in books, filings and cap table faster than any deck resolves them.
Why MYFINTAX
CA-led judgement
Your position is reviewed by a Chartered Accountant, not simply pushed through a portal form.
End-to-end responsibility
One team from documentation and filing to the notices and compliance that can follow.
Transparent scope
You know what is professional fee, what is statutory and what varies before you commit.
Business-first advice
Advice is given against your actual operations, not as a generic default.
Continuity
Accounting, GST, TDS, payroll, ROC and CFO support sit in the same ecosystem when you need them.
“MYFINTAX has been a true partner in our compliance journey. From GST filings and ROC annual returns to trademark registration, everything is handled professionally and on time. Their proactive approach has helped our creative brand stay protected and compliant.”
Snehal Tripathi
Director, Roboto Studio Pvt Ltd
“Our export compliance, IEC, and legal structuring were managed end-to-end by MYFINTAX. Their expert guidance on Startup India registration and tax exemption eligibility was particularly valuable for our global trade operations.”
Shweta SK Tirkey
Director, ArchAngel Exim Private Limited
“As a financial services business, MYFINTAX's assistance with DPIIT recognition, income tax filings, and trademark protection gave us the right support for our growth journey. Their team understands the nuances of regulatory compliance and startup taxation and provides practical guidance whenever required.”
Nitin Nashine
Director, GISA Insurance Brokers Limited
Private Limited Company Registration
Where the analysis points to a company structure.
View company registrationStartup India / DPIIT Recognition
Recognition for eligible startups, prepared and filed.
View Startup IndiaFAQs
Startup Advisory Services for Indian Founders — questions founders ask
Still unsure? A short call with a Chartered Accountant is usually faster than reading one more page.
Startup Advisory
Start with the structure, not with the paperwork.
Tell us what you are building, who is involved and what has already been committed. We will work through the options and give you a written founder roadmap you can act on.
CA Suraj Soni · Chartered Accountant · Founder, MYFINTAX
Content reviewed for current regulatory and procedural relevance on .
Startup positions depend on the Companies Act, the Income-tax Act, GST law, the Trade Marks Act, FEMA and the DPIIT Startup India framework as applicable to your facts. Advice is given on the facts disclosed and the law in force at the time.
Content is for general informational purposes and does not constitute case-specific professional advice. Requirements, fees and processing depend on your facts and current Government procedure.
Related services
- Private Limited Company RegistrationIncorporation where a company is the right fit.
- Startup India / DPIIT RecognitionRecognition for eligible startups.
- Trademark RegistrationProtecting the brand at the right stage.
- Business AdvisoryDecisions once the business is trading.
- Business Legal AgreementsFounder, employment and vendor documentation.