Preparing for Your First Consultation: Your Five-Item Checklist to Start Your Company

You’ve had an idea, the kind that keeps coming back, the kind you can picture becoming something real.You’re excited and motivated… until the inevitable question appears:

“Where do I even start?”

Before logos, websites, strategy, or your first sale, there’s a foundation that needs to be set:creating the legal entity, your company.

It’s the part many founders postpone. Not because it’s complicated, but because this step feels technical, abstract and far from the creative energy that brought the idea to life.

So let’s simplify it.

This is your pre-consultation checklist — the things you should reflect on before walking into our Lab for your very first session.

After years helping founders, from students launching their first business to teams preparing for investment, one thing has become crystal clear:

Everyone must answer the same five questions before a company can be created.

You don’t need perfect answers.You don’t need to understand the full legal landscape.And yes: you will have questions about each of these points.

That’s exactly what our first consultation is for.

For now, here is the framework you should consider before showing up at the Lab:

1. What will your company be called?

Every company needs a name, the legal process only starts once the entity has an identity.

• Already have a name in mind? Great, we’ll help you check if it’s available for usage;

• Still unsure? Completely fine — Portugal offers simple pre-approved options we can use to keep the process moving.

For now, just note: Do I have a name? Yes or no.

2. What will be your company’s official registered address?

Every company requires a legal home, the address used for communications, notifications and official correspondence.

This can be:

• your home address,

• a coworking space,

• an office,

• or a virtual address.

Think about what you prefer. Make a note of your choice (or your doubts), we’ll handle the rest.

3. What will your company actually do?

In one sentence, describe your business:

What is the primary activity of your company?

What service are you providing? What problem are you solving? What do you want to offer?

Write it as clearly as you can. Don’t worry, we’ll translate it into the correct CAE (activity code) in Portugal. This classification determines your legal and fiscal setup.

4. What will your initial share capital be?

This isn’t about raising money or making a large investment.It’s simply the value you choose to register as the company’s starting capital.

In many cases, it can start as low as €1.We’ll help you decide what makes the most sense for your structure, also based on the legal entity type we'll chose later on.

Make a note of a value — even if it’s tentative.

5. Are you starting alone, or with co-founders?

If you’re not doing this solo, you’ll need clarity on:

• Who are the co-founders?

• How many founders are there?

• Does everyone have a tax ID (NIF)?

• How will the ownership (shares/quotas) be divided?

This structure must be defined before anything moves forward.

All five items noted? Perfect — you’re ready to begin.

You don’t need to have everything figured out. In fact, having questions is part of the process.

What matters is that you’ve started thinking about these five foundational points, because they’re exactly what we’ll explore in your first consultation, one by one, step by step.

For now, consider this your checklist. Your starting point. Your first move from idea to structure.

And the rest? Don't worry, we’ll guide you through it.