Can I still incorporate if my business is on a shoestring budget?

Yes, but there is a risk. You can get all the paperwork you need to incorporate your business prepared and filed for $1,000 or so, not including accounting fees. At that point, you will, in theory, enjoy the benefit of having your personal assets shielded, for the most part, from being held liable for your company’s debts and obligations. The problem is that a court can still “pierce the corporate veil” and impose liability on you personally under certain circumstances, with one of the primary factors being whether your company is inadequately capitalized. In other words, if you incorporate your business now, but can’t fund the corporation at a level that will allow the company to cover all of its own obligations, then your personal assets may well be at risk, despite having incorporated the business.