Our ZenBusiness review covers everything you should know before using their online business formation services.
Imagine getting the idea for the perfect business, but you don’t know how to get started. If you want to get your idea out into the world, you need to know how to form an LLC. But instead of learning how, consider our ZenBusiness review.
This company can help you form an LLC without requiring any legal or business knowledge. Soon enough, you will be able to make your first sale and start growing your dream business.
Read on for more or check out our complete list of the Best LLC service companies.
What Is ZenBusiness?
ZenBusiness helps entrepreneurs and business owners start new businesses or grow their existing ones. The company values protection, and it helps customers stay compliant with the law when running a company.
It also focuses on being transparent to help customers trust the service. ZenBusiness even offers loans and grants to small businesses to further support entrepreneurs. These things help ZenBusiness in its mission to help small business owners be successful.
The company can help you start your next venture and guide you as that business grows. That way, you don’t have to keep searching for new services to help you run your business.
ZenBusiness Services
You can take advantage of various services when starting or growing a business. New business owners can get help with finding funding, marketing research, and making a business plan. When necessary, ZenBusiness can help with permits, licenses, and grants.
The company also helps with business filing and compliance, registering your business name, and basic banking. That way, you can start your business on the right foot. After creating your business, you can take advantage of services to stay compliant, manage your money, and grow the business.
There’s also ZenBusiness Academy, a free resource for business owners. You can use the video lessons to help start and grow a successful company. Women and BIPOC business owners can also get help finding opportunities to start a business.
Consider some of the following services in more detail.
Basic LLC Filing
When you’re ready to start your business, you can access basic LLC filing help. ZenBusiness will conduct a name search to ensure the name you want is available in your state. The company will also submit and verify your Articles of Organization with your state.
If you have any questions, you can contact the company during business hours. They can answer your questions by phone or chatbox. That way, you can ensure you don’t forget any essential documents or anything.
Domain Name Registration
Before creating your business website, you’ll also need to register a domain name. Ideally, this would be your business name. If that’s taken, you can include your city or another word that showcases what you do.
Getting your domain from ZenBusiness makes connecting it to your website easy. The domain can also help customers remember what website to type in when they want to visit your site. And you can use the site for marketing your business to people who come across it online.
You can then use your domain for your site and business email address. That way, you don’t have to use a Gmail address that may not look as professional.
Registered Agent Service
ZenBusiness also offers a registered agent service that can take care of communicating with your Secretary of State. The agent will also be the one to receive legal and tax notices, which can keep customers or employees from learning about the information.
They can also provide a permanent physical address. That way, you can stay compliant and avoid fines or other penalties. You can still access all of your legal documents in your ZenBusiness dashboard, but you don’t have to manage them alone. LLC registered agent service
Getting a registered agent from ZenBusiness means that you don’t have to act as one for your business. You don’t have to worry about being available during business hours. And you can have someone else handle the legal paperwork that the state may send you.
Obtain EIN
Another benefit of working with ZenBusiness is that the company can help you obtain an EIN for your business. Even if you don’t plan to hire employees soon, you should have an employer identification number (EIN) for your taxes.
The EIN is also necessary to get a business bank account and protect your personal property if someone comes after your business. An EIN can also protect your identity because you can give the EIN when applying for loans or office space.
You can get an EIN yourself, but having help is useful. Then, you won’t have to worry about what paperwork you need to obtain an EIN. And if you have any questions about the process, you will get the help you need.
Operating Agreement
Another fantastic benefit of using ZenBusiness is accessing the company’s templates to help write your operating agreement. It will outline which assets belong to you and which belong to the business.
You can also establish the rules for governing your LLC or corporation. If you have any business partners, you can also outline how much ownership each partner has. It can also help you determine the succession plan in case any of the owners leave.
If you go with any of the ZenBusiness plans, you can get the operating agreement template. Then, you won’t have to develop the language for the agreement from scratch. Instead, you can write the document more quickly so that you can form your business sooner.
Expedited Filing
You can get expedited filing if you don’t want to wait that long for ZenBusiness to file for your LLC or corporation. The two higher tiers automatically include this as a service, and you can pay extra if you go with the most basic plan.
Either way, this can be a great option if you want to start running your business. You don’t have to wait for your state to handle the business formation applications ahead of yours. It may still take some time, but it shouldn’t take as long.
Plus, you may not be able to expedite the filing process yourself. So if you were to file for an LLC without using ZenBusiness, you might have no choice but to wait.
Rush Filing
Perhaps you can’t wait at all and want to get your business going as soon as possible. In that case, you may want to take advantage of rush filing from ZenBusiness. The company offers this service with the highest tier, and it’s an extra cost for lower plans.
That way, you may be able to bypass the wait to file in your state. If your state has a lot of new businesses at the same time, you may not get to start your business right away. In that case, it may be worth paying for the rush filing.
Soon, you’ll be able to run your business and take advantage of the legal separation of an LLC or corporation. And you won’t need to feel like you have to rush completing your documents just to file sooner.
Worry-Free Compliance
Even after starting your business, ZenBusiness can help with the compliance service. The team at ZenBusiness will take care of filing paperwork for you. Then, you won’t have to keep track of deadlines or risk paying excessive fees.
ZenBusiness will also help you if your business is ever not in good standing with your state. The experts can help you determine what to do to get back in good standing. And you will get two amendments each year if you ever want to change something about your business.
Whether you want to change your business name or bring on a new owner, you will be able to do so. That way, you can keep your business in good standing with your state so that you can keep running your company.
Business Website
Both online and brick-and-mortar businesses need a website. ZenBusiness makes it easy to set one up if you don’t have one. Then, you can use the website to attract potential customers and get them to make a purchase or visit you in person.
This service is available to current ZenBusiness customers, and it will cost you a yearly fee. But you don’t have to worry about designing a website from scratch. Instead, you can set up a professional website easily.
Choose from different templates to make your business website look good. Then, you can start getting clients or customers online. And you don’t need to pay a ton for a website host or design service.
How Does ZenBusiness Work?
An essential part of a ZenBusiness review is learning how the company operates. ZenBusiness is entirely online, so you can use the service no matter where you are. The company helps businesses in any US state form, so you don’t need to find an expert in your area.
ZenBusiness offers fast filing at a low cost. That’s super nice if you’re a new entrepreneur and don’t have a huge budget to start your company. You’ll have access to experts on business formation and other topics even after forming your LLC or corporation.
The service also uses simple terms, so you don’t need to be a business expert. Instead, you can start and grow your company and learn as you grow.
ZenBusiness Plans
While knowing about ZenBusiness services and how it works is excellent, the cost can make a difference in whether the service is right for you. Fortunately, the company offers different tiers, so you can get the help you need at a price you can afford.
As part of our ZenBusiness LLC review, we looked at the different plans for business formation. We considered what each program includes to help you compare them.
Regardless of the plan, you select, you will need to pay your state’s filing fee. Those fees can range from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts. Keep those fees in mind as you compare the following packages from Zen Business.
ZenBusiness Pros and Cons
pros
When looking at a ZenBusiness review, it’s essential to consider the pros and cons. Let’s start with some of the pros of using ZenBusiness.
Cons
However, ZenBusiness isn’t perfect, so you should also consider the cons.
Fortunately, the pros may outweigh the cons, so consider if those cons are worth the pros. Then, you can decide if ZenBusiness is right for you.
How Does ZenBusiness Compare to Competitors?
Another essential part of a good ZenBusiness review is comparing it to similar services. If you want to form a business online, ZenBusiness is an excellent option. However, it’s not the only company with the same services.
Before you sign up with ZenBusiness, consider some of its competitors. Even if you go with ZenBusiness, you should know what else is available. Then, you can make sure whichever company you select is the best for your needs.
IncFile
IncFile offers a “free” LLC formation service, though it isn’t really free. You’ll need to pay your state’s fees, but you don’t need to pay any extra to IncFile. With this plan, the company offers unlimited name searches to help you select the best business name.
They’ll also help file your articles of organization and offer a free registered agent for a year. If you want even more features, such as getting an EIN, banking resolution, and unlimited support, you’ll need to pay $149 in addition to your state’s filing fee.
The plan with business contract templates, a website, and a domain will cost you $299, along with your state’s filing fee. Fortunately, those plan fees are one-time only, so you don’t have to pay them year after year.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Standard filing services
- Different plans
- One-time fee
Cons
- No add-on options
- Limited support with the free plan
LegalZoom
LegalZoom offers the most comprehensive online legal services, including business formation. You can file for an LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. Filing for an LLC will cost you $79 plus your state filing fees.
If you want to start a corporation, that will cost you at least $149 in addition to the fees your state charges. Meanwhile, nonprofits can file for $99 plus state fees. The same cost applies if you want to file for a Doing Business As (DBA).
LegalZoom lets you pay extra for more services, though you have to start filing to figure out what those services are. However, if you want more legal help and want it all in one place, you may want to go with LegalZoom, even though it’s not the cheapest out there.
Check out our LegalZoom vs ZenBusiness complete review here.
Pros
- Good reputation
- Multiple options
- Extras available
- Comprehensive
- For more than just filing
Cons
- A bit expensive
- Extras are unclear
Northwest Registered Agent
Despite its name, Northwest Registered Agent acts as more than a registered agent. You can use the company to start an LLC. The company offers a DIY option, so you can fill out the paperwork with assistance from experts.
They also offer a VIP service for more help with 12 monthly payments. If you have the money to pay in full, you can also do that. The standard LLC filing service costs $100, and having the company act as your registered agent will cost $125.
If you want to pay monthly, you can do so, and the monthly fee will include the cost of filing, a registered agent, and your state’s fees. The monthly payment option can be superb if you’re on a tight budget and want to start your business sooner rather than later
Pros
- Easy to use
- Multiple payment options
- Affordable
- Registered agent available
- DIY option
Cons
- Can be expensive
- No extras
RocketLawyer
Another alternative to consider before you go with ZenBusiness is RocketLawyer. The company helps you start an LLC, corporation, or even a nonprofit. You can also get help with operations, such as corporate compliance and HR.
All you need to do is answer a few questions, and RocketLawyer will fill out and file the paperwork for you. They also have LLC specialists on hand in case you have any specific questions you want to ask.
You can file for free if you’re a new RocketLawyer Premium member. Current members will get 25% off the filing cost, and non-members will need to pay $99.99 to file. But you can get access to other services, which may be worth the membership cost ($39.99 per month).
Pros
- Variety of services
- Easy to use
- Access to experts
- Can become a member
- Free trial
Cons
- A bit expensive
- Extras can be costly for non-members
FAQs
When reading a ZenBusiness review, you may come up with some questions. Here are a few responses to common inquiries to help you decide if you should use ZenBusiness.
ZenBusiness Review: Should You Use It?
In our ZenBusiness review, we looked at the services, packages, and add-ons the company offers. We also considered the pros and cons and compared them to some competitors. If you’re looking for an affordable, easy way to form an LLC or corporation, go with ZenBusiness.
You can always get your money back if you don’t like it. But if you do like it, you can access more resources to grow your company.