Let’s face it. Starting a limited liability company (LLC) takes your business to a whole new level. Knowledgeable business owners look for the best LLC formation alternatives when it is time for them to grow.
Even though virtually everything to do with forming a new business is difficult, starting your LLC does not have to be. Business formation service providers such as ZenBusiness make this process painless, simple, and fast.
In this article, we have gathered everything you need to understand about one of the most suggested LLC formation options and to know if this company is the ideal option for you.
Having been in operation since 2015, there’s no doubt that ZenBusiness is just a new company. Even if it has not been around for that long does not take away from the tremendous value the business provides to startups and small business owners.
Starting and forming an LLC is far from simple. ZenBusiness provides LLC registration services and the needed help to entrepreneurs—all at a reasonable cost.
Form Your LLC Now With Zenbusiness
- How much does ZenBusiness cost?
- What are the available plans and pricing?
- Can you form an LLC using this platform?
- What are its strengths and weaknesses?
This guide will answer all these important questions for you and more.
And here’s even more info on ZenBusiness and its full review.
What is ZenBusiness?
In case you didn’t know yet, ZenBusiness is a Texas-based company providing a business formation service, specializing in small business owners and startups. The organization entered the business formation industry in 2015. Since then, they have grown to be one of the biggest companies with one of the highest BBB scores.
ZenBusiness has taken the approach that the entire business formation process must take up little time as possible for the business owner while also not being costly when startup funds are limited and tight.
With one of their cheapest packages available, even its entry-level package involves an operating agreement and registered agent service.
Did you know that ZenBusiness charges less than $40 for their service? However, you have to factor in state filings that could range from $50 to $500, depending on the state you are registering in. We will get into the various packages a little short, and you will realize that their LLC formation is one of the most reasonable ones available in the market today.
How Does ZenBusiness Work?
The online business services sector has matured and progressed a lot in the past decade. There was a time when business formation normally involved numerous trips to tax advisors, lawyers, and accountants to get all the documents in place.
Nowadays, a small business owner only needs to do is to register on a platform such as ZenBusiness with a few details about the owner, their business, and the platform that takes care of other things.
Here are some of the important things ZenBusiness can do for you:
- Files your business
ZenBusiness will need your business name, file your documents with the state and present your Articles of Organization.
- Provides support from business experts
Their helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly team is certain to help you direct in the right direction for your business. In fact, ZenBusiness is always prepared to inform and get you set up, allowing you to start running your business by answering questions that are particular to your state.
- It offers a stress-free CPA assessment
All the ZenBusiness LLC packages include a Worry-Free CPA Assessment and registered agent services. That feature will offer you an assessment of your company finances and suggest a suitable licensed CPA for your particular needs without any cost.
The recommended accounting services are an excellent way to monitor your company’s file taxes and monetary flow and stay organized at the same time.
- Keeps compliance with the Worry-Free Guarantee
Keep in mind that the Worry-Free Guarantee is an important LLC service that may be included in your ZenBusiness Starter package. However, it is currently included in their Premium and Pro plans.
That guarantee offers a sense of security because you’ll get notifications for crucial filings, annual amendments, and the needed support to stay updated and compliant if anything goes wrong.
Important Features and Services You Can Get from ZenBusiness
Here are some of the features you can take advantage of when you start using ZenBusiness for your LLC formation:
- Business Tax Prep and Filing
Registering your business is relatively easy through ZenBusiness. As mentioned earlier, all plans include the full business tax prep and filing of your articles of organization. One of their licensed CPAs will organize, assess, and file your business’s year-end taxes. The platform will also deal with annual report filing together with other regular LLC maintenance.
- CPA Assessment
ZenBusiness offers a worry-free accounting assessment in all of its LLC plans, offering value to your money. That assessment provides free tax assessment and accounting services by a professional and licensed CPA who will make necessary suggestions to clients, helping you identify your bookkeeping, accounting, annual report, and tax needs. They will also offer you useful information on how to stay organized.
Furthermore, the assessment service is an excellent way to monitor all your file taxes, cash flow, and annual reports. Other LLC service providers don’t do that kind of assessment, while others provide this service through a third party. Nonetheless, ZenBusiness handles it entirely in-house. How awesome is that?
- Business Bank Account
Remember that the ZenBusiness Pro and Premium plan includes banking resolution templates. That feature allows you to open your business bank account. Banks need the LLC banking resolution template before they would permit you to open such accounts.
The banking resolution also outlines who is permitted to sign loans or make payments on behalf of your company. As a stand-alone package, ZenBusiness charges $110 a year for a business bank account. Nonetheless, the LLC company works with Radius Bank to provide discounted business bank accounts.
- Registered Agent Services
ZenBusiness also offers a 1-year free registered agent service on all its LLC packages that can be renewed for $119 per year.
You are obliged to have one of the top-notch registered agent services in each state your business has its physical location. Also, a registered agent functions as your business’s legal contact who gets document deliveries on your behalf and gives their address instead of yours for legal documents from federal and state agencies.
You may also choose to become your business’ registered agent. However, you should remember that ZenBusiness provides costless registered agent service for the first year. That feature has been positively received by clients thanks to their smooth and pleasant experience.
- New York Certificate of Publication
Other states like NYC need a Certificate of Publication from new LLCs. Obtaining and processing that certificate involves a huge amount of effort and time. That’s why other LLCs do not provide such service.
However, ZenBusiness offers that service for only $200, including publication fees. It will take on all the needed procedures on your behalf, such as contacting the county clerk, attorneys, newspapers, and the Department of State.
- EIN Service
Another integral service from ZenBusiness is their employer ID number service. This service is provided in the Premium and Pro plan, but it can also be acquired as a stand-alone service, which only costs $70. ZenBusiness will also assist you with filing all the needed paperwork for getting your EIN.
- Operating Agreement Template
ZenBusiness offers you an operating agreement template, which allows you to make and customize an Operating Agreement of your own. That document determines your business’s structure and sets rules for how it will run.
How Much is ZenBusiness Pricing Plan?
Currently, ZenBusiness provides three different pricing packages: Starter Plan, Pro Plan, and Premium Package.
The Starter Plan
The Starter package is ideal for businesses just starting out. It has all the essentials you need to start your business. Every state has different requirements and forms. That’s why it helps so much to have a service to walk you through the entire process.
These includes:
- 100% accuracy guarantee
- Operating agreement template
- Registered agent service
- Standard filing service
To file as an LLC with this package, ZenBusiness will finish the Certificate of Formation and the Articles of Organization along with your state. They utilize a standard template with input from your business. If you do not need help with growth or advertising but need the liability protection which comes with an LLC, this plan is ideal for you.
The Starter plan also includes the Registered Agent service. That means ZenBusiness will file with your state authority to get correspondence related to your LLC filing. That frees you up a huge amount of time from tracking those documents, even though it’s still a smart idea to have them in your own files.
All LLCs are needed to have a Registered Agent on file, either a third-party service or the business owner.
On top of that, you have access to the Operating Agreement template with this plan. All LLCs are needed to have that agreement on file, outlining how their business will run and operate. While not a difficult document, there are some important things to be included. Fortunately, the ZenBusiness template covers everything, so your company stays in compliance.
At $39 for your first year, this plan is certainly a budget-friendly option that gets your company off the ground. When it renews, the price will go up to $119 per year, which is still the most affordable option available from the platform.
The Pro Plan
The Pro Package has everything connected with creating an LLC in your state at any expedited speed, not to mention it has federal tax documents required to form your LLC with the IRS.
When forming your LLC, you must apply for an EIN. Right? Lucky for you because ZenBusiness will do that on your behalf. Most business owners do not wish to spend their time filling out and sending in forms to the IRS. That’s one of the reasons this package is extremely popular.
The package includes a Banking Resolution and Operating Agreement template. To open a business bank account, you should have a document with all the owners in the LLC sanctioning the business to open the account. Also, it details who can sign on behalf of the business for the account. Having that document is essential to running a business and will safeguard you and your business from potential fraud.
Remember that all LLCs are obliged to file and pay to their state on a yearly basis. The Pro plan takes care of that annual requirement to keep your business in compliance with all the state regulations. That also guarantees your money and time aren’t spent on late charges or other troubles.
The Pro plan is more expensive at $149 per year. However, if you consider how much money and time you’ll save by not having to handle all your state’s annual filing needs, it may be worth the extra cost of this package.
The Premium Plan
Would you like everything related to forming your business to be handled effectively? The ZenBusiness Premium plan is what you most need. Your filing application goes in front of the queue at ZenBusiness. That makes your LLC in days instead of weeks. Remember that rush or expedited search refers to handling your documents. State processing times might be delayed, which the platform cannot fully control.
In this package, you will get a Banking Resolution Template, Operating Agreement Template, a Registered Agent service, and an EIN. That covers everything you need to get your startup going. Also, you get the annual compliance service, so you don’t need to be troubled with any annual filing prerequisites as long as you keep this service.
For startups ready to market themselves and their products/services, the Premium plan covers a business domain name, business email address, and business website. Many businesses prefer to create an online presence a little early. If you want your customers to find you easily, it may be worth getting these features from ZenBusiness.
Take note that this is the most expensive plan option from ZenBusiness at $249 every year. Considering that email addresses and web hosting fees can run $100 or more each year when bought from another service provider, getting the ZenBusiness Premium plan may save you more money. Just ensure your business needs these add-ons before opting for the all-inclusive plan.
How to Use ZenBusiness
The entire user experience with ZenBusiness is effortless. For starters, you don’t need to become tech-savvy to figure that out. If you understand how to utilize the internet, you can do business using the platform.
Everything is so simple when you land on their website. Also, getting started is as easy as selecting your entity type and choosing your state. From there, you will choose a plan and add on any extras.
You can make your account in just a few minutes. Then, you will need to give ZenBusiness specific information about your business. All of that can be managed online with a simple-to-use dashboard.
Upon reading different reviews online, you will find nothing but awesome remarks about how simple the website is to use and navigate. After submitting your details to the platform, you can monitor the status of your order while the filling is being processed. Further, you will have access to your legal documents from there.
If you are ready, you can finish the process in just one sitting. It is just a matter of sitting back and letting ZenBusiness take care of the rest on your behalf.
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FAQs on Establishing an LLC with ZenBusiness
Q: How do you make your company LLC?
Based on information from LLCGuys – you create your company LLC by picking and registering a name, choosing a registered agent, filing articles of organization, making an operating agreement, and getting your tax identification number. On the other hand, you can hire an LLC service like ZenBusiness to handle everything for you.
Q: Does ZenBusiness provide legal services?
No. Please keep in mind that ZenBusiness does not provide any legal LLC services. They will only file all your legal documentation and correspondence with the relevant government organizations. However, legal advice and support for contracts and other business matters are not available.
Q: Is ZenBusiness a registered agent?
Yes, ZenBusiness is a registered agent, and that is a crucial part of their LLC service. Remember that each LLC should nominate a registered agent to deal with particular legal paper works. Even with the Starter Package, you get that service for free within the first year.
Q: Is ZenBusiness legitimate?
Of course, yes! ZenBusiness is 100% legit. The company is a sought-after online LLC formation company with an excellent standing and overall value. You can confirm that by contacting ZenBusiness, looking for ZenBusiness customer reviews, visiting its official website, or looking them up on the BBB website.
Also, you can go online to look for any ZenBusiness reviews by its customers. Customer feedback and reviews are one of the greatest and overall value advantages of the company, not to mention they have more than 3,500 feedback and reviews online.
Q: Should I use ZenBusiness?
Absolutely! You must use ZenBusiness to create your LLC, especially if you want an LLC service provider that provides competitive prices, necessary services, prompt document deliveries, and support after business formation.
It’s worth mentioning that ZenBusiness utilizes automation for most of its businesses, enabling them to provide affordable and simple solutions to begin, manage, and grow your new business.
Q: Is ZenBusiness dependable?
Each ZenBusiness plan includes a 100% accuracy guarantee. You can receive a refund if your information is wrong. The responsibility is still on you as the startup owner to ensure your business stays in good standing. However, the platform has a long history of being a dependable provider of such services.
One of the amazing things about ZenBusiness as a provider is that they concentrate on teaching their users, so they are geared with the skills and knowledge they need to become successful business owners.
Before you choose a package, make sure you read different FAQs about LLCs and other formation alternatives provided through ZenBusiness.
Q: Can I cancel my ZenBusiness plan?
Remember that your contract with ZenBusiness is on a yearly business. Thus, you have to chance to cancel the services every year. Still, you will be accountable for any costs the company incurred on your behalf, like filing costs with the IRS or your state authority.
However, you have the option to handle those aspects of your business in the future if you prefer to go that way.
Q: Does ZenBusiness have hidden charges?
ZenBusiness is always upfront about its pricing, which includes any added state fees which will be charged to create an LLC. These differ by state and are detailed after you look into a particular plan and state.
You can get more services a la carte, even if you pick a low-tier plan. Bear in mind that it might end up costlier than opting for a higher-tier plan from the beginning.
Q: Does ZenBusiness provides customer support?
The customer support team at ZenBusiness is very responsive. Those representatives are accessible through email or phone during the following business hours:
- Sunday 10 AM to 7 PM Central Time
- Money to Friday 8 AM to 8 PM Central Time
On top of that, phone support is fast, and many customers do not encounter long wait times. They also reply to emails within one business day of getting an inquiry.
Having reliable and quick support is important when you are browsing around and assessing a business formation company. It is normal to have some concerns throughout the process. ZenBusiness is not around to help you on Saturdays, but the support is still top-notch beyond that.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, there’s no doubt that ZenBusiness must be your top option, especially if you’re seeking a business formation service.
Their Registered Agent services, Incorporation services, and LLC services are the most typical offerings presented by the company. Apart from the all-in-one package, you can also utilize ZenBusiness for individual use cases such as operating agreement templates, EIN filling, business name registration, and so much more.
Starting at only $49 per year, it is difficult to beat that value.
