ZenBusiness is one of the most popular limited liability company (LLC) formation companies in the industry today. It is considered to be one of the top-rated business formation services you can find, but this ZenBusiness review will test that reputation.
If you want to form an LLC but do not have time to go through all the rules or tackle all the paperwork involved, you can hire ZenBusiness to do the job for you. A lot of entrepreneurs were able to form an LLC with ZenBusiness as their provider and has been very impressed with its ease of use.
ZenBusiness is known to be one of the best LLC forming services that offers a worry-free guarantee to all their customers through their business formation service offers. Aside from that, their business formation packages are also affordable. Their LLC services have been ranked highly with trusted customer review sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot.
But does it really live up to the hype? Is it really as reliable as everyone claims it to be? Here, we give you a detailed review of ZenBusiness and the services they offer to help you form an LLC.
What is ZenBusiness?
ZenBusiness is a Texas-based business formation service that has been helping thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs form an LLC from scratch. The company has been around since 2015. Today, this LLC formation service caters to clients from all over the United States.
Although there are older LLC formation providers in the market, ZenBusiness was able to rise as one of the best in the industry because they embrace the use of technology. They have their own automation software and tool to help them accomplish a wide variety of business services and this ease of use on the job allows them to offer lower rates to form an LLC.
ZenBusiness can assist you with all the paperwork you need to start your business such as EIN acquisition, CPA assessments, registered agent services, compliance guarantee, and website building with a worry-free guarantee.
How does ZenBusiness work?
ZenBusiness is popular for its ease of use. The registration process takes just a few minutes and after registering, your part is pretty much done. All you have to do is wait.
The first step is to select your package and features or services that you want to include as add-ons to your package.
Then, with the information you give them, ZenBusiness will file your business documents and requirements with the state. The filing speed once it reaches the state will vary from one state to another.
Once the state confirms your business, all your documents will be uploaded in a personalized dashboard that you can view, download, and print at any time.
Once you have your business set up, ZenBusiness still provides you with ongoing services to make sure that you are compliant with the state law and requirements by sending you alerts and notifications for any upcoming deadlines or important notices.
ZenBusiness Reviews: features and services
ZenBusiness offers a wide variety of LLC services, which makes them stand out from the rest of the LLC services companies in the industry today. You can get most of these LLC services as add-ons to your package.
Registered agent service
Every business needs to have a designated registered agent to deal with all correspondence with the Secretary of State and other agencies. All documents and communication will be sent to the corporation’s registered agent.
ZenBusiness will serve as your registered agent and will ensure the privacy of all the documents going back and forth. The correspondence and legal documents will be stored in your dashboard and you can view and download them anytime.
The advantage of having a third-party registered agent is that you can still operate your business even if you are not physically in the state or the country. It also is a preventive measure so that embarrassing documents will not be delivered in your actual office or business address where customers and clients can see them.
All packages include the registered agent service, which is a good thing since getting a registered agent service does not come cheap. In fact, some LLC formation businesses do not even include this service in their packages at all.
Operating agreement
The operating agreement is a list of corporate bylaws that covers the duties of the owner and the members of your company. The operating agreement is an important document for every business owner and it is a requirement to register your business.
ZenBusiness has a customizable document for an operating agreement and this service is available for all its packages.
Formation speed options
ZenBusiness offers different processing speeds for every package. This allows you to choose what you need – whether you want everything done immediately or whether you are willing to wait.
The starter plan guarantees everything will be processed within 2 to 3 weeks, the Pro package guarantees 5 to 8 business days, and the Premium package guarantees 2 t0 4 business days.
Take note that the state filing days are not included. Also, you should know that other LLC starters offer same-day processing services.
Employer identification number (EIN)
An employer ID number (EIN) is very important since it is the alternative of a federal tax ID number for your business assigned by the IRS. The EIN is required o open a business bank account. It is what you will be using pay taxes and hire employees.
ZenBusiness offers to process the EIN for you in their Pro and Premium packages and your EIN number will be delivered to you digitally through your dashboard.
Business name reservation
If you have already thought of a great business name but you are not yet ready to form your company, you can have your business name reserved so that no one else can use it.
ZenBusiness can ensure that your business name will be yours while you are still preparing yourself to become an entrepreneur.
DBA name registration
If you want to operate the company under a trading name or a “doing business as” or DBA name instead of its legal name, you will have to register it for legal reasons. Obtaining a “doing business as” (DBA) name can be a difficult and long process in the US.
ZenBusiness offers a DBA Name Registration among its services and will comply with all state-specific requirements to get you your DBA name.
Worry-free compliance guarantee for the business owner
This compliance service feature allows you to get annual LLC filing report alerts and deadlines. This ensures that your business will remain in good standing with the state.
Even if you miss a requirement or deadline, ZenBusiness will cover the fees to see that your business will remain in good standing – which is something that not all LLC formation business can offer.
The worry-free compliance service allows you to go on with your routine without having to worry about these requirements with the state. ZenBusiness only offers this LLC feature for the Pro and Premium plans.
Certificate of good standing
When you are an LLC business, getting a certificate of good standing issued by the state proves that you are reliable and that you are in compliance with the law and its requirements. This certificate helps a lot when you are looking for investors, doing large transactions, or renewing your permits.
ZenBusiness can help you get this certificate from the state so you do not have to go through the hassle of getting one yourself.
Annual reports
Every year, the state requires all LLC and businesses to submit annual reports to ensure that they are following state laws. If you fail to give your report, you will be asked to pay a large fine, and sometimes, your business license can be revoked.
ZenBusiness will make sure that you will not miss this important requirement by filing your annual reports for you in time. This is part of its ongoing services for your LLC entity.
Filing amendment
The business industry is a fast-paced one. There will be times when you need to make changes in your LLC entity and this calls for modifications in your paperwork.
Whether it is a change of business address or trade name, ZenBusiness will help deal you deal with this by providing you two amendments per year for free.
Business bank account
When you are starting your own LLC, you should have a separate bank account for your business transactions so that it does not affect your personal finances. Having your own bank account also makes your business more legit.
ZenBusiness can help you open business bank accounts for your limited liability company.
Banking resolution
A banking resolution is a necessary and important document to authorize a person in your company to open a bank account using his or her signature. Having a banking resolution is an advantage since it allows you to have a complete record of any banking decisions made by your company and it serves as proof that only one person is authorized to act for your company when it comes to financial moves for your entity.
This service is offered in the ZenBusiness Pro plan.
CPA assessment
One of the things that take up a lot of time in an entrepreneur’s job is the accounting aspect of the business. You have to keep track of your cash flow, bookkeeping, and taxes.
CPA assessment services is available through ZenBusiness. ZenBusiness will match you with the right CPA who can evaluate your LLC finances for you.
Business insurance
Every business comes with risks and you have to protect your assets by getting a business insurance policy. This way, in case something goes wrong, your personal assets will not take a heavy blow.
ZenBusiness sets you up with a commercial insurance process for your protection, which will take a lot of time and load off your shoulders. This is something to look forward to when you work with them.
Business email address
When you are starting your own company, you will have to deal with a lot of communication and marketing online. It is important to set up a business email address that will be formal and credible to your business.
ZenBusiness offers to help you set up a business email address that will make communicating with investors, clients, and employees a breeze. The email address they set up will be aligned with your domain and has the capacity to block spam.
Business website
We live in a digital world and an online presence is very important for any type of business. Having a website lets customers know that your company exists.
ZenBusiness can help you build your website. This is a plus since you no longer have to hire someone else to do it for you.
Domain name registration
Getting a domain name for your website is good because it shows that your business is legit and makes your website trustworthy. Just take a look – “mybusiness.com” seems more official compared to “mybusiness.wordpress.com” right? Customers might doubt why they should deal with a business that could not even spend money for their own website.
ZenBusiness will help secure a domain name for you and deal with the domain name registration process so you do not have to hire a web developer. This will establish to customers dropping by that you are a legit and reliable business.
Domain name privacy
When you get your own domain, your personal info will be saved in the WHOIS database. This is a listing of all registered domains, which is necessary to keep domain name owners accountable.
The database is also used to look for any trademark infringements or simply to check if the domain name you want is available. The thing is, the WHOIS is a public database so there is a risk of having your personal information displayed in public. Domain name privacy is a must.
To protect your personal information, ZenBusiness can change your information on the WHOIS database into a forwarding service. So, when people check your domain, your company details and personal info will be hidden. This is also a plus to avoid possible hacks.
Publication service
Are you planning to do business in New York? The state requires you to publish a notice in two separate newspapers within the same county of the LLC’s office whether you are an out-of-state LLC branching out to New York or forming the LLC in New York.
After the notice is published, you will be given a Certificate of Publication and Affidavit of Publication. You should bring these to the New York Division of Corporations and only then will your business be considered legal in New York.
ZenBusiness can help you with publication services in any state. All you have to do is contact customer service.
Take note that it is not only New York that requires publication. Some states that require this include Arizona, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
ZenBusiness Reviews: LLC formation packages
For now, ZenBusiness has formulated three packages that you can choose, depending on the features and services that you need. Some services can be added to your package for an additional fee.
Starter package ($49 per year plus state fees)
This is the starter plan made for small business owners with a limited budget or entrepreneurs that can afford to wait. It covers the basics that you will be needing for your LLC business like the registered agent, operating agreement and real-time business support.
The Starter plan from ZenBusiness is one of the cheapest that you can find in the market that includes the much-coveted registered agent service. But you have to take note that this service is only offered for free during the first year. After that, it will cost your business $99 per year. So, I think that you are better off going with either the Pro or Premium packages in the long run.
Pro package ($199 per year plus state fees)
With the ZenBusiness Pro plan, you get everything in the Starter package but with expedited filing speed and an additional service which includes getting your EIN, banking needs, and submitting your annual report.
The Pro plan is their most popular package as it has everything you really need to start up a business, hassle-free.
Premium package ($299 per year plus state fees)
The ZenBusiness Premium package has both the features of the Starter and Pro packages but with a rush filing speed and a lot of extras.
This is the package to get if you also need help establishing your online presence since the Premium package includes setting up your business email address, business website, and your domain name and privacy.
The Premium package actually will let ZenBusiness do almost all the work for you so all that you have left is to look for clients and customers and start doing your business.
Take note that the LLC formation packages packages are billed once per year. State fees will vary from state to state.
Zen Business reviews: customer support
For an LLC starter company that handles a lot of important paperwork for business formation, the best LLC service provider must also have the best customer service. It has been found that ZenBusiness really cater and care for their customers through their stable and reachable customer support.
The fastest way to reach customer support is through their website, where you can easily get chat support. ZenBusiness LLC chat support is available Mondays through Fridays during business hours (8 AM to 8 PM central time) and Sundays from 10 AM to 7 PM central time.
If you prefer to talk with a customer service representative, you can give them a call at 1-844-493-6249. You can contact the customer service hotline on Mondays to Fridays from 9 AM to 7 PM central time and Sundays from 10 Am to 7 PM central time.
You can also simply send an e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns but you can afford to wait. A customer service representative will reply back to your email within 1 business day.
ZenBusiness LLC formation does not only have customer support that is easy to reach but also their representatives are very knowledgeable. A lot of customers that have worked with them find their agents very responsive and all questions were answered.
You can easily see how satisfied clients are with their business formation services through their impressive customer reviews.
ZenBusiness reviews: ease of use for the business owner
A lot of entrepreneurs who are starting out a business for the first time are often lost and overwhelmed with all the requirements. The point of working with an LLC forming company like Zen Business is to get rid of the hassle of processing these requirements.
ZenBusiness LLC incorporation services registration is very easy. All you have to do is fill out a form, choose a package, enter some basic info about your business, and they will handle the rest. It only takes a few minutes of your day to set up with them.
Then you will be given access to a customizable dashboard where all the documents and alerts are. You can also manage the website ZenBusiness set up for you from the same dashboard. The dashboard can be accessed online through a website portal or the ZenBusiness LLC mobile app.
This is great as even some of the best LLC service companies have a confusing process and asks for a lot of requirements that it almost feels like you are doing all the work yourself. This is not the case with Zen Business.
Zen Business reviews: pros and cons
Pros
- Affordability – ZenBusiness is considered to be one of the best LLC service providers since they have valuable packages for affordable prices. You can find one that suits your budget.
- Hassle-free service – ZenBusiness offers add-ons and optional features as you register with them but they do it tastefully and not aggressively like others.
- Customer reviews – One of the major strengths of the company are their thousands of positive customer reviews, establishing their position as one of the best LLC service formation companies in the industry. Their impressive rating indicates that 95% of their clients would recommend their service. ZenBusiness often has 5 or 4-star ratings on major customer reviews sites like Trustpilot, Google Business, and Better Business Bureau.
- Good value – ZenBusiness is known to be one of the few LLC formation services that offer the three most important features in every package (free registered agent service, free operating agreement template, LLC formation). Aside from that, ZenBusiness offers more than the usual number of services and features compared to other LLC service formation companies.
- Refundable – ZenBusiness offers a refund policy as long as the papers have not been processed through the state yet. However, if the paperwork is already there, you can no longer avail for a refund or cancel your account.
- Customer support – ZenBusiness has a strong customer service. They are easy to reach and their customer support agents are knowledgeable enough to help you out with all your concerns.
- Socially conscious – ZenBusiness gives back to their community by helping out aspiring and small business owners who dream of owning a business but do not have the means to.
Cons
- Experience – established in 2015, ZenBusiness is one of the youngest players in the industry so they probably lack experience compared to other LLC service companiess. Despite this, they are still able to rise as one of the best LLC service providers with their impressive ratings and service.
- Turn around time – Other LLC formation services offer a faster turnaround time but take note that they do offer a rush order through their Premium package.
Conclusion
There are no easy paths when it comes to starting a business. There are no shortcuts when it comes to all the paperwork involved to form an LLC either.
A lot of business owners would rather focus on more important things like getting clients or marketing. If you are like these business owners, you should consider outsourcing this time-consuming job to a reliable LLC formation service that can do more than just business formation services for you.
If you are looking for one of the most affordable LLC forming services that give you great value for your money, ZenBusiness is a worthy choice. Their worry-free guarantee is not just a promise – it is a reality. Their customer feedback are also legit and reliable.
When you partner up with ZenBusiness, you will surely have a stress-free registration with their business formation services and a worry-free experience in your first years as an entrepreneur. This allows you to concentrate on more important things such as making a profit and making your business grow.