You’re passionate about your industry and have the experience and skills necessary to be your own boss. The only thing you don’t have is your own business–at least not yet. Unfortunately, starting a small business in the District of Columbia can be a lot tougher than you think.
With so much to consider, from drafting and submitting the Articles of Organization to selecting the right registered agent for your startup, there are bound to be a few sleepless nights. Questions like, “Why does setting up a business have to be so difficult?” and “How can I set my business up legally without going broke?” tend to keep up even with experienced business owners.
But this brief guide can help make things a little easier by immediately answering another of the most common questions new entrepreneurs have, “Which corporate structure should I choose?” While every business is different, most small business owners will benefit the most by starting an LLC for their DC business.
Disclaimer: the rates and offerings below are subjected to changes made by the service providers.
You probably heard about LLCs or Limited Liability Company, but you may not know why so many businesses choose them. LLCs offer business owners many of the same tax benefits and personal protection that a C or S Corp does, but they are much easier and less expensive to run. The flexibility of an LLC structure also means you can concentrate less on compliance and more on serving your customers.
If you think that an LLC is the proper business structure for you, here are five of the best LLC services you may want to check out:
Tailor Brands bills itself as a one-stop shop for everything you need to form a new small business in D.C. and make it a success. The website offers new entrepreneurs like you just the right combination of products, services, and valuable resources to take them from newbies to successful business owners.
With three tiers of LLC formation assistance that include most services you will ever need, such as basic LLC filings, EIN registration, customizable Operating Agreements, help with business permit compliance, and so much more, users feel they are in good hands right from the start. More ambitious entrepreneurs can choose from plenty of add-on services such as taxes and bookkeeping, trademark registration, graphic design, and invoicing.
Tailor Brands offers three pricing plans to meet a range of needs and budgets:
Customer reviews for Tailor Brands are great. Business owners at all tier levels love the quality of service and responsiveness that they get from the platform. Prices for even the higher tiers and add-on services are very reasonable and offer great value compared to other LLC formation options.
Any search results for LLC formation companies are sure to include LegalZoom. With over two decades in the industry, this platform is popular and generally well-respected. Although LegalZoom might be better known as a provider of customizable legal documents and expert legal advice, you can use the site to complete and submit your LLC paperwork.
The lowest tier at LegalZoom offers only assistance for writing and filing the Article of Organization and a business name search. However, even the free LLC tier comes with a small database of legal forms and a customizable website through WIX. More expensive bundles add EIN registration, an operating agreement, editable legal documents, initial business and insurance consultations, and phone support. Continuing business and personal legal advice is also available as an add-on service.
Like most LLC formation services, the lowest tier level is free and only requires the D.C. filing fee of $99. The Pro level costs $249, while the Premium tier comes in at $299 (plus the filing fee). The cost of additional services such as legal advice, annual reports, and trademark registration varies.
The higher tier levels include a decent number of services, but you can find better values elsewhere. Although the massive site is not the easiest to navigate, LegalZoom may be a good deal for well-financed startups that want to have the ability to access a wide range of legal services.
Customer reviews agree that ZenBusiness is definitely one of the best LLC services available. However, most of the goodness comes at a cost. There are a ton of tools available, but most of them require one of the higher-priced tiers or are accessible only through a monthly or annual subscription.
The LLC formation bundles at ZenBusiness are pretty thin with what’s included. The cheapest tier offers standard filing but does come with a one-year trial of Worry-Free Compliance. Depending on which higher tier you go for, you’ll also get an EIN, an Operating Agreement, business documents, a website and domain, and the use of a website builder.
However, the actual value of ZenBusiness comes from the number of add-ons. These include standards like business banking, registered agent service, and annual filing, as well as more unusual offerings such as an online payment gateway and a logo kit.
There is no getting around the fact that ZenBusiness is on the expensive side. Although the most inexpensive tier requires only the $99 filing fee, the Pro option costs $199, and the Premium tier will set you back $349. The best add-ons are also not cheap.
If money is no object, it is tough to make a case against ZenBusiness for its huge range of products and services and happy customers. But for most startups with a modest budget, the costs of subscription-based services can really add up.
As you may expect from the name, Northwest Registered Agent mainly focuses on providing registered agents for businesses. However, the platform offers an LLC formation service for startups as well. With only a single tier that offers good value, users won’t have to weigh one bundle against another, but they’ll still get what they need.
The platform’s standout feature that can save you a lot of money is the one year of included registered agent service. But there are other included products and services, such as an Operating Agreement and meeting minutes. If you are willing to shell out more money, you can take advantage of EIN filing, compliance filing, and even virtual phone and office services.
The single tier is only $39 in addition to the $99 filing fee. The optional products and services are reasonably priced.
With only one tier level and limited products and services, signing up with Northwest Registered Agents is a breeze. Many customers love the streamlined approach and the low cost. As long as you know what you are getting and have a DIY attitude to figure out the services not provided, you can save a lot through this platform.
When time matters, Swyft Filings may be the best option for you. With available same-day filing of your LLC and expedited shipping, you can get legal as quickly as possible. Although the bundles do not offer as much as some other options, the sacrifice may be worth it, depending on your needs.
Same-day filing is only an option if you purchase the top-tier bundle, but even the less expensive bundles offer faster than average filing. The basic bundle is stripped down, with filing and a business name check being the primary services, but the lowest tier does offer lifetime phone support. Higher-level tiers include the necessary paperwork to file your taxes or open a bank account. One of the best benefits of using Swyft Filing is the instant electronic versions of important documents you’ll get as soon as your filing is accepted, so you won’t need to wait for hard copies.
The cost to form an LLC with Swyft Filing ranges from $0 to $299 plus the D.C. filing fee of $99.
Although Swyft Filings may not give you all the bells and whistles of most of the other platforms, it provides the essentials quickly. However, if you are not in a rush to form your LLC, you are likely to find other platforms out there that will give you much more for the same price or less.
Yes, you can file the paperwork to form your LLC on your own in D.C., as long as you are aware of what you need to do. The drawback is that it can take a long time, and any mistakes you make tend to be very costly in terms of time, stress, and money.
Since the majority of the LLC formation platforms above offer a basic tier level that costs no more than filing on your own, you have nothing to lose by getting the help of a professional.
With an LLC formation expert on your side, you can breathe a little easier.
Any of the platforms above would be an excellent choice and can become a crucial partner in your success.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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