South Dakota enjoys a thriving economic climate, and entrepreneurs do not necessarily need a physical footprint to launch a small business. Coupled with its predictable regulatory environment, the Mount Rushmore State’s unemployment rate consistently runs lower than the national average and sports a secure per capita income rate.
Although the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office works diligently to support a business-friendly climate, forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) there comes with specific challenges. That’s why professionals typically seek out the best LLC services to deal with governmental bureaucracies. If you want to take your side hustle to the next level or know how to provide a service or product better and less expensively, these are 5 of the best LLC services worth considering.
Disclaimer: the rates and offerings below are subjected to changes made by the service providers.
When everyday people decide to formalize their products or services by creating a small business, it can be difficult to wade through the different business structures. The majority of entrepreneurs choose the LLC because it provides protection from creditors and civil liability while delivering essential tax benefits.
In many ways, the LLC structure borrowers the best aspects of corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships. It rolls them into an easy-to-manage entity where revenue can flow through to your individual tax return, lowering the overall amount you might otherwise pay.
Forming an LLC in South Dakota usually requires using a registered agent service and filing a series of official documents. These include articles of organization and an annual report, among others.
Tailor Brands ranks among the best LLC services because it offers all of the necessary filing support, complementary services, and value-added possibilities. The user-friendly platform takes a straightforward approach to crafting an LLC with its simple click-through steps. Users are guided to all the filings required by South Dakota, as well as resources that help prospective small business owners galvanize their thinking.
It’s not uncommon for the best LLC services to deliver on the LLC-creation basics, but Tailor Brands exceeds this metric with its peripheral solutions. Along with a free LLC option, users discover tools to brand, market, and secure a variety of things needed to run the operation, such as the following.
The platform also includes FAQs and business planning information, rounding out its holistic approach to forming a South Dakota LLC.
Subscriptions run from Lite to elite:
Customer reviews consistently show users are pleased with Tailor Brands. More than 75 percent give the platform 5 stars, with another 6 percent agreeing to 4 stars.
Formerly known as IncFile, Bizee tends to be geared toward people who don’t want to spend time thinking about their South Dakota LLC or require complementary services. The home page shows three ways to pay for the services, and one includes a limited free LLC filing. The seemingly pared-down approach to gaining legal recognition can get the essential job done.
The services and offerings are largely restricted to filing an entity in South Dakota. These include registered agent services, articles of organization, and filing an annual report, among other business essentials. What’s noticeably absent is the complementary solutions entrepreneurs often value. You won’t be able to use Bizee to effectively brand and market a venture due to a lack of graphic design tools. But, for the right price, you can get the corporate structure completed.
Bizee offers a free Silver subscription, and Gold and Platinum memberships at $199 and $299 respectively. The free LLC does not include EIN or operating agreement support. The higher-priced options cover the majority of the bases.
Customer reviews appear to hover above 4 stars, and this platform can work if your needs are minimal. One troubling element of Bizee is the platform’s insistence users provide a phone number and agree to receive spam messages.
Zen Business finds its way onto the best LLC services list based on its streamlined services and user-friendly platform. You can initiate your small business in South Dakota by clicking on the green “Start with an LLC” icon. Users quickly discover that Zen Business is akin to Bizee in terms of its modest services and offerings. While you can complete the LLC fundamentals, the expansive branding, marketing, design, and thought leadership are not part of the program.
After clicking through the web pages, Zen Business prompts users to make a decision on price packages. You’ll see a comparison of three options, with the more expensive one offering the following.
It’s important to note that the free LLC option falls short in several areas. Adding an operating agreement costs an additional $99. The same holds true for securing an EIN.
The free LLC service is not cost-effective because other necessities may be needed, making it potentially as expensive as the $349 subscription. It may be possible to squeak by with the mid-level option at $199.
Zen Business garners reasonably strong customer reviews, posting 4.5 stars overall. There are a few BBB complaints that serve as a red flag.
Some of the best LLC services take a niche approach, and Legal Zoom focuses on law, compliance and attorney advice. Business professionals who subscribe to this platform gain access to wide-reaching digital documents that help resolve legal and regulatory issues. Although registered agent services and trademark registration solutions are available, Legal Zoom doesn’t take a deep dive into complementary needs such as logo design, web-building tools, and thought-provoking ideas.
Depending on the Legal Zoom subscription you select, members can access a wealth of e-documents. You’ll also see a limited number of LLC filing options available, such as the following.
The strength of Legal Zoom lies in its e-documents, which prove comprehensive at the right price.
Annual pricing options are $0, $249, and $299, with the top tier offering 30-minute attorney consultations. The $249 gives you access to 150 e-documents for 1 year. The free LLC option is minimal.
If your startup needs substantial legal advice and digital documents, this platform could be the right fit. However, you may need to sign up for a more diverse subscription to round out your overall business needs.
Rocket Lawyer places a great emphasis on the legal aspects of filing a South Dakota LLC. Like its seemingly direct competitor, Legal Zoom, it offers a comprehensive number of e-documents and access to attorneys. As a niche option, it also shies away from complementary business-building tools. However, Rocket Lawyer does a nice job of connecting professionals with attorneys.
Users with significant legal needs may be attracted to the “Ask a Lawyer” icon. This icon is a good way to ask questions that are not sufficiently answered in the FAQs. The services and offerings include things like business contracts, NDAs, and independent contractor agreements, among others.
Rocket Lawyer offers a free one-week trial package that turns into $39.99 monthly. Annual subscriptions, without professional services, are $19.99 per month.
Rocket Lawyer customer reviews only average about 4.6 stars. That may be because of its limitations regarding LLC formation and lack of value-added services. The platform has also received a number of BBB complaints.
It is possible to form a small business LLC in South Dakota without subscribing to the best LLC services. Going that route means you will likely need to invest a substantial amount of time and energy that could be better spent bringing the entity to market. For instance, doing it yourself will call for writing out articles of organization, annual reports, and building a website without the support of an expert platform that services professionals on a daily basis.
It’s also important to keep in mind that bureaucratic missteps can result in setbacks that cost time and money.
Choosing the most suitable LLC service to establish a legal business foundation in South Dakota opens up a wealth of opportunities.
Entrepreneurs who do business in a state, known for a labor force with a solid work ethic, are often pleased by employee retention and productivity.
With the state’s economic growth showing no signs of slowing, you can run a brick-and-mortar operation or online organization with confidence. However, the first step to success starts with enlisting the support of one of the best LLC services.
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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