While it is legal to serve as your own registered agent, hiring a professional service can save you time and trouble in the long run. These services also provide a number of additional services like business formation and Secretary of State compliance tasks.
Some companies operate in multiple states. This makes it easy for you to keep your important paperwork in one place without having to juggle it between different agents.
Convenience
The requirement to have a physical address in every state where you conduct business can be burdensome. Individuals can serve as agents but they have to be available during normal business hours at that address 52 weeks a year, and this isn’t always feasible for companies that operate in multiple states or are entirely online. Hiring a professional service alleviates this worry and gives you the peace of mind that your important documents will be handled in a timely manner.
Some registered agent services also offer compliance calendars that make it easy to keep track of state filing deadlines, a feature that can save you significant fines in the event of an oversight. A company like CorpNet, for example, has a reputation for customer satisfaction and provides a money-back guarantee on their registered agent services. This is an important reassurance to have when you are making a big investment.
Scalability
If your company is growing quickly, you need a registered agent who can scale with you. While you can use a friend, attorney or local business as your registered agent, this is not ideal when your company grows. A reputable nationwide registered agent service will be able to support your growth and will keep your important documents safe while providing you with easy access to all of your paperwork in one centralized dashboard.
A good registered agent service provider will also have tools to help you manage your compliance – they should be able to remind you of annual reports due in each state, provide you with detailed information about the forms and filings required for each state and offer discounts when you buy multiple years of services at once. ZenBusiness is a good option, as their services are comprehensive and their price point is competitive. Another option is Harbor Compliance, a specialized specialist with a premium price tag but reliable services.
Convenient Online Accounts
Many registered agents offer a convenient online account that makes it easy for businesses to access their official government mail, service of process, or legal notices. This feature is helpful if you want to ensure that important paperwork doesn’t get lost, and it also allows you to quickly see any updates in your business registration status.
Some registered agent services will also hold onto any official government documents received on behalf of your business, which can save you a lot of hassle if you’re trying to stay on top of things like annual report reminders. These services may even make it easy to find the documents you’re looking for or print them out, which can save you time and money in the long run.
Some services, such as CorpNet, even go the extra mile to offer their clients a satisfaction guarantee. This means that, if you aren’t happy with the services they provide, you can ask for a refund.
Discounts
Basically, any business that operates in multiple states or is online must have a registered agent. Acting as your own registered agent can be a bit of a hassle, especially since you must be available during regular business hours to receive service of process or government correspondence. Using a professional service will alleviate this responsibility.
Some registered agent services will also hold onto official government notices like compliance filing alerts that remind you to file your annual report with the state. This is a nice bonus feature to look for.
LegalZoom is a well-known brand that has helped form over 2 million businesses, and they offer one of the best-registered agent services for just $299 per year. This price is a little higher than some of the competitors, but they provide a great guarantee to back up their service. In the event that you are not happy with their service, they will refund all fees paid.
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