Launch Your Dream Business with Inc Authority: Expert Guidance for Successful Incorporation
What Is Inc Authority?
Launch Your Dream Business with Inc Authority: Expert Guidance for Successful Incorporation What Is Inc Authority? Inc Authority is an online service offering LLC formation and business ownership assistance, including help with foundational paperwork and other legal requirements. Headquartered in Nevada, the company boasts over 30 years of experience serving small businesses and claims it has helped form over 250,000 LLCs and corporations every year. The company says it aims to make the business formation process less intimidating, confusing, and expensive for entrepreneurs.Pros
- One of the major perks of Inc Authority is its free LLC or corporation formation services. Inc Authority will perform a business name check, prepare the filing forms, digitally store your documents and act as your registered agent for one year―all for free. Customers only pay the required secretary of state filing fees.
- For returning customers, Inc Authority’s online client portal makes it relatively easy to check in on the status of various services and access resources. Customer support resources exist for all Inc Authority clients, whether the customer uses its free LLC/incorporation services or pays for additional services. The company also offers helpful information on the business formation process, legal issues relevant to small businesses, and other aspects of business ownership on its blog. Inc Authority offers a Client Portal with access to its paid services, which include accounting, business compliance, business credit, business funding, business plans, licensing, logos, payroll services, taxes, trademarks, trusts, and websites.
- Another benefit to customers is Inc Authority’s live customer support―available from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time), and its partner offers with companies like PayPal and ADP.
Cons
- One of the biggest drawbacks of Inc Authority is its lack of pricing transparency. There is no pricing listed on its website and it can take some effort to understand how much you’ll pay for the services you need. Additionally, some of Inc Authority’s bundled services might be relatively cheap (or free) for a customer to create on their own.
- For instance, a customer can prepare initial meeting minutes and resolutions on their own but Inc Authority charges to prepare these documents in its Starter Business Bundle. Information on its website encourages customers to purchase service bundles, which might mean that a customer could end up paying for services that they don’t need.
- Customers would benefit from doing research on issues of LLC formation on their own to gain clarity about what actions are truly necessary for LLC formation, what actions are recommended by experts, and then which of those are best delegated to professional assistance.
- Customers who want live customer support must call during weekday business hours to order any products and services.
- Inc Authority does not offer any guarantees. All sales are final, meaning that aside from canceling a recurring subscription to avoid future fees, there are no refunds on its products and services. Because there are no annual contracts, Inc Authority reserves the right to adjust monthly rates so long as it notifies customers.
How Inc Authority Works
Inc Authority offers bundles of business services, such as serving as the business’s registered agent, verifying business name availability, filing articles of formation/incorporation, preparing initial meeting minutes and resolutions, and providing annual compliance notifications. Customers can also get expedited filings and access to personalized business advice and a banking specialist for an additional cost. 9+ Services. Inc Authority’s goal is to provide the business planning essentials customers need to get their business off the ground, which include business formation, website design, trademark registration, and business plan preparation, among others.
Name Availability Search
Before registering a business, you must confirm that the name is available. Inc Authority will perform a business name availability search for free as part of its business formation services.
While this can be a helpful service, customers should know that doing a business name availability search is fairly simple and free through the applicable state’s secretary of state website.
Formation Service
Inc Authority touts its free business formation services for LLCs and corporations. Although Inc Authority doesn’t charge for the service it provides, customers pay the state’s applicable filing fees.
Registered Agent Services
Business formation documents require the name and address of a registered agent. The registered agent is the person authorized to receive notices and communications on behalf of the business.
Inc Authority offers registered agent services as part of its “free LLC services,” which include doing a name availability search and filing the business formation documents. After forming the business, Inc Authority will serve as the registered agent for one year. After that period, a customer will need to choose one of its Premium Service Bundles.
Online Document Access
Inc Authority offers a Client Portal that provides online document access. It also offers access to its paid services, which include accounting, business compliance, business credit, business funding, business plans, licensing, logos, payroll services, taxes, trademarks, trusts, and websites.
Articles of Organization
With Inc Authority’s “free LLC services,” the company will file articles of organization or incorporation, depending on whether the business is formed as an LLC or corporation, with the applicable secretary of state. Customers pay the required secretary of state filing fees.
Website and Marketing Services
A user-friendly website and marketing are often critical to the success of a business, especially a new business. For an additional fee, customers can get a private consultation with a custom website designer, a premium custom website design, a professionally designed logo, 500 personalized business cards, access to a dedicated marketing specialist, SEO-optimized content for the website, comprehensive SEO services and a listing in relevant directories.
Business Plan Preparation
For an additional fee, customers can get professional help preparing their business plans. With this service, customers have access to a dedicated business plan advisor who guides the customer through the process of creating a business plan that meets bank and investor guidelines.
The business plan includes an executive summary, objectives, mission statement, demographics, and marketing analysis, and a full financial plan. Within the first three months of development, Inc Authority will make any adjustments or edits to the business plan at no additional cost.
Inc Authority Pricing and Plans
Inc Authority stands out from many of its competitors by offering an array of its most basic services completely free. This includes preparing, filing, and storing the documents an LLC needs to get off the ground and providing a registered agent for the business’ first year. While Inc Authority provides these basic services for free, paying appropriate fees to the secretary of state is still mandatory no matter how one chooses to file.
Inc Authority invites users of its free products to become customers of its paid services, which focus on aspects of business such as credit, funding and web presence.
In addition to the free package, Inc Authority offers two additional plans. Pricing for the Starter Business Bundle and Fast Track Business Bundle may vary from state to state, so you should call an account representative to confirm. For reference, in Illinois, the Starter Business Bundle costs $472 and the Fast Track Business Bundle costs $672. It seems that the higher-tier bundles are still available, but only by contacting the customer service line.
This updated pricing model mirrors common subscription services with free and premium tiers, in which premium services are more comprehensive but not entirely different from the free offerings.
Paying customers aren’t bound to a broad package deal, however, and can select individual paid services or smaller, more focused package deals to add on à la carte by talking through options with an Inc Authority advisor.
Quotes and pricing information for any of these options, as well as the Starter Business Bundle, are only available by calling during weekday business hours (6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT) and speaking to a live representative.
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