It’s the 21st century, and business is changing all around us. Many of you have already discovered the benefits of being your own boss, and starting your own company. But even starting your own company, you can’t do it alone.
There are dozens of online companies that can assist you—filing paperwork, getting set up with the IRS, or even being your registered agent. I’ve decided to compare two of the best sites for helping small business owners, ZenBusinesss and LegaZoom. Read on to find out which of them might be best for you.
About ZenBusiness
Made for the next generation, ZenBusiness is a website designed to help fast-paced people get their business filings done quickly. Not only that, but ZenBusiness is a Public Benefit Corporation, or PBC. That means that it’s written into their founding documents that some form of their revenue and operations must be dedicated to the public good, meaning ZenBusiness is a proud participant in human and animal rights projects.
About LegalZoom
Founded over twenty years ago, in 2001, LegalZoom was arguably the first online legal resource for everyday people. They specialize in providing paperwork, services, and even advice over the internet for anyone. They are also committed to social issues, boasting over $3 million in grants to people promoting social change.
How They’re the Same
Both LegalZoom and ZenBusiness can help you with the basics of getting a company off of the ground. Or, better yet, they can help you turn the dream of being your own boss into reality. Among their other services, here’s what they can both do for you, in more or less equal measure:
Just a quick note about Registered Agents. When you form an LLC in any state, you are required to list who the Registered Agent is. This is the person or company that receives all legal documents on behalf of your company. You can act as your own, or pay a company like LegalZoom or ZenBusiness to do it for you.
How They’re Different
ZenBusiness and LegalZoom do have some important differences, and here we’ll take a look at them. First, what ZenBusiness does, specifically:
Now for how LegalZoom differentiates itself:
And the Winner Is…
Pricing: ZenBusiness
There are a ton of options on both websites. But we boiled it down to basic LLC services, where ZenBusiness comes up $30 cheaper, and Registered Agent services, where ZenBusiness is $50 cheaper.
Experience: LegalZoom
While ZenBusiness has been at it since 2015, LegalZoom has been at it since 2001. In addition to the length of time, LegalZoom has a breadth of legal experience that ZenBusiness doesn’t.
Customer Support: ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness wins this, actually because of their focus on only small business services. While it’s great for breadth of service, LegalZoom lacks the focus on just small businesses that ZenBusiness has.
Turnaround Time: LegalZoom
This is splitting hairs, a little bit, because so much comes down to how fast your individual state can turn paperwork around. ZenBusiness has a 4-7 day option, while LegalZoom has a 2-5 day option.
Winner Overall: ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness wins on price, speciality, and focus. Nothing against LegalZoom, here, but if all you’re interested in is starting a small business, ZenBusiness is my pick.
And the winner is - ZenBusiness
- Only $39 to get started
- Great customer reviews
- Registered agent service included
- Excellent customer support
