Have you been looking to hire a registered agent for your business? Hiring a registered agent can come with several challenges, but it really shouldn’t have to be an overly difficult decision. With this thought in mind, we’re looking at some of the crucial things you should know to help you choose the perfect registered agent to work on your business. After all, registering and incorporating your business shouldn’t be hard. Luckily, with the right approach and professional support, it becomes much easier overall.
How to Choose your Registered Agent
So, you’re looking to form an incorporated business. If this is something you’ve been looking at, there are numerous different steps you’ll need to complete. Don’t worry; it’s not too daunting a process. Still, with that being said, having professional support from an experienced registered agent can go a long way toward helping with this decision.
But how can you choose a registered agent? Well, we strongly recommend considering the following eight points to make the right choice for your needs.
#1 Ensure Their Availability
Before you begin looking any further in regards to a registered agent, one of the first and most vital things to check is whether (or not) your chosen agent is available during business hours. As a registered agent, one of the main responsibilities is to accept summons and complaints by in-hand delivery. As such, if they’re not available during normal working hours, they could easily miss out on deliveries – leaving your business in trouble.
#2 What Are Their Security Protocols?
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing a registered agent is data security. Indeed, security of confidential data is pivotal for your business’s success, so it’s vital to partner with a registered agent who prioritises the security of your data above all else.
#3 What is their Level of Experience?
When choosing a registered agent, one important factor to look for is experience. An experienced registered agent is much more likely to deliver a high-quality service, ensuring that your business is in good hands. Your registered agent should be happy to provide you with information regarding their expertise, so don’t hesitate to check this.
#4 How Do They Manage Responses?
When choosing a registered agent, considering their response times and methods is an important step to ensure that any important documents are successfully brought to your attention, reducing the delay between receiving legal documents and acting upon them. Failing to act on these notices can result in your business getting fined, so the importance of a quick and effective response to received documentation is crucial.
#5 What Technology do they Implement?
In this day and age, technology is rapidly becoming increasingly important when choosing a registered agent. As such, when choosing a registered agent, be sure to enquire about the technologies they use. You should also check how they use them and what value this brings to your investment.
#6 How Does their Reputation Look?
When looking for a registered agent, be sure to consider their reputation as part of your decision. Reputation plays a significant role in the choice of a suitable registered agent. Considering reviews from past clients may be a valuable option in this regard.
Fortunately, there are plenty of platforms that allow you to check the reputation of a registered agent. These are especially easy to find for registered agent teams over individuals. Northwest and ZenBusiness are some of the most popular and affordable agents in the market right now.
#7 Do They Offer National or Local Services?
If your business operates – or intends to operate – nationally across multiple states, you will need a registered agent to receive legal documents in each state. As such, if this applies to your new business, you’ll need to take steps to consider whether you’re likely to operate in multiple states.
If you are likely to do so, make sure to ask your registered agent about their services in each of these states to check you have full coverage. If not, you may need to choose another registered agent. Otherwise, you could attempt to hire several registered agents to ensure your business has an agent everywhere.
#8 What is their Typical Pricing Structure?
While it shouldn’t significantly influence your choice of registered agent, price is still a consideration. With this thought in mind, when choosing a registered agent, make sure they offer a fair price for their services. Be sure to check their payment schedule and structure, too. This will help you choose an agent whose services best match your business’s cash flow. Nowadays many reputed agents provide free first year service followed by a few hundreds of dollars per year. You can check deals here.
Final Thoughts
Finding a registered agent should never be a decision you take lightly. After all, while this may seem like an easy decision, not every registered agent provides comparable services. As such, finding the right registered agent for your project is highly important, and this is where our experts will be on hand to help. Don’t leave it to chance; keep today’s top tips in mind to ensure you’ve partnered with an expert team instead.
