Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor several aspiring and new business owners through my own program and as a mentor for Selfmade. It’s exciting to share my 15+ years of corporate experience with them, as well as the lessons I learned (and am still learning!) on my own journey of entrepreneurship.
During my chats with these soon-to-be entrepreneurs, there’s one question that almost always comes up — and it’s whether or not to form an LLC right away. That question is then followed by: “How do I even form an LLC?”
Forming a business sounds daunting. Figuring out how to structure your entity, creating your articles of organization, understanding where to incorporate ("Is Delaware right for me?”), what’s the process to get this all done, and how much does it all cost can be overwhelming.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Is an LLC right for me?
First of all, I believe it’s a good idea to form an LLC for your business. It’s not necessary, but it has several benefits, such as limited personal liability and certain tax advantages (depending on your tax situation, of course). You can do a deeper dive into whether an LLC is right for you and review other business structure options here.
Is there an easy way to form an LLC?
If you know that you do want to form an LLC for your new venture, but don’t know where to start, there’s a simple way.
I promise.
Forming an LLC is easier than ever with Northwest. Sign up online in just a few minutes.
I used Northwest Registered Agent to form my LLC, and it was the smoothest experience ever. I worked with them to structure my business, form the LLC in my desired state, and get my EIN from the IRS. I use Northwest for my registered agent service, which you’ll need in whatever state you incorporate, and I rely on them to take care of my annual report filings.
Plus, with their registered agent service, I have a business address that I can use for all of my legal correspondences. They offer mail forwarding as well to help protect your personal information.
Form your LLC with help from an actual human
Beyond all of the business formation and maintenance services that Northwest offers, one of the things that stood out to me the most is that you can speak with a REAL PERSON at Northwest.
For example: I launched my business in the middle of the pandemic, and that meant experiencing some delays with the IRS when it came to obtaining my EIN. When I had questions about my EIN application (and was unable to get a hold of anyone at the IRS), I was able to call Northwest and actually talk to a person who helped me get the information I needed from the IRS.
I’m a person who likes to pick up the phone to get things done, and the fact that I could dial up Northwest and someone would pick up on the other end was incredible. And if you leave a voicemail, someone calls back within a couple of hours. Seriously impressive.
Manage your business with Northwest
As a new entrepreneur, there are a million things that we have to keep track of on a daily basis. But when you work with Northwest, you can rest easy knowing that your LLC and annual filings are being handled with care. The service gives you access to an intuitive dashboard where you can access all of the important documents for your business, and you’ll get a view into due dates for your state filings, which Northwest can manage and file for you. Northwest also sends out timely email communications for important information — but they will never spam you or send you marketing emails. I appreciate that very much!
My recommendation: go for it!
When you feel like you’re ready to turn your business idea into reality, then go for it. Getting started is hard, no doubt. But services like Northwest Registered Agent are there to help you start your LLC — today.
If you have questions about my experience and how I’m continuing to take advantage of Northwest’s services, feel free to drop me a message here. Also, check out my link to learn more about Northwest Registered Agent’s “$39 Business Formation Service” to get your business up and running today.
