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Tuesday, March 19th
As a prominent provider of compliance solutions for companies of various sizes and types, Harbor Compliance was established in 2012 by a group of government licensing experts and pioneering technologists. Through its services, the company has aided more than 35,000 clients in obtaining, safeguarding, and managing licenses in diverse industries.
Prices start at $99
Harbor Compliance starts out by telling you to expect their fees to start at $99, but you'll have to go through the question-and-answer process to find out what your options will be. As we worked through it for our business location, we were given that $99 fee to have the name availability checked and our LLC articles of organization prepared and filed. We could also choose to pay filing fees of $125 for 3-5 business days or $280 for 1 business day. Next, we were asked if we wanted to use Harbor Compliance as our registered agent - and we were pleased to see that their annual fees of $99 were much more affordable than some rival services. Additional services offered included obtaining an EIN ($99), operating agreement ($99), and so on.
Better pricing than before
So yes, it's reasonable to expect that you could get your LLC formation taken care of for under $100 here - but when you compare what other companies charge, especially for those add-ons that are often included as part of a package elsewhere, you may find that Harbor Compliance is on the spendy side. Still, HC used to offer just two packages priced at $399 and $799, so they're a little more in line with what their competitors are doing now.
Offers after-the-filing support too
After you have formed your LLC, Harbor will check for compliance gaps and suggest any regulatory filings that might be needed in your state, typically required of companies similar to yours. They offer comprehensive support after the fact, but they don't go into detail on the LLC formation page about what those might be. Those services used to be included in those comprehensive packages we described, but we also appreciate that prospective clients don't have to commit to an expensive plan anymore but can just pay for what they need, when they need it.
Client satisfaction is dropping
We were disappointed to see that Harbor Compliance's client feedback has declined since our last review. You'll still find people who rave about the attention to detail and customer service here - but there are also almost an equal number of clients who say that their Harbor reps dropped the ball, and that processes that were supposed to take a week or two had gone months without completion. We encourage you to click on the link to the Google ratings that's right on the LLC formation homepage for Harbor Compliance; read for yourself and pay particular attention to the most recent reviews at the time you're considering which company to work with. When we checked, Harbor Compliance still had an "A+" and accreditation from the BBB, so apparently the issues aren't widespread enough to generate a drop in reputation there.
Not a top pick for LLC formation now
Still, we expected to see that most clients using Harbor Compliance for LLC formation were satisfied with their experience - but the picture painted by customer comments is too mixed to inspire confidence. As one person put it, "they [seem to] focus their efforts on a few clients that they overly please while ignoring everyone else" . We've had to drop Harbor Compliance in our rankings because despite their changes in pricing to become more affordable, their reliability has taken a nosedive.
LLC formation is a common way for small business owners to limit their personal liability while operating their company. A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a hybrid business entity that combines the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the liability protection of a corporation. LLCs are a popular structure for many small businesses because they offer many of the benefits of a corporation without the same level of complexity and formality.
Forming an LLC typically involves filing articles of organization with the state in which the business will operate. Your specific process and requirements for forming an LLC may vary depending on the state where you're doing business, but it generally requires selecting a unique business name, designating a registered agent, and paying a fee. Some states may have additional requirements such as issuing an operating agreement or publishing a notice of formation in a local newspaper.
There are many services that can help with LLC formation for small businesses. Many of these services offer a range of options for businesses at various price points, from basic do-it-yourself kits to more comprehensive packages that may include assistance with obtaining tax identification numbers, preparing and filing annual reports, and ongoing compliance support.
Which of these services should you choose? You want to get it right the first time, and forming an LLC can be complicated. Here are some of the most important criteria you should keep in mind as you choose how to take that next step for your business:
Because forming an LLC can be an important step to protect your personal assets and limit your liability as a business owner, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular services. We're confident that our comprehensive reviews will help you choose the right provider to help you navigate the process.
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