When you’re starting your business, it’s a very vulnerable time.Ā There’s alot of information to filter thru: scams and good offers.Ā You need products, services, and lots of support to make your business work, but it can be hectic deciding on so many things: from incorporating to bylaws and everything in between.
If you’re here, it’s likely, you’re thinking about starting a business, and you’re trying to figure out the best way to incorporate your business.Ā Before we dive into this review, I want to say “Congratulations on taking that major step in your life!”.
I wrote an article about how to incorporate your business for free here, but I understand that’s not a good fit for everyone.Ā It can be stressful dealing with government paperwork and pondering the repercussions of doing something wrong.
I get that.
I remember being in your shoes and the last thing I’d want is for:
- You to put off starting your business because you’re overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done
- You to do something wrong and get in trouble
- or, for someone to take advantage of you because they take more time or money than what’s necessary
That’s I’m writing this incorporate.com review. There are services like Incorporate.com that claim to help startup entrepreneurs incorporate their businesses and get preliminary documents out of the way.Ā Ā In this review, I’ll be sharing:
- How incorporate.com works
- The pros and cons of working with them
- What others are saying
- What the pricing is like
- and whether I recommend them or not
If that sounds good to you, let’s get started…
What is Incorporate.com? An Overview
Starting in 1899, an attorney named Chris Ward came up with the idea to make going in business easier for startup entrepreneurs.Ā Around the same time, another attorney named Josiah Marvel came up with a similar idea.Ā They both started their practices and for two decades operated separately.
After two decades in business, the two attorneys joined forces and called the company Corporation Service Company CSC).Ā Now, after more than one century in business, a new look, and some changes to the name, CSC still offers the same core services.Ā They help people with:
Incorporating their businesses
Creating their bylaws
Making their corporate kits or Operating Manuals
and Being their Registered Agent
How Does Incorporate.com Work?
Incorporate.com works by attracting people who are in the phase of incorporating their businesses, helping them decide on an appropriate business structure, showing them the legal requirements for each business entity, and completing all of the necessary paperwork for them.Ā In summary, their process goes like this…
Here’s a video that explains more:
How Do I Get Started with Incorporate.com?
Incorporate.com has a 3-step turnkey process they repeat for every client that looks like this…
1. Pick a business type
There are different business structures to choose from: LLC, C Corporation, S Corporation, and Nonprofit.Ā Each business type has pros and cons, and one may be a better fit for your mission and vision. It’s important to take some time, speak to a professional or read, and evaluate the pros and cons.
2. Give some Details
Once, you’ve decided on the most appropriate business structure, you need to give details so incorporate.com can perform the work for you.
3. Make it official
Once the paperwork is complete, incorporate.com will file the articles of incorporation, so your business will be considered a legally recognized entity.
Who is Incorporate.com For?
Incorporate.com is for:
- People who are just starting their businesses and haven’t incorporated
- People who have started their businesses, but need help with legal documents like bylaws, corporate kits, etc.
- Those who are nervous about incorporating their businesses themselves and need the extra help or push
Incorporate.com Tools & Training
Incorporate.com has quite a few very helpful articles that can help you navigate thru some of the decisions like:
- Which business structure
- What is a registered agent
- How incorporation works
- and more…
Incorporate.com Support
There are very mixed views of the incorporate.com support. While it says they offer phone and email support, many customers have complained that the support is not polite or good with following up.
What Does Incorporate.com Do Well
- They market their services very well
- Their site is simple and clean
- The branding is very professional and appealing
- They have a concise way of explaining what needs to be done, and making it sound simple
What Doesn’t Incorporate.com Do Well
- They don’t provide good customer experiences
- They don’t warn customers about billing or invoice them
- They don’t inform customers of fine print offers they may be signing them up for
- They don’t openly handle disputes to inform potential customers reading the reviews that they’re proactively helping the disgruntled customer
- They don’t clearly mention that their fees are separate from the state fees. The state fees associated with filing articles of incorporation can cost an additional $400 or more, and it’s not clearly mentioned on the incorporate.com website.
- and, based on reviews, they don’t easily refund or reimburse customers when billing issues arise
The things that Incorporate.com does not do well are big red flags to me, and I’d guess they might be red flags to you also.
Incorporate.com Review Playlist/Roundup
Of 14 reviewers on FitSmallBusiness, Incorporate.com had an average of an 1.4 star rating!
Common Positive Feedback
It was actually a challenge to find positive feedback
Common Negative Feedback
Customers reported commonly that they were being charged more than $200 per month for services they hadn’t approved.
Most Helpful Negative Product Name Review
Review 1:
“Incorporate.com helped with filing as an LLC. after completion they made a strong sell to be my registered agent. After one year of providing this service I realized they werenāt providing any service at all. When I attempted to cancel my service they threatened to send me to collection agency.”
Review 2:
Created a company with them who then lost my EIN for two months. I over looked this and figured it was just an oversight. The following year I found out my company was terminated due to an incomplete annual report. This was after I sent it in with the cost to the state, and later confirmed with my account manager that my company was in good standing for the current year. My report was rejected by the state and it was sent back to my registered agent but never relayed to me. I am now paying them more money to reinstate my company. This will be the last time I do business with this company.
Review 3:
Incorporating is fairly easy, Getting these leeches out of your life with their over priced āFiling Serviceā, not so easy.
Incorporate.com Price
Incorporate.com offers three pricing packages for each business type: basic, essentials, and the works.Ā Basic is $99, essentials is $249, and the works is $349.Ā The breakdown of what you get looks like this…
Basic Incorporation Package
Addon Services
- EIN Number
- Corporate Compliance Guarantee
- Corporate Kit
- Bylaws
- Business License Research Package
- Operating agreement
Nonprofit vs. Other Business Entities
For nonprofit entities, incorporate.com has a significantly higher price for their “The works” package at $1,799.
My Final Opinion of Incorporate.com
After reading thru several negative reviews and very few positive reviews, I would not recommend business owners to use Incorporate.com for incorporation services.Ā Instead, I’d recommend either:
1. Incorporating on your own for free
2. Or, choosing an alternative that has a much better reputation and quality user experience UNTIL Incorporate.com has clearly resolved the unethical issues they’re having.
Top Alternatives I’d Recommend
CorpNet – (Recommended) Most relevant comparable company. Offers incorporation service along with trademark, corporate kits, and free registered agent service
LegalNature – DIY Cost-Effective Legal Forms (favorable reviews)
Rocket Lawyer – Cost Effective Legal forms and Legal Advice (favorable reviews)
VERDICT: Not Recommended
Incorporate.com
Pros
- Professional looking
- Great branding
- Concise marketing copy
Cons
- Bad customer service
- Billing customers for registered agent services without them knowing
- Bad customer experiences and very difficult to find positive ones
Reader Interactions