Whether you are already engaged in some business activity to a certain extent or just start your business journey, at some point, every businessman decides to set up a legal entity. So, if you’ve already made up your mind about forming an LLC to legalize your business and pondering over hiring Northwest Registered Agent for legal assistance, you’ve come to the right place. In our review below, you’ll find detailed info about this service to have a better understanding of what sets it apart from the competition and check if it will cover your needs.
About Company
On the market since 1998, Northwest has been providing business formation services for over 20 years, being a family-owned company with no third-party contacts and their own legal reps present in each and every state. As such, it is one of the most experienced and trusted market players, for now, that makes the process of starting and maintaining a business simple, easy, and fast. Providing versatile and high-quality services throughout the country, the company gained a strong reputation and carved out a place for itself among popular branded top-liners, despite not having so much brand power as its top-tier rivals.
Noteworthy, apart from providing full-scale assistance in opening an LLC, the Northwest platform also provides paid annual registered agent services in all states and can help you set up a corporation in compliance with state norms and requirements. More than that, at no cost, you can access a “Start Your Business” section to learn all ins and outs of each business structure as well as the pros and cons of doing business in each US state. And we’d be remiss not to mention legal form bundles you can download for free via the website that cover all legal templates you need to open an LLC, Corporation, or Non-Profit Corporation. So, you can try to file all your business formation paperwork on your own at the price of only a state fee.
Packages and Other Services
A distinctive feature of Northwest LLC service is that they don’t have multiple packages and pricing plans like other similar LLC formation services. You might claim they lack flexibility but don’t jump to wrong conclusions straight away. Providing a single Northwest Registered Agent package and a transparent and simple fee structure for additional services, they ensure much more flexibility for covering all your business needs in a cost-wise manner. See for yourself.
LLC Formation Service: $225 + State Fee
If you decide to hire Northwest to complete the LLC formation process for you, for this basic price, the company specialists will perform a database search to make sure your chosen company name is available, prepare and forward your LLC papers including the Articles of Association and LLC Operating Agreement, and manage ongoing compliance requirements by sending reminders of timely submission of documents. Besides, via a registered agent, your company will get a business address and digital mail forwarding service. And you’ll get instant access to your incorporation documents via your online account. In contrast to other similar services that charge extra for the expedite filing speed, Northwest will use the fastest filing methods by default. The package covers Registered Agent service for one year and if you want to renew it, each next year will cost you $125.
Some unique features specific only for Northwest are their Privacy by Default® delivering the highest level of privacy to all your personal data and Corporate Guides® service enabling you to contact an expert in each state ready to answer all your questions. Those experts are real people doing business in the state of your interest and you can rely on their local expertise.
To add more, you can upgrade this package to a VIP level and pay for it on a monthly basis to avoid paying one big amount at once. Those payments vary depending on the state and in total will cost you a bit more than a one-time fee. Yet, the add-ons you’ll get in return will include handling EIN, Banking Resolution, and Annual Filings for you.
Added Services
Whether you choose a basic or a VIP package, Northwest also provides a whole range of optional payable services you might be in need of at a certain stage of forming or running your LLC:
- Registered Agent Service ($125 per annum): You can renew the Registered Agent Service subscription on an annual basis with no commitments on prolonging the registration and cancel it at any time.
- Annual Report Filing Services ($100 + state fee per annum): Northwest can take care of all your company obligatory reports to be filled and filed to state authorities in time while you can focus on your business growth avoiding paperwork routines.
- Employer Identification Number ($50 – $200): an EIN is something no legal entity can’t do without. State authorities use this number to identify your company and you’ll need it for all your federal filings. Though you can apply to the IRS on your own, for a one-time payment, the Corporate Guides in your state will save your time and effort on the application process.
- Mail Forwarding Service ($50 per month): to maintain a higher level of security, instead of a mailbox, your company will get an assigned suite number. This way, your LLC will have a real business address in the US.
- VoIP Business Phone Number ($9 per month): you can get access to phone calls via the Internet using a Voice over IP number in any US state and save on paying local phone bills.
- Corporate Book and Seal ($80): though rather an extra, a bundle of a corporate book in high-quality faux leather and an embossing seal with your company name engraved on it is a first step to building your recognizable corporate style.
- Virtual Office ($49 per month): along with a business address, you’ll get an office lease, suite number, and even a professional phone number for your business needs. It’s something you won’t find in other services.
- S-Corporation Election With IRS ($50): if you choose your company to be taxed as an S-Corp, Northwest can file your Form 2553 to the IRS. Just make sure your company is eligible for that.
- Certificate of Good Standing ($50): if you plan to expand your business to other states, you’ll need this document to prove that your company complies with all legal requirements. And you can easily get this certificate with the help of Northwest.
- Certified Copy ($50): If at some point of your company growth, you’ll need certified copies of documents applied to different organizations, Northwest can help with this too.
- Apostille ($400): Northwest will make the process of signature and seal verification fast and smooth for any business affairs related to other countries.
- FMCSA BOC-3 Filing ($125 per annum): With their own professional agents in every state, Northwest doesn’t hire any third parties providing the highest level of customer confidentiality and privacy. So, they can file your Form BOC3 in a maximum protected manner too.
Northwest Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Flexible, comprehensive, and clear system of fees with no hidden payments and tricks easily covers multiple business needs.
- The basic LLC formation service package includes a full year of Registered Agent Service.
- Taking customer privacy and security seriously, they have an expanded agent network to working directly with state agencies and do all the filing job without any intermediaries.
- The company boasts the best customer support in the industry. You’ll get an immediate support response and obtain a full and detailed answer to any question. In addition, their unique team of trained in-house Corporate Guides will provide help on specific state rules.
Cons:
- As compared to other popular LLC services, Northwest has fewer online customer reviews that might be a bit off-putting from the start.
- Overall, Northwest stands at the higher pricing end and might be not the best option for customers on a budget.
Should You Start an LLC With Northwest Registered Agent?
Though there is no single LLC service perfect for everyone, Northwest might become perfect for you if you:
- like simplicity and seek a platform with a comprehensible and user-friendly interface;
- want regular feedback and support to be available;
- favor flexible and transparent fee system;
- appreciate clients’ privacy and proprietary info protection.
With a lot going in for Northwest, the service might turn out a bit expensive for customers on a stringent budget while other clients are inclined to choose services with a strong brand power behind them. In this case, we’d recommend considering ZenBusiness or IncFile.
Conclusion
Northwest Registered Agent is an online provider of business legal services that stands out among the rivals for a top-quality approach to everything they do. Outstanding customer support, flexible fees, and a strong focus on client’s privacy are their main selling points. Though their prices are higher than those of many competitors, they also provide a whole lot of helpful and useful information for free giving you an opportunity to open an LLC on your own.
