What are the most popular services offered by professional registered agents? Registered agents are a rather mysterious group when it comes to people involved with the formation and operation of your business, but here are some services they should offer at the very least, should you decide to hire a registered agent for your company:
- A physical, trustworthy office location
This is very important. It is vital and legally necessary that your registered agent have regular business hours. Why? Because a registered agent is the person or business officially designated by you on your formation documents as the one who accepts state and legal documents on behalf of your business. It is also required that your registered agent has a physical street address (a P.O. Box will not suffice), where they can be reached. - Compliance reminders
When running a business, you have a lot to deal with. If you choose to hire a registered agent, you should expect reminders of when to file your reports. A hired registered agent service will receive notification from the state, and notify you in turn, so that your business can remain in good standing with the state and avoid costly fees and penalties. Your registered agent should make your compliance paramount, and will help to ensure that the necessary documents get submitted to the right place at the right time. - Instant access to your documents
Your business will receive time-sensitive legal and state documents, and some registered agent services offer a secure online account where you can view your business’ sensitive, important official mail. These documents should be locally scanned and safe, and available to you whenever you choose or need to view them. - A vast knowledge base and customer service
Customer service does not mean you call and instantly must pick options from a machine. Customer service means that you call a phone number and instantly talk to a human who is knowledgeable about business, can pinpoint your issue, and help you solve it. If you choose to pay for registered agent service, this should be a given. It is your business, after all, and a registered agent service should be there to help you navigate the bureaucracy and red tape thrown in your path by the state. - Help with filings
If you hire a registered agent, are they someone you’d trust to file your business for you with the state? This can be time-sensitive, and there is a lot of personal information involved. A hired registered agent service should personally contact and work with your state in order to help you start your new business.