ZenBusiness is a platform that’s starting to gain popularity with business owners launching or scaling their company. They offer basic business registration and other services to establish or expand your company’s presence.
Starting at 0$ and endorsed by business celebrities, this probably seems like a good deal. But is it?
Let’s take a deeper look at what ZenBusiness can actually do, and whether or not it’s the best option for you…you’ll even see a side-by-side comparison with one of its top competitors.
Here’s what’s in store:
- What is ZenBusiness?
- What Exactly Does ZenBusiness Do?
- ZenBusiness vs Legal Zoom
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion: Is ZenBusiness Legit?
Now, let’s roll…
What is ZenBusiness?
ZenBusiness offers a range of services to simplify the process of starting and growing a business. With a variety of packages catering to different needs, ZenBusiness provides options for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
One of the standout features of ZenBusiness is its LLC-formation service, which helps you limit your liability and protect their personal assets when you register a business.
Customer reviews on platforms like Trustpilot consistently rate ZenBusiness highly, citing its efficiency, talent, and responsiveness. However, it’s important to note that some endorsements (like those from affiliate partners and spokesperson Mark Cuban) could be influenced by financial compensation.
ZenBusiness also offers information and guidance on different business entity types, such as LLCs, S-Corps, and C-Corps. The idea is to help you make informed decisions about your business structure(s).
Overall, ZenBusiness presents itself as a reliable and accessible option for new business owners looking to start and grow a company. However, you should carefully consider your specific needs and budget constraints before choosing any business services.
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Is ZenBusiness Really Free?
One of the first offers you’ll notice on the ZenBusiness website is “worry-free support to launch your business starting at $0 plus state fees.” And, yes, the starter package really is 0$.
State fees for business registration products tend to run from $50 to $150, depending on what you need to file, so it’s not completely free.
The ZenBusiness platform offers three packages:
- Starter – $0
- Pro – $199 per year
- Premium – $299 per year
…each with its own set of features.
The starter plan offers standard LLC filing and an accuracy guarantee. For additional services under this plan (compliance, operating agreements, expedited filing, employer identification (EIN) filing, etc.), you’ll need to pay added fees.
Note, EIN filing is free through the IRS (a lot of people overlook this fact).
The Pro and Premium packages include additional features such as 100% accuracy guarantee, operating agreement, and business website builder, catering to those seeking more comprehensive support for their business endeavors.
With the pro plan, you’ll pay out of pocket for business documents and tools to build your web presence, but these are included with the Premium plan.
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ZenBusiness Company Overview
When I first landed on the ZenBusiness website – before looking at the fine print – I assumed it was a Mark Cuban project. Come to find out, he’s a spokesperson, but doesn’t own the company.
Texas-based ZenBusiness Inc. (aka ZenBusiness PBC) was co-founded in 2015 by Art Flores, JC Glancy, Rafael Lopez, Ross Buhrdorf, Ryan Pitylak, Shanaz Hemmati. The company was officially registered with the Secretary of State by 2017. According to the state of Texas, Shabana Parvez is the most recently registered President and Director.
The company’s current CEO, Ross Buhrdorf, is a board member at the American National Bank of Texas and member of the Board of Trustees at Santa Fe Institute. He serves on other highly-recognized boards and invests in several entrepreneurial ventures.
Employees seem to like Buhrdorf. According to Glassdoor, 56% of ZenBusiness staff would recommend the company to a friend and 75% approve of the current leadership. In a perfect world, more people would be jazzed to work here, but the majority appear to be pretty pleased.
But, if you dig deeper, you’ll find that at least one employee has alleged discrimination against the company. A civil right employment discrimination lawsuit against ZenBusiness was filed in October, 2023…However, the jury is still out.
Despite 87 complaints closed in the past year, ZenBusiness is accredited with an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating.
And, according to Trustpilot, ZenBusiness customer service exceeds expectations (they maintain a 4.8-star rating on the platform, which is very high. The few
In all, ZenBusiness appears to be a legitimate, active, and compliant company that tends to do what they say they’re going to do.
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What Exactly Does ZenBusiness Do?
ZenBusiness actually offers a lot – in terms of starting and growing a business, they have various services and resources to help you on your journey. They can help you with filing to get off the ground, and lots of other items you might need along the way.
Let’s take a peek at the full offer.
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1. Formation Services
Business entity registration typically costs from $50 to $150, depending on your state. Traditionally, applications are filed with the Secretary of State. And, while a lot of people would argue that it’s cheaper to do it yourself, not all states make it easy.
ZenBusiness can help you file the following at no cost (besides state filing fees) or with a Pro or Premium package with no extra charge:
- Doing Business As (DBA)
- Limited Liability Corporation (LLC)
- S Corp
- C Corporation
What’s nice about this offer is that you’ll have someone to consult with about which type of filing is best for your situation and needs. Keep in mind that the representative that helps you will likely try to upsell you because they could never stay in business if they only offered free services.
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2. Operating Agreements
ZenBusiness provides an operating agreement service starting at $125 for free accounts and included with the Pro and Premium packages – This service enables you to draft a personalized operating agreement more easily.
The operating agreement outlines rules and regulations governing your company’s operations, ownership, and succession plans. It helps protect personal assets, clarifies ownership structure, and defines voting rights.
Without an operating agreement, an LLC risks losing its limited liability status, potentially exposing personal assets to business liabilities. Additionally, the absence of clear guidelines can lead to misunderstandings between members.
Overall, ZenBusiness’ operating agreement service offers you a valuable tool to formalize your LLC’s governance structure objectively and safeguard your business interests.
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3. Branding & Online Presence
Once your business is established with ZenBusiness, you can also get help with vital aspects of building out your brand presence.
Through your ZenBusiness dashboard, you can get:
- Logo design for $60
- Domain registration for $25 per year
- Website building for $129 per year
- A business email address for $25 per year
The alternatives would be to use a free online logo designer or hire a designer ($0-$500+), register your own domain through a host of your choice ($12-20 per year), build your own website or hire a web developer (from $3 per month to $10K+), and set up your own business email address through your domain provider ($5-$10 per month per email address).
I prefer a more customized approach that gives me full control (WordPress, Google Workspace, etc.), but I do see where these resources have huge value for people that don’t want to do the research or don’t know where to start. Plus, it could be extremely helpful to have everything in one dashboard.
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4. Business Banking
ZenBusiness offers FDIC-insured business banking for $5 per month – but ZenBusiness is NOT a bank. ZenBusiness banking is offered through Thread Bank.
Thread Bank offers digital-first banking services tailored for small businesses and busy individuals. With a focus on simplicity, speed, and connectivity, you can streamline everyday banking tasks.
Thread Bank’s offerings include:
- No minimum balance
- No overdraft fees
- Easily accessible online account
- Simple, secure, and paperless savings solutions
While not offered through a ZenBusiness account, Thread Bank also offers personal checking and savings products including Money Market Accounts (MMAs).
Personally, I prefer credit unions (for many reasons), but I don’t see any glaring red flags with this digital banking offer.
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5. Business Credit Cards
Through ZenBusiness, you can apply for a Chase Business Ink card – either Business Unlimited® or Business Cash®.
Judging by the way this landing page is set up, I assume ZenBusiness has some sort of affiliate partnership through Chase. If I’m right, this means that ZenBusiness gets a commission every time someone signs up through their website and is approved for the card.
I’m not aware of any type of relationship ZenBusiness could have with the card issuer that would make their members more likely to be approved – business credit is pretty cut and dry as far as underwriting is concerned.
You don’t need any type of affiliation to apply for a Chase credit card – so, you don’t really need ZenBusiness for this.
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6. Business Planning & Education
At no cost, ZenBusiness also offers educational resources for planning on topics like:
- Business startup costs
- Market research
- Business plans
- Licenses and permits
- Government grants
- Expanding to new locations
These resources are set up in a way that makes it appear that these offers may be individual services. Essentially, they’re relevant micro-learning modules.
Some of their more robust modules are 30-minute videos to teach you about
In all, these resources are very well organized and provide a lot of value. If you don’t want to use the offer, at least check out the resources because you’re sure to learn something.
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7. Tools to Grow Your Business
After you choose to establish your LLC with ZenBusiness, you can take advantage of quite a few offers designed to help you expand operations.
ZenBusiness’ growth tools include:
- Compliance services starting at $199 per year
- Registered agent starting at $199 per year
- Annual report filing for $100
- Business license and permit report for $99
- Beneficial ownership filing services
- Tax services for $49 per month
- ZenBusiness Money Pro® bookkeeping and invoicing
While these offers are simple, the package you get with ZenBusiness is pretty comprehensive. It’s much more than a business registration service.
The fact that you can do all of this in one dashboard is pretty cool – the cost for some of it seems a little steep to me – but we all have our areas where we’re willing to pay more for the convenient option. What do you think?
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ZenBusiness vs Legal Zoom
LegalZoom provides comprehensive business formation and compliance services with features like accuracy guarantees and access to legal professionals.
ZenBusiness offers affordable LLC formation packages and personalized support, making it ideal for entrepreneurs seeking simplicity and affordability.
| LegalZoom | ZenBusiness | |
| Pricing | Offers various packages starting at $0 plus state fees | Provides LLC formation starting at $0 plus state fees, with additional services available for purchase |
| Services Offered | Comprehensive range including legal assistance, tax services, & estate planning | Focuses on simple and affordable business-related services & resources |
| Top Features | 100% accuracy guarantee Worry-free complianceAccess to legal professionals | Personalized supportFast filing speedsRange of add-on services |
Both LegalZoom and ZenBusiness offer valuable services for business owners who want to establish and manage their businesses. LegalZoom stands out for its comprehensive range of services, including legal assistance and tax planning, while ZenBusiness excels in simplicity and affordability, with personalized support and fast filing speeds.
Ultimately, the choice between the two platforms depends on factors such as the specific needs of your business, budget considerations, and preference for additional services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is ZenBusiness a year?
ZenBusiness offers yearly pricing plans starting at $0 plus state fees for the Starter package and going up to $349 per year plus state fees for the Premium package.
Do I have to pay ZenBusiness every year?
Yes, you’ll need to pay ZenBusiness annually if you choose ongoing service packages like Pro or Premium.
Is ZenBusiness better than LegalZoom?
It depends on your needs. ZenBusiness is often praised for affordability and service, but LegalZoom may have features better suited for certain businesses.
Can I cancel my LLC with ZenBusiness?
Yes, you can cancel your LLC with ZenBusiness. Contact their customer support for guidance – you may need to change the registered agent on your business filing with your Secretary of State to complete account cancellation.
Conclusion: Is ZenBusiness Legit?
ZenBusiness is a legit service to help you register your new company as a legal entity. If you want help with this, then I say they’re definitely worth considering. However, keep in mind there are tons of competitors out there and always do your research.
If you opt for do-it-yourself business registration, at least check out ZenBusiness’ educational resources – they have a pretty robust knowledge base for people who are new to business.
In all, this is a pretty cool offer, and I don’t see any major red flags that would make me want to tell you to steer clear.
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