I set up my LLC with ZenBusiness about a year ago. It was okay at first, but their upsells and the annual report fees caught me by surprise. I've been looking at Bizee because the pricing seems more upfront and they include the registered agent free for the first year. Has anyone actually made the switch? I'm mainly wondering if the process was smooth or if there were hidden headaches with transferring the registered agent and getting my documents moved over.
LLC Services
Has anyone switched from ZenBusiness to Bizee?
I looked at Bizee when I started my second company. The free registered agent sounded great, but read the fine print. It's only free for the first year, then it renews at a higher rate than some others. That said, their formation pricing was straightforward.
Switching registered agents is typically a simple form with the state, not a big legal ordeal. The headache is usually just making sure the old company doesn't auto-renew your service. Cancel in writing and keep a record.
I didn't switch from ZenBusiness specifically, but I moved to Bizee from another provider. The transfer itself was fine. Their customer support is mostly chat-based, which was a little slow the one time I needed them.
Have you checked whether Bizee can handle the annual report for your state? ZenBusiness charges extra for that. Bizee might too depending on where you're registered. That was the real cost driver for me.
The free year of registered agent is a common intro offer. Do the math on year two and three before deciding. Sometimes staying put is cheaper than switching just to save on a one-time formation fee.
I made this exact switch. ZenBusiness to Bizee about eight months ago. No major issues, but I had to file the registered agent change with my state myself. Bizee provided the form and instructions. Took maybe twenty minutes.
What state are you in? That matters a lot for annual report fees and whether the provider can file them for you.
I'm in Texas. The annual report through ZenBusiness was the main thing that bothered me. I felt like I was paying for something I could do myself, but their interface made it seem mandatory to use their service.
In Texas you can file your annual report directly with the Secretary of State for a small fee. It's genuinely easy. No reason to pay a middleman for that unless you want the reminder service.
The reminder service is the only real value some of these companies add for annual reports. If you're organized, you don't need it.
I'd also ask Bizee directly whether they charge to transfer your existing EIN and operating agreement over. Some companies nickel and dime you on document retrieval.
They didn't charge me for that. My EIN stayed the same since it's tied to the business, not the provider. Documents were accessible in my new dashboard after the transfer.
One thing to watch: make sure you update your registered agent address on your business bank account and any licenses. I forgot that and had a piece of mail get returned.
Also check the effective date of the registered agent change. You don't want a gap where you technically have no agent, even for a few days.