I kept putting off filing because I thought I needed to fully understand operating agreements, publication requirements, and tax elections first. Ended up going down a rabbit hole for almost three weeks. Finally sat down with the state website and had the certificate filed in about an hour and a half. The research was useful but most of it didn't change what I actually submitted. Curious if others had a similar experience or if I'm just slow.
LLC Filing
I spent weeks researching llcs when i could have filed mine in an afternoon
The filing itself is fast. The part that got me was the registered agent decision. I switched from myself to a service after realizing I didn't want my home address on the public record.
Three weeks is nothing. I spent a month reading about S-corp elections before I even filed the LLC. Still haven't made the election.
That makes me feel a little better. The S-corp thing is exactly what I kept getting stuck on. Eventually I just filed as a default LLC and told myself I can revisit it later.
Operating agreement is the one thing people skip and then regrte when there are two members. If you're solo it genuinely doesn't matter much for the filing.
Did you have to publish a notice in a newspaper? My state requires it and that was the slowest part for me.
No publication requirement in my state. That would have added another layer for suure.
The state website is genuinely simpler than most people expect. I think the intimidating part is all the blog posts that make it sound like you need a lawyer for a single-member LLC with no employees.
I did the same thing but with an accountant. Paid for an hour of consultation, and he basically confirmed everything I'd already read. Not sorry I did it, but it wasn't necessary.
The consultation is worth it if you have partners or real liability exposure. For a solo freelancer it's usually overkill.
One thing i'd still check is your local business license. The LLC filing is easy but the city permit can be its own mess.
How long did the state take to approve yours? Mine was same day but I've heard of people waiting over a week.
Approved in two business days. I was surprised. The waiting was all on my end.