Picking the right team can be the difference between winning and losing. It's true in sports, and it's just as true in business, never more so than when you're starting your own company.
We've broken down more than a few services for launching a business, and one we've been looking forward to reviewing is Northwest Registered Agent Services. This full review covers the story behind Northwest, the services it offers, and why we recommend it. If you still have questions afterward, check the FAQs at the end.
Who is Northwest Registered Agent?
Founded in 1998, Northwest Registered Agent set out to help small businesses be the best they can be. The company describes itself as "medium-sized," was founded in Spokane, Washington, and is proud to still be headquartered there.
It began as a registered agent business (more on what that means below) and focused on getting that one thing right before expanding into other areas. Once it had an office in all 50 states, which it still maintains, it turned its attention to delivering small-business support backed by genuinely good customer service.
What Northwest Registered Agent can do for you
Like most online business services, Northwest can prepare, file and deliver your paperwork accurately and on time, whether you're forming an LLC or a non-profit, and whether you operate in a single state or many. But it's the areas where Northwest goes beyond the basics that set it apart, and those are what we'll focus on here.
Registered agent service
It's right there in the name, and it's Northwest's bread and butter. The company started as a registered agent business and that's still its core focus. But what exactly is a registered agent?
When you form a business, particularly an LLC, your state paperwork must list who your registered agent is. This person or organization is the official point of contact for any legal documents filed regarding your company.
Having a registered agent matters for three big reasons. First, it's legally required in all 50 states. Second, if your company is ever involved in a lawsuit, your registered agent receives the paperwork, which keeps your personal address (and even your business address) out of the process. Third, your registered agent receives the annual report and compliance paperwork your state authority sends.
You can serve as your own registered agent, much like you can be your own plumber. Most of the time it's fine, but when something backs up, you don't want it spilling over onto you or your business.
Choosing Northwest means being covered by a company that has provided this service for more than two decades and operates in all 50 states. You never have to worry about missing an important piece of legal mail, or about that mail arriving at your physical location and getting in the way of running your company.
Northwest also lets you use its registered agent service across multiple states. If you live in New York, for example, you might also do business in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts or Rhode Island. In that case you'd need a registered agent in each state, and Northwest is one of the best options available, not only for its bulk pricing but because it specializes in multi-state coverage, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Free paperwork templates
Whether or not you hire Northwest, it's a genuinely useful resource. To prove the point, the company has assembled a library of free forms and guides that anyone can use.
Each template comes with a short tutorial explaining how to use the form and why each item on it matters. Many companies keep these resources behind a paywall; Northwest doesn't. It's confident that once you see how professional and thorough it is, you'll be happy to hire it.
These free resources go beyond basic legal forms. There are even tools to help you defend or begin legal actions, including matters involving intellectual property.
That's an important edge in today's business world, where you can never be too prepared. With Northwest, you'll have the resources you need before you need them.
Excellent customer service
There are two sides to customer service: the good things a company does for you, and the bad things it never does. Northwest excels at both.
On the positive side, every page of its website has a real, working phone number at the bottom, answered by a live person.
No phone trees. Call during business hours and an actual human being will help you. The company also offers prompt refunds and responsive ticket resolution when something goes wrong. It even admits on its own website that mistakes occasionally happen, and commits to making them right, a level of honesty you rarely see.
As for the things it promises never to do, we pulled together a list of commitments we think every business should adopt:
- No corporate partnerships: many companies quietly share customer data with corporate partners. Some that claim they'll "never sell" your information simply hand it over in exchange for data of their own. At Northwest, your information never leaves the company's protection, because it doesn't buy, sell or trade it.
- No automatic emails: the company knows how frustrating "no-reply" emails are. If Northwest emails you, you can reply and a real person will answer.
- No late fees: Northwest simply doesn't believe in them, and neither do we.
- No lost messages: real people answer the phones, and if a call is ever missed, a voicemail gets a response within two business hours.
Additional services from Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest can also help with the wider needs of running a small business. Think of these as "wrap-around" services that cover much of what a growing company requires:
- Trademark service
- Business maintenance
- Annual report filings
- Federal Tax ID (EIN) service
- Foreign registration
- Non-US resident business formation
- Non-US resident Tax ID (EIN)
- Records and legal documents
- Law on Call
- Free legal forms
- Certified copies
- Certificates of good standing
- Corporate books, seals and certificates
- Business address and development
- Mail forwarding services
- Virtual office service
- Phone service
- Payment processing
- Service of process
- BOC-3 process agent
Why we recommend Northwest Registered Agent
By now it's probably clear that we recommend Northwest highly. The company doesn't try to be the cheapest, because being cheapest usually means cutting corners on service, and it won't do that. Pricing is transparent, with a flat fee for business formation and a separate annual fee for registered agent service, plus whatever your state charges.
Some filing services advertise "free" options, but we think the modest fee is well worth the service and expertise you get from Northwest Registered Agent. Pricing is upfront, too, so you're never surprised by an extra charge later in the process.
Overall, we highly recommend Northwest Registered Agent Services for small business formation and for the full range of services it offers.
FAQs
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