*SPECIAL OFFER – Get Starter for $0 plus state fees. Includes one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance that renews at $199/yr.
**The filing times presented are averages. Filing times vary by state so we’ll provide an accurate filing time after you select your state.

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“This is your life.
You want to get it right.”

– Mark Cuban on Starting a Business

Entrepreneur and Shark Tank host lays out
3 steps to follow when starting a business

Form an LLC to protect your liability
Set up your banking and accounting
Grow sales by marketing your website

Business types at a glance

Business formation types have important similarities and differences. Use this table to identify which one is right for you.

Business Types

How It's Unique

Protections & Taxation

Drawbacks to Consider

LLC

The simplest and most flexible way to structure your business to protect personal assets

Start an LLC

From $0 + state filing fees

Board of directors not required

Unlimited owners (a.k.a. “members”) allowed

You’re not personally on the hook for business liabilities

Taxed once or twice; you’re free to choose which can help minimize taxes

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

LLCs can’t go public

Not recognized globally; you may be taxed as a corporation outside U.S.

C-Corp

A more complex structure that gives you the ability to issue shares, go public, or go global.

Start a C-Corp

From $0 + state filing fees

Allows for unlimited owners

Can issue shares to founders, employees, and investors

Owners may get preferred stock

Recognized internationally

Preferred by investors

You’re not personally on the hook for business liabilities

Taxed twice — business pays at the corporate level, while shareholders pay on income received

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

Less management flexibility; must have a board of directors

More admin; strict rules about holding meetings and keeping records

S-Corp

This tax designation avoids double taxation and can save some LLC owners on self-employment taxes. Our S-Corp service can help you form an LLC and elect S-Corp status.

Start an S-Corp

From $0 + state filing fees

Is a tax status for qualifying LLCs and corporations, not a business entity type

Maximum of 100 owners

For some LLCs filing as an S corp, the owners can save money on self-employment taxes

Taxed once — profits are only taxed at the individual owner level without first being taxed at the business level, unlike C corporations

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

Must have only U.S. owners and meet other IRS requirements

Closer IRS scrutiny

Business Types

LLC

The simplest and most flexible way to structure your business to protect personal assets

Start an LLC

From $0 + state filing fees

How It’s Unique

Board of directors not required

Unlimited owners (a.k.a. “members”) allowed

Protections & Taxation

You’re not personally on the hook for business liabilities

Taxed once or twice; you’re free to choose which can help minimize taxes

Drawbacks to Consider

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

LLCs can’t go public

Not recognized globally; you may be taxed as a corporation outside U.S.

C-Corp

A more complex structure that gives you the ability to issue shares, go public, or go global.

Start a C-Corp

From $0 + state filing fees

How It’s Unique

Allows for unlimited owners

Can issue shares to founders, employees, and investors

Owners may get preferred stock

Recognized internationally

Preferred by investors

Protections & Taxation

You’re not personally on the hook for business liabilities

Taxed twice — business pays at the corporate level, while shareholders pay on income received

Drawbacks to Consider

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

Less management flexibility; must have a board of directors

More admin; strict rules about holding meetings and keeping records

S-Corp

This tax designation avoids double taxation and can save some LLC owners on self-employment taxes. Our S-Corp service can help you form an LLC and elect S-Corp status.

Start an S-Corp

From $0 + state filing fees

How It’s Unique

Is a tax status for qualifying LLCs and corporations, not a business entity type

Maximum of 100 owners

Protections & Taxation

For some LLCs filing as an S corp, the owners can save money on self-employment taxes

Taxed once — profits are only taxed at the individual owner level without first being taxed at the business level, unlike C corporations

Drawbacks to Consider

Ongoing filings and fees to stay in compliance

Must have only U.S. owners and meet other IRS requirements

Closer IRS scrutiny

We support small businesses at every stage

From making your business official to growing it into a money-making business, our platform has you covered.

1. You select your filing options and services

You choose the filing option and add-on services that fit your needs like registered agent, employer ID number (EIN), worry-free compliance, or faster filing speeds.

2. We file your formation documents with the state

Our team collects and files all the necessary paperwork with the state to officially form your business based on the services and time-frame you select at checkout.

3. The State processes and confirms your business

This process can take a few days or a few weeks depending on the filing speed you select and the State’s internal processes and formation backlog.

4. We deliver all documents to your dashboard

The documents include your business formation certificate and employer identification number (EIN), assuming you purchased those services.

5. We provide services to grow your business.

We provide ongoing compliance services to keep you in good standing along with website, accounting, and invoicing services to help run and grow your business with ease.

2023 ZenBusiness $5K Grant Program

Apply now to get $5,000 in funding to start, run, and grow your business.

Alicia Freeman, Grantee

Freeman Counseling and Consulting LLC

“I plan to use this grant in various ways including continuing education courses to expand my knowledge in the ethical and cultural issues that are impacting communities and discussing ways for me to continue to become a more knowledgeable and competent therapist.”

Elijah Ketchup Jr., Grantee

ACE Athletic Coach

“The ZenBusiness grant money will make a huge impact for me and ACE Athletic Academy! ZenBusiness is giving our academy all the support we need to propel forward.”

Ivette Bernal, Grantee

Bermon Group LLC

“The ZenBusiness grant helped my business covering real estate and repair costs for our very first affordable housing unit! The Grant money allowed us to dedicate extra resources in renovating a nice affordable future home for a monoparental family in Florida.”

Thaddeus Eugene Edward Cook, Grantee

Great American Radon LLC

The ZenBusiness grant money will significantly help to get us up and going. We plan to use the money to buy a few more tools and supplies that we would have had to wait on. This will help us to be more efficient and reduce time at the job sites. Thank You so much ZenBusiness!

Dr. Kevin White , Grantee

Milwaukee Academy of Learning LLC

“The ZenBusiness grant money will have a great impact for me and my school. It is going to help move the school in the right direction as I use the grant money to hire part-time faculty to assist me with teaching classes.”

Emily Pedzinski , Grantee

BeeFit Investments LLC

“The ZenBusiness grant will make a huge impact for me and my business as it is allowing me to start expanding my apiary now. With that I am able to start building my inventory so that I can start the next step in my business plan now.”

Anjanette Silas, Grantee

Birth & Beyond, NYC LLC

“The ZenBusiness grant will have a ripple effect within the communities I serve. With the grant that I received, I can offset the cost of doula services for families most affected by health inequities.”

Ambrosia Crump, Grantee

Dignity Disability Solutions LLC

“The grant money has helped me secure a private mailbox where my homeless clients can receive their social security correspondence, pay my membership dues to professional organizations, and paid for my ability to attend trainings to improve my advocacy skills.”

Zainab ALJbory, Grantee

Agro BioResearch LLC

The ZenBusiness grant money will make a significant impact for my business, it’s going to drive our research services forward. I will be able to purchase the needed lab equipment which will increase our capacity to reach more customers”.

Rita Lewis, Grantee

RI-VIVE Wellness LLC

“The ZenBusiness grant money will make a huge impact for me and my business – it’s going to help propel my business forward as I’ll use the grant funds to help open a rental space in my area where I can see my patients in a clinical setting.

Starts at $0 plus state fees and only take 5 to 10 minutes

Start and GrowYour Side Hustle orDream Business

Business Types

LLC

C-Corp

S-Corp

Business Types

LLC

C-Corp

S-Corp

We support small businesses at every stage

2023 ZenBusiness $5K Grant Program

Ready to launch your business?

Start and Grow
Your Side Hustle or
Dream Business