How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?

How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?

Missouri Registered Agent Services offers their services for $49/ year. Business owners already have a lot to do – then add in dealing with legal issues, customer complaints, junk mail, and a whole lot more. Registered agents provide a significant amount of value for business owners, along with providing added privacy when the business is registered with the state. In Missouri, it is necessary to have a registered agent, but there are various options to choose from. It’s important for business owners to make the right choice, considering the cost and other benefits of their registered agent.

The Reason for Having a Registered Agent

A registered agent handles a lot of basic tasks for the business owner, like receiving legal documents, staying on top of compliance concerns, and handling customer complaints. It is required for businesses in Missouri to have a registered agent, but the business owner can be their own. There are downsides to this, however, that business owners need to be aware of before they make a decision. Since working with a registered agent service is inexpensive, it’s definitely something business owners will want to carefully consider.

Acting as a Registered Agent for the Business

In Missouri, anyone can be a registered agent so long as they meet certain basic requirements. Business owners can opt to be their own registered agent, but there are downsides to this that mean it may not be an attractive option. If a business owner is their own registered agent, they may need to worry about the following.

Legal Notices

If the business owner is their own registered agent, legal notices will be delivered to them directly. This can be embarrassing, as a sheriff or process server will show up at the business to serve the papers, potentially in front of customers.

Private Information Being Public

The name, home address, and office address of the business owner are listed publicly by the state if they are their own registered agent. This means anyone has access to that information.

Junk Mail and Customer Complaints

Business owners will need to spend time taking customer complaints, figuring out how to handle them, and responding to the customers. They’ll also need to sort through the junk mail received by the business, which can be more than expected.

Missed Deadlines or Compliance Concerns

Business owners are often incredibly busy, so it’s all too easy to miss deadlines and end up losing a lawsuit or getting behind on compliance concerns and receiving fines and other penalties.

Hiring an Individual for a Registered Agent

Business owners may opt to hire an individual, such as an employee, to be the registered agent for the business. This can eliminate some of the issues mentioned above, but it may not always be a good solution. Employees will expect a pay raise for the added responsibilities, but this can be costly over time. On top of this, employees may end up working longer hours to get everything done, which also increases the cost to the business. It also doesn’t eliminate the potential for legal notices to be served at the business and, depending on who is acting as the registered agent, may not solve other concerns, as the employee may not know how to do the job without proper training.

Working with a Service as the Registered Agent

Business owners can also consider working with a registered agent service. The service handles everything on behalf of the business owner, so there isn’t anything to worry about. Everything will be done properly. Since the service has its own office, legal documents will not be delivered to the office, saving the business owner the embarrassment of it being done in front of customers. Registered agent services are experienced and know how to do the job properly, so they will make sure the business owner is reminded of appointments, legal deadlines, and compliance concerns that must be handled.

How Much the Services Will Cost Per Year

One concern business owners may have when looking at using a registered agent service is how much it will cost. It may seem like it will end up being expensive due to all of the things the service will do for the business, but this isn’t the case. Basic packages for a registered agent service can be under $50 per year, which is affordable for even the smallest businesses. The business owner can get more information or sign up for the registered agent services by filling out a simple form online. From there, they’ll have the opportunity to work with an expert registered agent to get everything set up for the business.

Looking Beyond the Cost

Registered agent services provide tons of benefits to business owners. After hiring a registered agent service, the business owner doesn’t have to worry about their private information like their name or address being public. They won’t have to worry about being served legal documents at work or about whether they’re in the office and accessible to the public during normal business hours. The registered agent handles all of these tasks, is easy for anyone to contact with a complaint or concern, and will be able to help provide reminders as needed to prevent compliance issues or missing legal documents. The cost of the services is incredibly inexpensive compared to all the benefits the business owner will receive.

Having a registered agent is required, but it is a task business owners can do on their own. If they choose to do this, though, they will need to be aware of the potential downsides. Instead, hiring a registered agent service is an extremely cost-effective way to have all of the tasks handled by a professional and protect the business owner’s privacy. If you’re a business owner who wants to make sure everything is handled properly but doesn’t want to do it on your own, look into using a registered agent service today. With a low cost to use the services, it just makes sense. Contact Missouri Registered Agent Services now to learn more about pricing or the help available.