When you start a business, one of the first things you need to do is choose a registered agent. This is the person or company that will receive legal and tax documents on behalf of your business.
Many small business owners choose to be their own, but there are several reasons why this may not be a good idea. In this blog post, we will discuss five reasons why you should not be your own registered agent!
1. A Registered Agent Must Have a Physical Address (with business hours!)
The registered agents must have a physical address (no PO Box or UPS store). This is because the registered agent needs to be available during normal business hours to sign for and accept any legal documents that are delivered.
If you choose to be your own, this means that you will need to provide a physical address for your business. This can be a problem if you have a home-based business or if you do not want your personal address to be public.
2. Privacy & Security for Your Business
Privacy is another reason why you should not be your own registered agent. As a business owner, when you are the registered agent for your own business, your personal information (including your home address) is available for the public record.
This means that anyone can look up your information online and find out where you live. This can be a problem if you value your privacy or if you do not want people to know where you live. (You don’t want the sheriff showing up at your home or business causing neighbors or employees to ask questions!)
3. Always Keep Your Business Address Current
Another reason to use a registered agent service is that the registered agent address will always stay current, even if your business moves, expands or changes mailing addresses.
This is because the registered agent’s address does not change – regardless of where your office is. This can be a problem if you move or change your mailing address, as you will need to update your registered agent information with the state.
4. Filter Out the Spam & Junk
Another reason to use a registered agent service is that they can filter out the spam, junk mail and solicitations that look like official mail. This can be a problem if you receive a lot of spam or if you are not familiar with the process of filtering mail.
Especially for small businesses that aren’t used to reviewing important legal documents or don’t have the manpower to assist with paperwork.
You don’t want to lose or accidentally toss important documents! Leave it to the pros.
5. Peace of Mind
Finally, registered agent services offer you and your business peace of mind! This means that they handle everything that comes in allowing you to focus on what you do best – running your business!
The Wrap
These are just a few of the reasons why you should not be your own registered agent when setting up your business entity. If you value your privacy, if you want your address to stay current, or if you want someone else to handle the mail, then you should use a registered agent service.
Registered agent services are easy to use and they provide many benefits for businesses.
Set up Your Registered Agent Service
Convinced you need a registered agent yet? One of the experienced Frisco employment law attorneys at our firm can help you set up your registered agent in the state of Texas today!
Contact Simon Paschal PLLC today for more information about how we can assist you.
