The world has entered into the digital economic era. Businesses have been forced to adapt in order to retain customers. One way they have done this is through digital transformation. This can be difficult for small businesses. However, there are various tools that can be used to achieve digital transformation. These can be used both by existing businesses to maintain their customer base or startup businesses looking to make their mark on the economy.
Tools For Digital Transformation
Tools that are increasingly being used by businesses are social media and applications. Social media can help businesses engage with existing customers and attract customers on global scale. Another tool that is increasingly being used is document collaboration. Multiple employees can collaborate on a single item of work that is saved to the cloud, thus allowing a collaborative work environment even where employees are working from home or a different office. The Covid-19 pandemic provides a perfect example of why being able to work remotely yet still collaboratively is so important for businesses.
How These Tools Benefit Your Business
Other than increasing business efficiency, many of these tools help you to understand your customers. When a business understands their customers they are able to better promote products or services that are relevant to that individual or business. Understanding customer preferences and behaviour also helps businesses adjust their pricing strategies in order to retain and attract new customers.
Online Incorporation Services
Another digital tool prospective business owners should take advantage of are online incorporation services, particularly if you intend on forming an LLC.
While it is possible to incorporate an LLC on your own, the requirements can be rather complicated especially since they differ between states. An attorney can assist but will likely charge a hefty fee. An online LLC incorporation service can take care of this for you. There are multiple incorporation services available. Two great options are ZenBusiness and LegalZoom. Which service is right for your business will depend on what is important to you as a business owner.
1. Price
ZenBusiness wins out in terms of pricing with one of the lowest incorporation fees at $39. LegalZoom on the other hand charges twice as much at $79.
2. Experience
LegalZoom easily has the most experience of the two services. It has been in operation since 1999 and has helped form over 2 million businesses. ZenBusiness has only been operating since 2015. However, since then they have already formed thousands of businesses.
3. Efficiency
Both services fare well here, providing quick registration in a matter of days or weeks. Both also have tracking tools on their websites that allow you to monitor your order status.
4. Additional Services
Included in ZenBusiness’s incorporation fee is a year of free registered agent services and a template for an LLC operating agreement. To add these services to LegalZoom’s formation package would cost an additional $348. The registered agent service is particularly important as LLCs are required to appoint a registered agent in order to receive delivery of documents from the state. ZenBusiness also offers publication services which LegalZoom does not. LegalZoom does however offer a variety of legal services that ZenBusiness does not, such as drawing up a last will and testament, drafting divorce papers, or trademark registration.
5. Customer Experience
Both incorporation services have decent customer support and both are contactable via email, phone and chat support. LegalZoom’s customer support hours during the week,10 am to 8 pm, are shorter than ZenBusiness’s, 9 am to 9 pm. However, LegalZoom offers extended weekend support hours, 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, compared to ZenBusiness who only offer support hours on a Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm.
While both services are easy to use, ZenBusiness’s user interface is slightly less intimidating. Overall, customers are satisfied with the convenient service they receive from LegalZoom, but there is some negative feedback online regarding their customer support and prices. ZenBusiness for its short lifespan already has over 6 000 online reviews and the vast majority of these are positive, praising ZenBusiness’s efficiency and ease of use.
Both ZenBusiness and LegalZoom are great options for anyone looking to incorporate an LLC. ZenBusiness may be the best choice if your priorities are affordability and customer reviews. LegalZoom may be preferable if brand power and experience are more important.
Final Thoughts
There are multiple digital tools that if implemented well can enhance a business’s chances of success. One such tool for unincorporated businesses is an LLC incorporation service such as ZenBusiness or LegalZoom.
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