Much like many other companies, you’ve likely been using the same registered agent for a while. Whether it’s been five years, 10 years, or even longer, you’ve gotten comfortable with what you’re used to. That’s normal. But is it what’s best?
Times have changed. You’ve evolved and require more sophisticated levels of service and modern technology and, your registered agent, well, they should be keeping up with your pace. The good news: Computershare is rising to meet your registered agent needs in ways your current registered agent should be but isn’t.
Here are the top 10 things you didn’t know your registered agent should be doing for you:
10. Provide a dedicated, single point of contact
Being paired with a dedicated account manager, who is supported by a dedicated account team, offers you a wide range of benefits. This one-on-one relationship structure provides you the certainty of knowing all your questions, requests, and inquiries are handled by a person who is familiar with your business and committed to your success.
9. Deliver annual report filings through true automation, not spreadsheets
Eliminating the need for manual spreadsheet review and data population frees up time in your day to focus on what matters most to your business.
True automation of annual report filings means you get a hassle-free process with real-time visibility into the status of each filing. That way, you can rest assured that your annual reports are current, and your units are in good standing in every state in which you operate— without question, without preparation fees, and without interruption.
8. Validate the current health of your entities in each state
Validation of entity compliance gives you the peace of mind you need when it comes to the health of every entity, in every state.
At the very start of your partnership with your registered agent, your entities should be audited for good standing at the state level and confirmed with the Secretary of State's office in all states where you operate. You get visibility into exactly how many entities you have and reassurance that you’re starting off on the right foot from the very beginning.
On average, Computershare discovered that five percent of companies’ entities are not in good standing prior to onboarding, with the primary reason being overdue annual report filings (don’t worry — we can fix it for you and get your entities back in good standing!).
7. Drop preparation fees
Nobody likes to be nickel and dimed. In fact, you should only pay for what matters. Form preparation for annual report filings, transactional requests, and change of agent, should all be handled for you at the cost of zero dollars. Yes, you read that right: zero preparation fees. If your current registered agent charges you prep fees for filling out forms, it’s time to start looking for a new one that won’t.
6. One simplified monthly invoice
Operating in multiple states can be overwhelming. Dozens of invoices per month for each transactional service request in every state you operate is frustrating and time consuming.
Eliminate the avalanche of paper or electronic invoices with an itemized summary of all registered agent services in a single, consolidated monthly invoice. With fewer invoices to process and more transparency into your actual spend, budgeting becomes easier to manage than ever before.
5. Trusted service of process review and routing
When Service of Process (SOP) is received, your registered agent should go the extra mile to minimize your risk. That means providing you with legal professionals who review SOP in a timely manner and get documents routed to the right person at your company quickly. And, with your entities all residing in the United States, it makes the most sense that your registered agent handles all processing domestically.
4. Deliver a transparent dashboard view of all your entities
With domestic entities and foreign qualifications all over the country, having real-time access to all units via one transparent dashboard should be a core requirement. A dashboard gives you visibility into all your entity details and documents for SOPs, annual reports, transactional services, and more at a glance.
3. Provide total cost of compliance
Being able to view and prove what it actually costs per entity to be in good standing, by state, helps you identify and address company overspending issues promptly. Integrated into your entity management system, you’ll have access to detailed cost reporting allowing you to forecast your budget quickly and accurately. And, these days, budgets matter.
2. Support every entity request in real-time
Entities change. Employees come and go. Reorganizations happen. Your registered agent should offer real-time changes to entity structures, name changes, or other subsidiary details. Visibility into the status of each request, along with the cost, scope of work, and more, should be easily accessible so you know exactly where your requests are in the process.
1. Consolidate everything entity compliance into a single platform
Managing everything entity compliance in one innovative platform provides economies of scale. Viewing registered agent entity data and all entity-level information in one place — including business licenses everywhere you operate — creates a seamless, streamlined process through one vendor.
Believe it or not, this top ten list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to enhanced registered agent services.
As one of the largest registered agents in the United States, Computershare is disrupting the status quo. By integrating technology and high-touch customer service, our clients receive a single-source, managed solution with central visibility into all their registered agent and entity compliance needs.
If you’d like to learn how you can improve your entity compliance, visit us online and let’s chat.
