Harvard Business Services LLC: Pricing
Harvard Business Services has 3 packages for you to choose from. The packages differ depending on your needs. The three packages are:
In this section, we will help you decide which package is ideal for your business by diving into each one of the offers. We will also share our honest opinion about the value you will be receiving from each filing package.
Let’s get into it…
Harvard Business Green Package:
The most affordable package, Green costs $179 and includes:
- All Delaware Fees Paid
Every state charges different fees for incorporating. Harvard Business Services includes them in the price of the package, so there will be no surprises.
- Articles of Organization
The articles of organization are the first step towards forming your business. They are the document that will outline basic information about it. Delaware (as every state) has its own requirements about what details you need to share with them. Harvard Business Services will prepare and file this document for you with the state.
- Registered Agent Service for One Year
A registered agent is a person or entity that will receive important mail for your business. This could be tax notices or subpoenas. Harvard Business Services will assign a registered agent for you in Delaware for one year and then charge you $50 for the service on an annual basis. Though you can cancel at any time, you will absolutely need a registered agent for your business. And compared to most business formation companies, Harvard Business Services offers the service at a very attractive price.
- Lifetime Customer Support
After forming your business, you can rest assured that you will have full support from them. Whatever questions you might have or help you might need, you can call them via phone or email during business hours.
- Digital Copy of Any Filed Documents
They will also send you a digital copy of your articles of organization, among any other official documents they file for you.
Is the Green Package Right For Your Business?
If you’re looking to simply form your business without the bells and whistles, this is the ideal package for you. But it’s important to note that this package doesn’t include important templates that will help you run your business effectively. So, unless you don’t want them right now or you’re ready to look for them elsewhere, take a look at the next package…
Harvard Business Basic Package:
The Basic package costs $229 and has everything that the Green has, plus:
- Document Templates
They will offer you templates to create your banking resolution, operating agreement, membership certificates, etc. Note that this is not something that is required after forming your business. But it outlines the key responsibilities and rights of the company members, so it can prove useful in the future.
- Physical Copies of your Filed Documents
They will also send you any official documents they file for you with their priority mail service. This is also a personal preference and by no means are you required to have the files in a physical form.
Is the Basic Package the Right One for your Business?
This package is great for those who don’t want to search for templates separately and value physical copies of filed documents.
But if the price is an issue for you, it will probably not offer a lot more value to your business.
That’s why we strongly advise you to make sure that you really need physical copies of your filed documents and can’t find free templates elsewhere.
Harvard Business Standard Package:
The Standard package costs $329 and offers everything that the other two provide plus:
- LLC Kit/Seal
This includes a corporate binder with your company name embossed on it; an operating agreement; an LLC customized seal; a transfer ledger; some sample documents; a meeting minute book; and more. As you can imagine, all these things are not vital for your business. But, again, if you have the money to spare and you really want them, go for it.
Is the Standard Package the Right One for your Business?
When it comes to the Standard package, it basically comes down to whether you think an LLC kit is something you’d like to have or not. Just like the Basic package, this offers an additional “luxury item”. However, we believe that the price here is too high to justify the value…
Harvard Business Services Inc: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Specialized In Delaware Business Formations
What is truly amazing about this company is that they only specialize in Delaware business formations. When most competitors promise to form your business in any state you like, that’s rare. And it’s a good indicator that mistakes will be an impossibility and things will go fast and smoothly.
- Four Decades of Experience
40 years of business formation experience is a great sign that you’re in the hands of the best.
- Fast Service
If you only select to form your business (Green package), the promised turn-around time is only 3-5 business days. Contrast this with so many competitors who usually need weeks to deliver and charge extra for expedited service.
- Free Registered Agent for One Year
It’s always a great deal to get a free registered agent service for the first year to get started. It’s one less expense you need to worry about right after forming your business.
- One of the Cheapest Registered Agent Services
We honestly haven’t seen such a cheap registered agent service before. Harvard Business Services charge just $50 per year and this will not increase as your company gets older.
- Cheap Basic Formation Package
Their Green package which is basically the one you need to form your business is very cheap at $179. It’s true that if you look at most competitors, they have better prices. But most of them hold back too many services for upsells. Harvard Business Services doesn’t.
- Plenty of Positive Reviews
There are countless online reviews across many sources about Harvard Business Services. And most of them praise them for the value they offer. More on that in a bit…
- All Delaware Fees are Included In the Price
Since they only form companies in the state of Delaware, you don’t have to worry about the usual state fees. What you pay for the package you choose is all you will end up paying to form your business.
Cons:
- EIN Isn’t Included In the Packages
Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) is perhaps the only vital thing that remains to be taken care of so you can operate your business. This is simply a social security number for it. It allows you to file for taxes, open a business bank account, employ people, etc. Harvard Business Services do offer it but only as an extra service. It costs
- They Only Form In Delaware
This can be viewed as a disadvantage for someone as well. Even though it’s great that they only focus on a state they’re well familiar with, many people will want to have more options.
- No Compliance Service
This is yet another important service that you will need to stay compliant with the state of Delaware. Unfortunately, Harvard Business Services doesn’t offer it at all, so you will need to look for it somewhere else.
- Not Much Value when It Comes to the More Expensive PackagesThe Green package is an excellent way to get started when forming your business. It’s a different story when it comes to the rest, though. Even when they’re far more expensive, they only offer non-essential luxury items.
Harvard Business Services Reviews: What’s the Consensus?
Most of the Harvard Business Services Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Besides the great average score across 4 different platforms, reading the reviews themselves provides even better insight.
Most of them talk about how Harvard Business Services go the extra mile to assist you with any questions and guide you through the process. On top of that, many also emphasize how fast that process is with them.
In general, it seems that there has been a great deal of customer satisfaction. And when it comes to complaints, Harvard Business Service addresses them immediately.
Harvard Business Services vs LegalZoom
|
Harvard Business Services |
LegalZoom |
Starting Price (Delaware Fees Included) |
$179 |
$219 |
Turnaround Time |
3 – 5 Business Days |
30 business days |
Yearly Registered Agent Service Cost |
$50/year |
$299/year |
Free Registered Service for a Year |
TRUE |
FALSE |
Digital Corporate Seal |
TRUE |
FALSE |
Lifetime Customer Support |
TRUE |
TRUE |
Financial Account Authorization Letter |
FALSE |
TRUE |
So, how does Harvard Business Services compare to their well-established competitor, LegalZoom?
For this comparison, we used the cheapest package from both companies. We also focused on the hypothetical business formation in Delaware for the sake of consistency.
As you can see, Harvard Business Services surprisingly manages to both give more value and remain cheap with their most basic offer. They offer a faster turn-around time and the formation cost is $40 cheaper. Plus, the Harvard Business Services registered agent service is one of the cheapest you can find…
Note: if you want to take a deeper dive into LegalZoom or LegalZoom competitors, check out our article.
So, it seems like you will get a better deal with Harvard Business Services both while you form your company and afterward, in the long term…
Is Harvard Business Service Worth it?
From one of the lowest registered agent service costs in the industry to how much they care about their customers, Harvard Business Services is the only sensible choice for Delaware business formations.
As we already pointed out, however, their upsells don’t bring much further value to the table. So, we recommend you go with their Green package and simply get an EIN for cheaper from somewhere else if you can.
Wrapping it up, if you are looking to form your business in Delaware, there is simply no better alternative here. Harvard Business Services is a no-brainer…
Thanks for reading and we wish you good luck with forming your business!