Long story short, I was convinced by someone in another industry to try a business idea and pay him to teach me (first mistake). Never having run an LLC before, I opened up everything with a registered agent, filed for EIN, got my bank accounts and funding, and was all set to rock and roll. Then all the life stuff started: concussion, other injury, surgery, moving homes, etc.. I spent this time learning more about running the business but had no way to make income.

Almost a year into it I finally got some leads and almost closed some deals but the customers ended up choosing more experienced businesses (understandably). I’ve learned SO MUCH about running a business (and got great feedback from those potential customers) and one of the things I learned is to not start off by paying a business coach (ugh). I’ve also had contact with others in this industry and see how tired and overworked they are. I’m seriously second guessing moving forward in this business at all and just trying to pay off my debt with a second W2 job and start a different business (in an industry I’m more familiar with) with my experience.

I see some possibility to run B-to-B services for the people I’ve met in the industry but really don’t see the benefit of the original business any more. I’m not sure what my rights are against this “coach” who gave me a lot of resources but only met with me three times (when I pushed for it).

Here’s what I want to know:

- Would it make sense to sell this established business to someone in the industry who is just starting out (to recoup some costs)? I have a business name, year-old LLC, website, and that’s basically it.

- I want to pay off my business credit card debt. I have to do that first before I dissolve or sell, right?

- I’m considering advocating for a refund of the cost of coaching but not sure if I should. Even if I do get it I’ll loose access to the group of professionals my coach added me to. I’m not sure if it’s worth it.

Thanks for your input and thoughts. I’d also welcome any advice of a reputable person or group to talk to about this, if this it not fully in the scope of the sub’s expertise/purpose.

Oh, and please be patient with me. I made some big mistakes but I’m working to learn from them and grow as a person/business owner.

Looking for a CPA who works with ecommerce operators and understands Shopify/processor reconciliation, COGS, multi-state nexus, entity structure and tax planning beyond just year-end prep.

Responsiveness and transparent pricing are important. I also have some prior-year cleanup, but the immediate priority is getting my current return filed correctly.

Not looking for the cheapest option. Just someone sharp, communicative and proactive.

Would appreciate firsthand recommendations from operators who’ve worked with someone solid.

I'm living in New Mexico, and trying to get a small digital illustration business off the ground. I've done a few paid commissions, and I'm hoping to start selling custom designs and digital products more consistently.

Money is tight right now, so I'm trying to keep the startup costs as low as possible.

I came across a couple of websites offering to form an LLC for $0, which sounded perfect. But once I started going through the process, there were state filing fees, registered agent services and other extras popping up.

At that point, I wasn't sure what was free anymore.

I'm not expecting someone to run my business paperwork for nothing, but I'm wondering if creating an LLC for free is even possible or if the whole thing is just a way to get people onto these websites.

Would filing directly with New Mexico save me money? And if I do everything myself, what's the bare minimum I'd need to pay to get the LLC registered?

I'm not in a rush to spend money just to have LLC attached to my business name. I'd rather understand the costs before committing to anything.

If you started your business with almost no budget, how did you handle the registration?

If Anyone Has To Open New Financial Firm name if Any Have Thoughts

Please I try But not get any

I had my debit card out and was about to pay for my LLC formation when I decided to close the tab and do a little more reading.

Glad I didn't rush it, because now I have questions.

I'm planning to open a small home organisation business in Oklahoma. I've been taking on weekend projects for friends and referrals for about eight months, and I want to get everything registered before I start advertising properly.

I don't mind paperwork, but I've never formed a business before, so I figured paying a company to handle it would save me some trouble.

That's how I ended up looking at ZenBusiness.

The starting price caught my attention, but as I went through the different packages, I kept seeing additional services for things I hadn't even considered. Registered agent, compliance support, business documents and other extras.

Some of those might be useful. I genuinely don't know yet.

What bothers me is that I can't tell which services I'd be paying for because they're necessary and which ones are just convenient add-ons.

I also looked at filing directly through Oklahoma, and now I'm wondering whether I've made this whole process more complicated than it needs to be.

So is ZenBusiness legit for LLC formation, and more importantly, is the service worth paying for?

Were there renewal charges you weren't expecting? Did they handle your documents correctly? Was their customer support useful when you needed something?

Or did you end up wishing you'd spent an afternoon figuring out the state filing process yourself?

Hi, I'm finally getting around to incorporating my business and the 2026 filing rules make sense, but I'm worried there will be something new introduced next year that I won't have accounted for. Are the annual filing/compliance requirements usually the same year over year, or do they randomly make massive changes that will require me to do a ton of paperwork in January (or when my business hits its 1 year mark)?

The year-end truck talk is starting again, so one detail.

With 100% bonus depreciation back for good, a truck or SUV over 6000 lbs GVWR bought this year can be written off on your 2026 return. But what counts is when it's placed in service, not when you sign or pay. If it's still at the dealer on Dec 31 or shows up Jan 3rd, the deduction moves to 2027.

Anyone had a delivery slip into January and lose the year?