Melissa2007B
Member
This is just an interesting point, and side note. I'm looking for an affordable plumber. But I'm a Process Server by trade and part of my work is minor investigations. So I know a few things.
So I see one plumbing company recommended on NextDoor, which is a local neighborhood board that you can sign up for. The company has 20 recommendations from neighbors, so I think; OH WOW!
But then I do the most basic thing that we can ever do, when checking out a business. A basic search at the Secretary of State's site, for a business listing. Here in Colorado that's at
https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityCriteriaExt.do
None for this company. Only a trade name. And the trade name, instead of having a person for a Registered Agent, as required, has another company name listed as one. What?! ( The SOS office apparently doesn't check and verify these things - they just allow filings online! )
So I start wondering. When I started my business, the bank wouldn't even open a business checking account for me, without showing them my listing at the SOS office. So how does someone run a plumbing business without one? Apparently people around here like them, though. Just odd.
For those of you who may have not done a registration like this before, and not known how, but might want to, you may need an attorney, or you could just look at some of the ones on that site. But from experience, they are not always filled out properly, or compliant with state laws. ( For example, the Registered Agent's address is supposed to be at a physical office or home address - not a PO box or mailbox store, and there's a good reason for that. ) Some people either don't know, or don't care.
But if you're running a business, it might be a well-spent couple hundred dollars ( I don't know what it costs, because I did mine. ) for an attorney or paralegal, to file this for you. It legitimizes your business, to some extent, and you can always point people to your filing as proof of how long you've been in business, which is cool.
So I see one plumbing company recommended on NextDoor, which is a local neighborhood board that you can sign up for. The company has 20 recommendations from neighbors, so I think; OH WOW!
But then I do the most basic thing that we can ever do, when checking out a business. A basic search at the Secretary of State's site, for a business listing. Here in Colorado that's at
https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityCriteriaExt.do
None for this company. Only a trade name. And the trade name, instead of having a person for a Registered Agent, as required, has another company name listed as one. What?! ( The SOS office apparently doesn't check and verify these things - they just allow filings online! )
So I start wondering. When I started my business, the bank wouldn't even open a business checking account for me, without showing them my listing at the SOS office. So how does someone run a plumbing business without one? Apparently people around here like them, though. Just odd.
For those of you who may have not done a registration like this before, and not known how, but might want to, you may need an attorney, or you could just look at some of the ones on that site. But from experience, they are not always filled out properly, or compliant with state laws. ( For example, the Registered Agent's address is supposed to be at a physical office or home address - not a PO box or mailbox store, and there's a good reason for that. ) Some people either don't know, or don't care.
But if you're running a business, it might be a well-spent couple hundred dollars ( I don't know what it costs, because I did mine. ) for an attorney or paralegal, to file this for you. It legitimizes your business, to some extent, and you can always point people to your filing as proof of how long you've been in business, which is cool.
